Week 40 - ATP Challenger 80 - Alicante, Spain (hard)

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

RE: Week 40 - ATP Challenger 80 - Alicante, Spain (hard)

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

Stuart is also a nominee and contender in the Sept PoM vote this month!

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

L32: (ALT) Billy Harris WR 290 (= CH) defeated (WC) Dali Blanch (USA) WR 693 by 3 & 4

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

L32: (Q) Stuart Parker WR 352 vs Lorenzo Giustino (ITA) WR 277 (CH = 127 in August 2019)

Bob in Spain · Tennis legend

Stircrazy wrote:
L32: (Q) Stuart Parker WR 352 vs Lorenzo Giustino (ITA) WR 277 (CH = 127 in August 2019)

First up tomorrow. 11.00am start (10.00am UK).

Ticket purchased. Go Stuart.

Bob in Spain · Tennis legend

Very solid win for Billy who was never under pressure. I missed the 1st few games but arrived at 4-1* and promptly saw Billy lose the next 3 points and was worried I had jinxed him. But his opponent made far too many errors - perhaps under pressure as the local favourite. Despite being from the USA Blanch trains and the Ferrero Academy and had a lot of support from the locals.

Billy broke in the opening game of the 2nd set and was always in control from that point on. There was one Murrayesque backhand lob in that 2nd set.

www.atptour.com/en/atp-challenger-tour/challenger-tv/challenger-tv-search-results/2022-7909-ms021-alicante-billy-harris-vs-dali-blanch/2022/7909/all

Check out the point starting at 49.20 mins

-- Edited by Bob in Spain on Tuesday 4th of October 2022 08:28:47 PM

Jaggy1876 · Grand Slam Champion

Billy makes the final here and its 250 time.

Ali G wins Sheffield might also be enough.

Bob in Spain · Tennis legend

Good job Billy has the day off tomorrow. He might not be in the best state mentally - he's a Forest fan.

Nix · Futures level

Bob in Spain wrote:
Good job Billy has the day off tomorrow. He might not be in the best state mentally - he's a Forest fan.

Oh dear. Best to avoid Twitter today then.

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

Bob in Spain wrote:
Stircrazy wrote:
L32: (Q) Stuart Parker WR 352 vs Lorenzo Giustino (ITA) WR 277 (CH = 127 in August 2019)
First up tomorrow. 11.00am start (10.00am UK).
Ticket purchased. Go Stuart.

Have a good day tomorrow, Bob, & if you get a chance to speak to Stuart, please tell him that we on here are all pulling for him - this week & always. wink

indiana · Tennis legend

Jaggy1876 wrote:
Billy makes the final here and its 250 time.

Ali G wins Sheffield might also be enough.

Stuart wins the title here and it's 250 time

Billy and Stuart are in the same quarter of the draw so they can't both do it this week. I think one would be very acceptable!

Incidentally, by qualifying here Stuart has moved ahead of Aidan to be GB live #11 with Billy at #10.

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

L32: Lorenzo Giustino (ITA) WR 277 defeated (Q) Stuart Parker WR 352 by 4-6 6-4 6-1

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

indiana wrote:
Jaggy1876 wrote:
Billy makes the final here and its 250 time.

Ali G wins Sheffield might also be enough.
Stuart wins the title here and it's 250 time
Billy and Stuart are in the same quarter of the draw so they can't both do it this week. I think one would be very acceptable!
Incidentally, by qualifying here Stuart has moved ahead of Aidan to be GB live #11 with Billy at #10.

Looks like it's over to Billy, then

Those first two sets were obviously where it all played out for stuart - will be interesting to hear what Bobski made of it, if he wer there... smile

Bob in Spain · Tennis legend

Stircrazy wrote:
L32: Lorenzo Giustino (ITA) WR 277 defeated (Q) Stuart Parker WR 352 by 4-6 6-4 6-1

His legs had gone by the third set. Told me he had been feeling fatigued all week and three matches in three days took its toll.

Germany next week for another challenger and then Glasgow for the 25k.

-- Edited by Bob in Spain on Tuesday 4th of October 2022 05:23:07 PM

Bob in Spain · Tennis legend

Finally time to put up a little bit more about the match.

Two very evenly matched players in the opening two sets. Could have gone either way in each of them. Stuart didn't serve quite as well in the 2nd which was perhaps the early indication of fatigue. He was really hanging on in a couple of service games with two amazing half-volley pickups in the midst of all that. Both hit the ball very well with neither player giving much away.

But by the 3rd set, he was beginning to show his frustration as his footwork was half a step slower on occasions. The end was inevitable from the first break of serve in the decider. There was no way back.

One nice moment in the 1st set. Giustino served an Ace out wide. The umpire called it out. Stuart overruled the umpire and conceded the point having seen the ball clearly hit the line. He did say afterwards that he wasn't sure his opponent would have done the same if the situation was reversed.

Not much in the way of scoops today, I'm afraid although he did let on that he is a Liverpool fan and would have preferred Salah to leave rather than Mane.

As mentioned in the previous post, Germany next week for another challenger and then Glasgow for the 25k.