paulisi wrote:

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Alex looks like he may be going to play some of the SA clay challengers shortly.

Probably trying to build his ranking up so that he gets in directly or is seeded in qualifying - there is a big financial risk for playing qualifying at challengers.

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Good luck to Alex.

But it's a bigger financial risk playing 10ks (unless you've got home lodging) because there's no way you can make a profit unless you win. Whereas at least with challengers you've got a chance.

And Alex was ranked WR 417 in June. Since then, four months ago, he's only played ITFs, nothing else. And is now ranked 385.....

He's at least got space to go up now, as he's dropped his 2015 counters. But it's a hard way to do it and seriously risks injury.

paulisi wrote:

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Alex does win 10K's though and he will pick up prize money if he wins a round which will offset some of the costs.

Why would you play a challenger and the costs associated with the risk of getting no money at all back if you didn't make main draw?

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I know what you mean.,

But it's a toss-up bewteen the 10k which is 90% sure to be a loss-maker - although maybe only a moderate loss-maker if you make the semis, say, but with NO upside whatever because even in the 10% chance, say, that you win it , you'll only come out with 100 dollars or so, (pre-witholding tax).

Against playing a Challenger Q which might be 95% sure to be a loss-maker (and a higher loss maker) but gives you a very large upside IF you manage to win a few matches, or - as several of the recent draws have shown - just manage to win one match because the draws have been so thin.

As a financial business thing, the challenger makes far more sense. But with the points thrown in, and match practice etc., it's obvious that there's a need to play the ITFs too.  

SF:  (4) Roberto Ojeda (ESP) WR 434 (CH = 369 in November last year) vs (2) Alex Ward WR 385

Bob in Spain wrote:

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SF: (WC) (2) Alex Ward WR 385 beat (4) Roberto Ojeda (ESP) WR 434 (CH = 369 in November last year) 6-4 6-1

Final: (WC) (2) Alex Ward WR 385 v (3) Roberto Ortega Olmeda (ESP) WR 359 (CH 257 Oct 2014)

Chance for Alex to get his own back after his defeat at the hands of Ortega in last weeks semi.

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The overall H2H is 2-3 and unusually for a GB v Spain H2H (not to mention unfortunately given the surface here!), Alex is 2-0 on clay, while Ortega is 3-0 on hard.