Week 19 - ITF M25 - Prague, Czech Republic (clay)

GBJ · Club Coach

Week 19 - ITF M25 - Prague, Czech Republic (clay)

GBJ · Club Coach

Priesty wrote:
Nice one Jack! Not bad for the first tournament in a while!

Looks like it might be a tough proposition in the final but fingers and toes crossed that he can do it.....

Looks like CD doesn't share this opinion but I'm just curious what make you say that Priesty? It seems to me that Jack would be a clear favourite for it though it would be an above average win for him

Miriambee · Futures level

Guinard potentially is playing 3 matches today, if he doesn't give a wo in doubles. If he wins doubles then he might be playing 2 tomorrow. Both his singles matches were over 2 hours.

Priesty · Challenger level

GBJ wrote:
Priesty wrote:
Nice one Jack! Not bad for the first tournament in a while!

Looks like it might be a tough proposition in the final but fingers and toes crossed that he can do it.....
Looks like CD doesn't share this opinion but I'm just curious what make you say that Priesty? It seems to me that Jack would be a clear favourite for it though it would be an above average win for him

Mainly because he only conceded 3 games to a player ranked higher than Jack which suggests he's on form.

I'd love to be wrong, just saying that I'm not sure it's going to be easy.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Jack looked rather nervy and unsettled at the start and very quickly a break down. Not surprising - he's played so little and MG is coming in off the back of a title and decent form.

But from 0-40 down, Jack won 5 points and broke back.

2-2

But then got broken back again, when he couldn't find a first serve.

-- Edited by Coup Droit on Sunday 16th of May 2021 08:37:18 AM

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

Whatever happens today , jack is going to be in the 300-310 ranking range when these points go on. Easy to forget he is just 19 and his career high is 283. So plenty of scope this season to come back assuming he is fit again. An American hard court summer seems to work well historically for Brits on the up.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Absolutely. It's a great match-up for Jack.

Guinard is playing very much at his 270-300 level, so it's exactly the sort of match that Jack needs.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Jack played well to get it back to 4-4 - really pushing MG back way behind his line.

BUT then served a nightmare. Missed his first serves and then two double faults on the last two points. (Double faults caused by pressure on himself because he's been serving so poorly).

The serve is the only difference in the score at the moment - no idea about the stats but MG is a really tall guy (about 2 metres) and his first serve percentage must have been better but - just as importantly - his seconds have had more effect and better placement. The serve difference at the key moments....

Jack's serve has been poor, to say the least.

-- Edited by Coup Droit on Sunday 16th of May 2021 09:06:01 AM

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

And then MG serves a really nervy game to try and serve it out - and Jack dumps his doddy second serves - leaving MG to win the first set 6-4

Completely fair score.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

And Jack smashes the ball out of the court - as he misses practically every single first serve, can't buy one for love nor money, and then finishes on a double fault.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

But two sloppy UEs from Manuel, which is not like him on clay, and a super second serve return winner and winning drop shot (MG doesn't run for drop shots) gets it back to 1-1

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Saw Jack get broken (again !) at 1-1 and gave up - too frustrating.

But good to see where Manuel's tennis is (for a very tall guy, he obviously likes the clay) and hope Jack just puts this behind him, after a chat with his serve coach as to why it all went so AWOL.

ADD: Final result - Jack lost 4 & 3

-- Edited by Coup Droit on Sunday 16th of May 2021 09:51:10 AM

Priesty · Challenger level

Shame he couldn't pull off the title but I suppose given that his last match was a rather concerning retirement against Kukushkin in Miami, a final of an M25 isn't too shabby.

emmsie69 · Top national player

Coup Droit wrote:
Saw Jack get broken (again !) at 1-1 and gave up - too frustrating.

But good to see where Manuel's tennis is (for a very tall guy, he obviously likes the clay) and hope Jack just puts this behind him, after a chat with his serve coach as to why it all went so AWOL.
ADD: Final result - Jack lost 4 & 3

-- Edited by Coup Droit on Sunday 16th of May 2021 09:51:10 AM

My perception is that there are a number of players struggling with their serve, maybe a change in serving coach might reap some dividends.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Yes, though I guess there's a difference between someone like Harriet who - as you've said - has a rather weak second serve.

And Jack who normally serves pretty well (I think......) but had an off day.

But, yes, would be curious to compare 'groups' of players.

I mean, do the Bath lot (Lissey, Liam, Luke J, etc) have better serves than the JTC lot (Jodie, Freya, Katie B) ? Or any other group?

My own feeling is that the JTC lot actually all seem to have very decent, technically nice serves. However, several have real problems with tactics/strategy/point construction (and a bit with attitude).