Week 43 - Challenger ($50,000) - KPIT-MSLTA Challenger, Pune, India (hard)

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

RE: Week 43 - Challenger ($50,000) - KPIT-MSLTA Challenger, Pune, India (hard)

Vandenburg · Futures level

I hate these events in these third world countries, because players do not want to visit these awful places, the field of entry is weak. This is more like a top rated futures event.

On that note, WHY THE **** does egypt have 40 futures a year??? And wonderful places people actually want to visit like Norway, have just 2 a year? mad.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Vandenburg wrote:
I hate these events in these third world countries, because players do not want to visit these awful places, the field of entry is weak. This is more like a top rated futures event.

On that note, WHY THE **** does egypt have 40 futures a year??? And wonderful places people actually want to visit like Norway, have just 2 a year? mad.

re Egypt and Norway - it's hardly mad.

The Norwegian federation (and corporate sponsors) refuse to pay for more than 2.

The Egyptian guy single-handedly (practically) funds all the 40 futures a year in Egypt because he is a completely besotted tennis fan.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

I hardly think it is disgusting for a person who is a huge sports fan to personally help that sport in his/her own country.
He comes across - from Cav's blog - as a genuine tennis lover, who knows that the sport is hardly top drawer as far as his country is concerned, but loves it anyway, and wants to support it.
Your comments re 'typical arabs' are out of order.

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

I agree with CD & have removed the original offending post + others which quoted it or part of it.

Vandenburg · Futures level

Stircrazy wrote:
I agree with CD & have removed the original offending post + others which quoted it or part of it.

PC brigade.

indiana · Tennis legend

No straightforward offensive, mate.

I am sure you can troll without that.

Thanks, SC

Julia Carrot · All-time great

Vandenburg wrote:
I hate these events in these third world countries, because players do not want to visit these awful places, the field of entry is weak. This is more like a top rated futures event.

On that note, WHY THE **** does egypt have 40 futures a year??? And wonderful places people actually want to visit like Norway, have just 2 a year? mad.
Visas for India are quite complicated, that might be what puts off some people. 'An awful place' it certainly is not. Nor is it classified as a third world country by the way.

Madadman · Masters Series Champion

The argument of Norway vs Egypt futures surely would be a no brainier. Egypt is surely a much cheaper place to visit than Norway.

Tbh players that want to break through up the rankings but just go to USA to play a tour of challengers but ignore ones in say India are naive IMO. I don't know the full costings but surely wouldn't be much in it between the two trips,talking of UK based players. The main difference being the weaker fields. Fair play to James for seeking out the weaker fields. There's times to challenge yourself during a season and there's times you just need to go point hunting and this is one for James.

bigboyjumbo · Lower Club Player

I will agree and disagree with what Vandenburg says. Having played in India numerous times it is an awful place comparing to other tennis venues. So it doesn't surprise me the slightest that it doesn't draw top players. Remember this is not an ATP event just a challenger. However i do not condemn the offensive language

theemptyvessel · Club Coach

Madadman wrote:
The argument of Norway vs Egypt futures surely would be a no brainier. Egypt is surely a much cheaper place to visit than Norway.

Tbh players that want to break through up the rankings but just go to USA to play a tour of challengers but ignore ones in say India are naive IMO. I don't know the full costings but surely wouldn't be much in it between the two trips,talking of UK based players. The main difference being the weaker fields. Fair play to James for seeking out the weaker fields. There's times to challenge yourself during a season and there's times you just need to go point hunting and this is one for James.

Totally agree with this. Liam is currently on a run of US challengers, facing tough opposition in the first round at a time when he is struggling and seems low on confidence. These two weeks in India could have been just what he needed although to be fair he probably does not get much say as he is supported by the LTA and they seem very keen on the US circuit for developing players.

EddietheEagle · County player

bigboyjumbo wrote:
I will agree and disagree with what Vandenburg says. Having played in India numerous times it is an awful place comparing to other tennis venues. So it doesn't surprise me the slightest that it doesn't draw top players. Remember this is not an ATP event just a challenger. However i do not condemn the offensive language

Condemn, condone? What offensive language? He might have been having a bit of sport.

Apropos India and offensive language, have you played on the fabled cow sh.t courts they have (or did) over there? That's probably why the tour doesn't go there much. Everyone thinks they're gonna pick up something. See India and die!

-- Edited by EddietheEagle on Tuesday 27th of October 2015 04:23:23 PM

EddietheEagle · County player

Coup Droit wrote:
I hardly think it is disgusting for a person who is a huge sports fan to personally help that sport in his/her own country.
He comes across - from Cav's blog - as a genuine tennis lover, who knows that the sport is hardly top drawer as far as his country is concerned, but loves it anyway, and wants to support it.
Your comments re 'typical arabs' are out of order.

That's nice to know. Does he get a tax break? Someone needs to nudge George Osborne and propose the idea.

Vandenburg · Futures level

EddietheEagle wrote:
Coup Droit wrote:
I hardly think it is disgusting for a person who is a huge sports fan to personally help that sport in his/her own country.
He comes across - from Cav's blog - as a genuine tennis lover, who knows that the sport is hardly top drawer as far as his country is concerned, but loves it anyway, and wants to support it.
Your comments re 'typical arabs' are out of order.
That's nice to know. Does he get a tax break? Someone needs to nudge George Osborne and propose the idea.

Another issue from following cricket, is the 'dehli belly' where from the food in india you are ill for a while before you acclimatise. Third world countries/ less economically developed countries or whatever the PC brigage calls them these days, should not host events. At this rate we are only a few years away from ISIS F1, where the top seed will be WR 1000.....

stevemcqueen · Futures qualifying

Madadman wrote:
The argument of Norway vs Egypt futures surely would be a no brainier. Egypt is surely a much cheaper place to visit than Norway.

Tbh players that want to break through up the rankings but just go to USA to play a tour of challengers but ignore ones in say India are naive IMO. I don't know the full costings but surely wouldn't be much in it between the two trips,talking of UK based players. The main difference being the weaker fields. Fair play to James for seeking out the weaker fields. There's times to challenge yourself during a season and there's times you just need to go point hunting and this is one for James.

I'd shudder to think what Evo's bar bill would be in Norway! Or mine, which would be just as bad... I would love to visit, I don't think alcohol in Egypt would be a give away either. I would like to visit tournaments in all of these countries, but with three kids to put thru uni, it isn't going to be anytime soon.

I'm sure shrewder players that have lmited budgets put together a spreadsheet of costs to help them with their choices. Most important is the feel good factor though - it wouldn't be sensible to continue to travel to far away places that you don't have any affinity for and where you always get thumped. Dino puts up with arduous travel arrangements. The upside for him is that he visits interesting places and has slightly easier draws. It seems to work for him. When he is done in Pune, he has a very long, very expensive flight to Ecuador. at least he'll maintain a good tan!

Vandenberg, you don't seem to have the same tolerant and easy going mindset as other Scandinavians I've met.....