Week 8: Marseille (Špidlá), Memphis (Mustard), Buenos Aires (Smeltz), Belgrade (Berg)

[SirBloody Idiot]

Sorry about the lack of match reports, blewy. Might get them up tomorrow along with BA and Marseille qualifying rounds:

Memphis qualifying
February 15-21, II

Singles
Seeds: (cut: Strongth Badlee - 183)
1. Anothy Ficher
2. Randy Bruce
3. Tu Haifeng
4. David Jones
5. Matthew Tobin
6. Randy Banks
7. Rod Bosnar
8. Samuel Thorpe

First Round
Paul Arroyo (ECU) def. (1)Anothy Ficher (USA) 6-4 6-4
Justin Williamson (USA) def. (8)Samuel Thorpe (USA) 6-2 7-6(4)
(2)Randy Bruce (USA) def. Strongth Badlee (USA) 7-6(3) 7-5
Oliver Thursfield (RSA) def. (7)Rod Bosnar (AUS) 4-6 7-5 6-1
(3)Tu Haifeng (TPE) def. (WC)Jason Schmidt (USA) 6-4 2-6 6-0
(WC)Ralph Robinson (USA) def. (5)Matthew Tobin (AUS) 4-6 7-6(5) 7-6(1)
(4)David Jones (AUS) def. Jack Griffen (USA) 7-5 6-7(5) 6-3
(6)Randy Banks (FRC) def. Andy Russell (GBR) 4-6 6-3 6-3

Qualifying Round
Paul Arroyo (ECU) def. Justin Williamson (USA) 6-4 7-6(7)
(2)Randy Bruce (USA) def. Oliver Thursfield (RSA) 6-4 6-4
(WC)Ralph Robinson (USA) def. (3)Tu Haifeng (TPE) 6-2 6-2
(6)Randy Banks (FRC) def. (4)David Jones (AUS) 6-4 6-1

[SirBloody Idiot]

Withdrawals

Marseille:

OUT: Zhijun; W. Li; Z. Varga
IN: Cordiero; Aksu; Emsis; Heug; Maurer

Buenos Aires:

OUT: Benaglio; Gorshkov; Engel
IN: Marín; Quezada; Rodrígues; N. Moreno; Ortiz

Memphis:

OUT: Carter; Bradley; T. Vollan; Cesljar
IN: Morkel; Highsmith; Day; Brozik; Fok; Murray

[Blewy]

Originally Posted by SirBloody Idiot

Sorry about the lack of match reports, blewy. Might get them up tomorrow along with BA and Marseille qualifying rounds:

No worries mate that was cool, was just worried i might have been missed...

Cheers... Happy to qualify

[SirBloody Idiot]

• West CWLand's Randy Banks has qualified for the main draw for the PTA 500 tournament in Memphis with a strong display against Australia's David Jones in Sunday action. Banks was made to work in the first round of qualifying against Brit Andy Russell, but eventually pulled through 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 after breaking late in the second and third sets.Jones, however, was a bigger task with the Aussie coming into the match seeded fourth and on the back of a third round appearance at the Australian Open. There was little resistance on his behalf, though, as he won just five games in a 4-6, 1-6 defeat. Banks gains twelve points for qualifying, and later today finds out who he'll face in the first round of the main draw when qualifiers are drawn. The most advantageous spot would be on the thirteenth line against local wildcard Waylon Jones, but a showdown with East CWLand's Spas Delev is also possible. He will want to avoid, however, a showdown with either sixth seed Oneil Stewart or seventh seed David Champion.

Qualifying Round
(1)Kasper Buur (DEN) vs. Marcel Kurz (SUI) 7-6(0) 6-4
(8)Mat Mitchell (CDR) def. Xavier Suarez (ARG) 6-2 6-1
Imre Medgyessy (HUN) def. (3)Fernando Aguero (ESP) 6-0 6-4
(6)Carlos Machado (BRA) def. Pierre Rose (FRC) 6-3 6-3

• Despite struggling indoors in Bergamo last week, Mat Mitchell will hope to carry on his Johannesburg form to the South American clay after making it through a draw of 32 in Buenos Aires. Travelling to his third continent in as many weeks, Mitchell showed no signs of tiredness as he raced through his qualifying round match against Xavier Suarez 6-2, 6-1.
• It was not so lucky for Pierre Rose as he fell in the qualifying round of eight to sixth seed Carlos Machado 3-6, 3-6. Rose won through to the qualifying round with an upset 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(7) win over seventh seed Carlos Gonzá, but could not continue that form into the Sunday to win a spot in the main draw.

Qualifying Round
(1)Matt Bre (CDR) def. Roger Warren (GBR) 6-3 6-0
(2)Gjorgji Dinov (MKD) def. (7)Marc Lubbers (NED) 6-2 4-6 6-4
Jean-Luc Sagna (FRA) def. (3)Adem Tadic (CRO) 4-6 6-3 6-1
(4)Václav Zeman (CZE) def. (8)Dariusz Marzec (POL) 6-4 6-4

• Matt Bre will hope to bounce back from disappointment last week in Bergamo as he moves into the main draw of the PTA tournament in Marseille. The World No. 95 had little troubles dispatching veteran Brit Roger Warren 6-3, 6-0 to march into the main draw on the back of three wins. The placement of the qualifiers in the draw, however, will work against him as no matter where he's placed he'll face a second round clash with either Rick Henson, Miroslav Brdar or Radek Špidlá.

[SirBloody Idiot]

Copa Telmex II - Men's singles




The South American clay tour hits its final leg in Buenos Aires before next week moving north to Mexico, and it is a pretty strong field present with two top twenty players. After crashing out in the quarter finals in Santiago, Juan Moreno leads the pack in front of his home crowd but has a doozy first up against hugely rated Spanish youngster Marc Carretero. Should he get through that, Pörtschach champion Toby Brookes might await, and Antonio Bachunelli as early as the quarter finals.

Last week in Brazil, Randy Smeltz made it to the final before losing to Illya Altman in three sets. He's also got a very tough start with János Varga first up and red hot Kasper Buur a real possibility in the second round. Should he get through that, a quarter final with Sergio Joaquín could eventuate this week after being ruined last week by Javier Villaneuva, whilst third seed Sanchez Emelio could be a possible semi final opponent. He has an interesting start against Mat Mitchell who is an unknown quantity on the clay.

After last week going close, I fancy Randy Smeltz to take his second title of the year and he'll be made to earn it. I think he'll get either Tiago Matías or Moreno in the final, but in front of a home crowd I'll say the latter without any conviction.

Prediction: Randy Smeltz def. Juan Moreno

[SirBloody Idiot]

Open 13 II - Men's singles




Marseille crowds will be pleased with the turnout at the Open 13 this week in a field led by World No. 3 Radek Špidlá. He'll be hoping to make amends for his Australian Open exit, and is almost assured of a quarter final with a bye first up and then a qualifier in the second round. No one in his section should stop him from making the semis, but there it does get tricky against someone like Carlo Amato or Jarkko Maxum. Amato needs to get back some points after losing in the Johannesburg final, but won't have it easy if Jarkko Maxum wins after the East CWLander last week beat his compatriot Antonio Bachunelli in Brazil. Davis has a dangerous first round match against Zagreb semi finalist Aksu Emrem who last week ousted David Champion in the first round.

Rick Henson slid out of the top fifteen last week by failing to defend huge points from Rotterdam, and needs a good tournament here to jump back in. After Miami he'll have an opportunity to make up some huge points, but best start now to get his hand in the Indian Wells-Miami pot. Some tricky matchups in his section with Dmitry Orlov in good form and Ivars Emsis impossible to break on his day. When he's not on, though, he can be very ordinary and that is what his first round opponent Rob Bowenburg will be praying for. Qualifier Matt Bre will like his odds of winning his first round match against a local wildcard, but will run into a massive wall against my favourite Miroslav Brdar.

I think Brdar had his coming out party at the Australian Open, and will push further towards the top ten in Marseille. His big threat will be local Patrick Pascaul, but I think he has enough to handle him, Henson and Radek who has not played for a few weeks and might just be warming up ahead of the North American swing.

Prediction: Miroslav Brdar def. Radek Špidlá

[SirBloody Idiot]

Regions Morgan Keegan Championships II - Men's singles




The PTA 500 tournament comes to Memphis the week, and so do a lot of players who weren't present in San Jose. Among those is World No. 10 Jefferson Drake who makes this an absolutely jam-packed draw that includes four top fifteen players. He'll have more than enough matches here with the doubles draw as well, and should do some real damage. There's potential for an all East CWLand clash in the second round between Drake and Spas Delev who should be too much for Randy Bruce the Carson finalist. At the other side of this section is Jojo Mustard who needs some big results in singles soon. He's been dealt a stinker, though, against Becker Haas. Despite being in poor form, Haas is the highest ranked non-seed and was in a good position last week against Darcy Cowan before falling away considerably. San Jose champion Dwayne Murdoch looms large for Mustard in the quarter final which makes it two weeks in a row the World No. 29 has a very tough opponent likely for the round of eight.

After falling in the semis last week, Cowan won't face Murdoch until the final if both make it that far. He'll face a dangerous quarter final against the CW Open runner up Oneil Stewart who will no doubt be as unpredictable as ever. Henry Charles will also hope to bounce back strongly from his shock first round exit in San Jose, and has a draw where he can build up a good head of steam against guys that don't have the ability to match him.

I like Charles to reverse his form last week with a tournament victory here in Memphis, but he'll need to hit form early. In the bottom half it is a toss up between Murdoch and Drake as Mustard, Haas and David Champion simply aren't in the form to challenge for it. I'm tipping Murdoch to go back-to-back in finals, but to just fall short.

Prediction: Henry Charles def. Dwayne Murdoch

[SirBloody Idiot]

GEMAX Open II - Men's singles

[SirBloody Idiot]

Copa Telmex
1st Round - Buenos Aires (Argentina)

Men's singles (Seeds - Finals - Top Half - Bottom Half)
Men's doubles (Seeds - Draw)

• Second seed Randy Smeltz was always going to have a tough start to his singles campaign against unseeded Hungarian János Varga, but managed to produce the goods when it mattered in yet another come-from-behind win. Smeltz has regularly been a danger after dropping the first set, and yet again found himself needing to do all the work as the Hungarian No. 3 clinched the set with a perfectly crafted point. Ranked outside of the top 40, Varga has been an underachiever so far in his career and at 4-1 in the second set looked odds on favourite to cause a huge upset. But the dogged Smeltz, now ranked a career high No. 15, showed that this clay season will see him really threaten the top players as he surged back to take six of the last seven games with a much-needed surge in aggression. Varga continued to attack the Smeltz forehand, but was not hitting the winners and Smeltz wasn't hitting the unforced errors to give the Hungarian the ascendancy. After taking the second, the Costa do Sauípe runner up was not going to be stopped as he broke twice more to escape with an important 4-6, 7-5, 6-2 win. He'll now face Paraguay's Aldo Marín after he ended the recent hot streak of Kasper Buur in a tough 6-4, 6-7(4), 6-2 upset.

• Qualifer Mat Mitchell was unable to back up his big performance in Johannesburg as he fell in the first round for the second week in a row with a 3-6, 3-6 loss to third seed Sanchez Emelio. Mitchell, without an PTA level match on clay to his name, was always going to be up against it with one of the more consistent clay court players on the other side of the court. Mitchell managed to bring up two break point chances in the first set, but was not able to convert as the experienced Spaniard took advantage of his chances to seal the first 6-3. He then surged ahead 3-0 in the second set, and despite Mitchell making a late comeback was too good 6-3, 6-3. For Mitchell, the signs were OK as he tried to find his feet on the clay, but one feels that the smarter move would have been to test his luck indoors in Serbia.

• Elsewhere, fourth seed Tiago Matías was the big casualty of the first round as he was ousted in three sets by former French Championships runner up Johan Ortiz. Ortiz, ranked outside the top 100, picked up arguably the most important win in his PTA career thus far with a 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 upset over a highly talented clay court player. He now faces qualifier Carlos Machado; another seeded player at the first Australian Open who has slumped out of the top 100. Also falling was Santiago semi finalist Ion Andueza who gave up a set lead to collapse against the improving Belgian Yves Parmentier; Parmentier sealing the match with a trademark backhand 3-6, 6-1, 6-2. Finally, eighth seed Pierre L'Estrange made it two first round exits from two in a poor South American tour as he was stunned 6-7(3), 1-6 by Emelio Cobos who successfully made the transition from last Sunday's title indoors at Bergamo to his home clay courts on Tuesday.

• Seeded players out: Ion Andueza; Pierre L'Estrange; Tiago Matías.

[Samuel_Vimes]

Can Smeltz win in two sets?

[SirBloody Idiot]

Open 13
1st Round - Marseille (France)

Men's singles (Seeds - Finals - Top Half - Bottom Half)
Men's doubles (Seeds - Draw)

• Heath Davis has survived a potentially difficult first round clash in Marseille as he beat in form Turkish player Aksu Emrem. Aksu last week took a victory over David Champion in San Jose to go with his Zagreb semi final the week before, and faced a similar player to the Australian in the form of Davis. Nevertheless, the sixth seed started strongly and looked almost unstoppable on service despite the Turk throwing everything he had at him to derail his rhythm. After never letting Aksu to 40 in the first set, Davis broke just once in the ninth game with a booming forehand approach shot before serving out the set 6-4. The World No. 82, however, was not going to go down easily and finally got his opportunity in the sixth game of the set as he brought up two break points. Although he could not return the first serve, he got on to the second to steal a 4-2 lead. Whilst Davis managed to break back, he was giving the unseeded Turk more and more chances on serve and Aksu took full advantage of three set points to send the match to a decider. But on the ropes, Davis stormed away with the third set inside of just thirty minutes to secure a 6-4, 4-6, 6-0. Aksu sought medical attention for a thigh half way through the set, but to his credit played on in three-set defeat. Davis now faces wildcard entrant David Lebègue who prevailed 7-5, 6-4 against Finland's Lari Färkkilä.

• There was no such luck for Jarkko Maxum as the East CWLander was beaten in three sets by France's Jean-Christophe Genghini. The transition to the hard courts following a successful performance in Brazil last week seemed to be affecting Maxum as he struggled to hold serve in the first set against the solid Frenchman. Genghini looked in fine touch on his forehand side, but gave Maxum some looks on the backhand side; the Easterner attacking it relentlessly in the second to earn a deserved break of serve to send the match to a third. But after only arriving in France on Sunday, Maxum's body clock obviously had not adjusted as he paid the price for some inconsistent serving; Genghini breaking twice in the decider against 48 per cent first serve to advance 6-2, 4-6, 6-1.

• Fellow East CWLander Matt Bre was in dire straights early against wildcard Sébastian Lachance, but performed a remarkable turnaround to improve his PTA record to something respectable. Previously 'boasting' a record of 3-8, it looked like falling to 3-9 as Lachance took advantage of some woeful tennis to bagel the qualifier. Bre's qualifying form looked completely out the window as he struggled to adapt to the indoor conditions in front of a sparsely populated crowd. But he managed to luck into a break of service early in the second as Lachance served back-to-back double faults to hand it to him on a platter. That gave him some real confidence to take the second set 6-3, and then carry that form into the decider as he eased past Lachance with some energetic play to shake off the first set nerves in a 0-6, 6-3, 6-1 win. He needs to start much better against Zagreb champion Miroslav Brdar who has had the benefit of a week's break and a bye since his Zagreb triumph.

• Finally, Rob Bowenburg has picked up a much-needed victory in his first round clash as he survived an encounter with Latvian giant Ivars Emsis. So often it is a waiting game against Emsis who is generally unreturnable - particularly in the still indoor conditions. Nevertheless, Bowenburg got an important break of service mid way through the first and took advantage of the lack of ground strokes from Emsis as he took the set 6-4. Despite the break, it remained a battle for Bowenburg as although he continued to hold, Emsis did too as the pair raced through the second set with twelve consecutive holds. In the tiebreaker, Emsis got the early jump and took it 7-3. He still did not look like breaking Bowenburg's serve, and the Westerner started to grow in confidence as he took more risks; lifting his aces count from 8 to 15 in the third set. But it was the last game of the match that Bowenburg earned a second break to snatch a well-deserved 6-4, 6-7(3), 7-5 win in an intensely frustrating affair. He'll now face Russia's Dmitry Orlov who beat Ukraine's Viktor Vuriak very convincingly 6-0, 6-2.

• In other results, the ordinary form of Patrick Pascaul continued as he backed up his first round Australian Open exit with a 3-6, 1-6 thrashing at the hands of Portugal's Valter Cordiero. Cordiero, more noted for his clay court ability, was nothing more than solid as he relied on a littany of unforced errors from Pascaul. The local hope was obviously not fit, but continued to look for the hail mary. It didn't come, and he fell in humiliating fashion.

• Seeded players out: Patrick Pascaul; Atthaphol Sae-ul.

[SirBloody Idiot]

Originally Posted by Samuel_Vimes

Can Smeltz win in two sets?

Haha it is becoming ridiculous.

Still, better to be winning them than losing them.

[SirBloody Idiot]

Regions Morgan Keegan Championships
1st Round - PTA 500 - Memphis, TN (United States)

Men's singles (Seeds - Finals - Top Half - Bottom Half)
Men's doubles (Seeds - Draw)

• Qualifier Randy Banks was lucky enough to draw Waylon Jones in his first round match, but was distintly unimpressive as he was beaten in straight sets. Jones had already claimed a title this season in the USA (the Carson Challenger), and his whippy forehand was causing Banks some real difficulties. Without windy conditions to battle with (unlike the now defunct Delray Beach tournament), Jones was able to take the match to Banks who looked more defensive than usual. After claiming the first set 6-4, Jones bolted out of the gates in the second to establish a 5-0 lead. Staring down the barrel of a bagel, Banks managed to string two games together but it was far too big a mountain to climb as he fell out 4-6, 2-6. Jones now faces Canada's Davis Kennedy following his 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 win over veteran Frenchman Jean-Alain Depuis.

• In contrast, Jojo Mustard had perhaps his most convincing and impressive victory of the season as he thumped World No. 30 Becker Haas in straight sets. With a record of 4-4 this season, Haas would have hoped to build on promising signs in San Jose by taking the fight to Mustard. But he was up against it early as a determined Mustard secured the first break of serve as Haas put an approach shot into the net. Although he managed to get a look in in the very next game on the Mustard serve, he was unable to break as Mustard finally showed some consistency when starting points. With just a solitary break in the first, Mustard set about attacking the German's serve in the second by stepping inside of the second serves. The tactic worked as he broke twice to take a 5-0 lead to give Haas the task of avoiding the bagel. Despite leading 40-30, Haas could not get on the board as he framed a backhand when down match point to allow Mustard a 6-3, 6-0 win. The victory will give Mustard a great deal of confidence heading into a second round match with Li Ming-Wang who survived a tight three-set affair against Oscar Highsmith 7-6(3), 6-7(5), 6-4.

• After a career best fourth round appearance at the Australian Open, Spas Delev was made to fight for his second round spot with a three-set win over American qualifier Randy Bruce. Expecting victory, Delev could be forgiven for underestimating the World No. 117 who played to the conditions with some consistent serving and solid ground strokes. Despite the convincing tennis from the American, Delev managed to hold on and his class prevailed in the in the tiebreaker as he fought off a set point to seal it 8-6. That missed opportunity would come back to haunt Bruce as he played well to secure the second set; Delev missing vital forehands at the worst times to move to a third set. But there his undoubted ability finally started to show as Bruce struggled under the pressure of some aggressive returning. After four break points in one game, Delev finally broke the set open 4-1 and went on to advance to the round of 16 7-6(6), 4-6, 6-2.

• There he will face countryman Jefferson Drake after his 7-5, 6-2 win over Oleg Puder. In his first match since his Australian Open exit, Drake took some time to get warmed up as he fell behind 2-4 early in the first. Puder, however, did nothing to earn the break and nothing to hold it as Drake found his feet at the right time to take the first set 7-5. Puder clung on to two service games, but really made few inroads against Drake whose aggressive and clean-hitting style is absolutely suited to the indoor conditions as he advanced in straight sets.

• Back-to-back first round exits for David Champion have continued his poor lead up to Australia's Davis Cup campaign as he was rocked by a 6-4, 6-2 thrashing by doubles specialist Ralph Robinson. Robinson was a surprise qualifier after entering as a wildcard, and previously held an 0-2 record in PTA singles matches. That did not stop him, though, from taking advantage of an ordinary performance from Champion as he stunned him in straight sets. Champion, who stands to lose big points when Dubai drops off next week, has sought to limit the damage by applying for a wildcard entry after being a finalist last year. If accepted, it means he'll will not have a tournament off between the Australian Open and the end of March following the Miami Masters.

• Seeded players out: David Champion.

[Matteh]

Wanted to see if i was any good on clay....now i know.

[HeathDavisSpeed]

Solid win there. Good to be back on court.

The challenger results will be up later today.