Week 15 (PTA): Casablanca [Joaquín]; Houston [Mustard]

[SirBloody Idiot]

Grand Prix Hassan II (Season II) - Singles
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jefferson Drake is the defending champion, but lost in the quarterfinals to Sergio Joaquín.
Joaquín won the final, defeating Carlo Amato 6-3, 6-4.

Morocco plays host to one of the opening tournaments of the clay court season and boasts a stellar cast including two top thirty players. At the top of the field is Italy's Carlo Amato who makes his first appearance in Morocco. Also confirmed so far is Sanchez Emelio who hopes to atone for his finals defeat last season and season I finalist Ion Andueza.

W: 250
F: 150
SF: 90
QF: 45
R16: 20
R32: 0
Q4: +12

(or, choose a Challenger here.)

 

[SirBloody Idiot]

US Men's Clay Court Championships II - Singles
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Tiago Matías was the defending champion, however he chose not to participate this year.
Jojo Mustard won in the final, defeating Rick Henson 6-1, 3-6, 7-5.

Tiago Matías defends his Houston title this year, but is not the biggest name in the field as Rick Henson will look to make a good start to his first clay court season after missing last year's through injury. Some of the biggest American names join him like Morgan Carter, Jason Bradley and Wayne Boyd.

W: 250
F: 150
SF: 90
QF: 45
R16: 20
R32: 0
Q4: +12

(or, choose a Challenger here.)

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

Heef will take a week off. Hopefully I'm not defending too many points.

 

[SirBloody Idiot]

Probably worth me putting up what's being defended here:

Maxum: 10
Mustard: 150
Read: 0
Smeltz: 80
Spleen: 30
Svensson: 40

Also, doubles for 250s and below are garn. Hopefully we've still got the interest here to make it worth continuing.

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

Hopefully we've still got the interest here to make it worth continuing.

Yeah, some of our top players are AWOL at the moment, aren't they?

 

[Magrat Garlick]

Oxenstierna: Casablanca.

 

[Mister Wright]

Houston for Mustard. Mustard is also open for a doubles partner with Davis taking a break.

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

Nah, ya'll right mate. I'll team up for the doubles but rest from the singles draw.

 

[Paid The Umpire]

Langley will try his luck at the US Clay.

Hoping for a couple of wins to make his second two weeks ago look good.

 

[NUFAN]

Casablanca.

And anyone wondering what in heaven's brought me to Casablanca?

My health. I came to Casablanca for the waters.

 

[Johnners]

Delev to Houston

 

[vic_orthdox]

Rivers will float down to Casablanca.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

In for a title defense. Apologies for the lack of activity, b& then thesis due in two weeks etc

 

[SirBloody Idiot]

:-o

HOUSTON DRAW
1-R.HENSON USA ye
Q-CUNNINGHAM NZL vs. DOH JPN
Q-TIMKO SVK vs. VENO JPN
MENON BRA vs. 8-PETERS GER

3-CARTER USA bye
LAZZERI USA vs. BERTOLOTTO ARG
EMSIS LAT vs. Q-WILLIAMSON USA
WC-ADAMS USA vs. 6-DELEV CDR

5-GORSHKOV RUS vs. WC-HOLLAND USA
JONES USA vs. WC-LANGLEY FRC
NAVARRO PER vs. ZEMAN CZE
4-BRADLEY USA bye

7-DENISOV RUS vs. SANTOS BRA
Q-PETRUS SWE vs. FICHER USA
E.HENSON USA vs. QUEZADA CHL
2-MUSTARD FRC bye

CASABLANCA DRAW
1-OXENSTIERNA FRC bye
SCHMIDT SUI vs. WC-R.ONWYE MAR
PUDER RUS vs. BOWENBURG FRC
DOROGAN UKR vs. 7-PARMENTIER BEL

3-AMATO ITA bye
Q-PRODI ITA vs. Q-RIZZO ITA
Q-PUSHKOV RUS vs. Q-VELTEN NED
BURR DEN vs. 8-VILLANEUVA ESP

6-ANDUEZA ESP vs. BERG NED
BROZIK CZE vs. COBOS ARG
DE KINSELE ITA vs. RIVERS FRC
4-EMELIO ESP bye

5-JOAQUÍN ESP vs. WC-ALLALI MAR
WC-H.ONWYE MAR vs. BERTOLOTTO ARG
HAINISCH AUT vs. MANDONNA ARG
2-DRAKE CDR bye

 

[SirBloody Idiot]

US Men's Clay Court Championships II - Singles
PTA 250 - 1st Round - Houston, TX - Clay (Red)
​

• Sixth seed Spas Delev has commenced his campaign at River Oaks with a victory as he schooled American young gun Jesse Adams in straight sets. Now ranked just outside the world's top fifty, Delev brought good form into the match as he returned to the clay for the first time since his first round exit to Marc Carretero at the French Open last season. But Adams was likewise looking good as he benefited from yet another wildcard, but after holding serve well early was broken to drop the first set 4-6. From there the improving Easterner was all over him like a rash - surging into the second round with an impressive 6-4, 6-1 win. He next plays Latvia's Ivars Emsis who he previously defeated in final at Mons.

• There was also success for wildcard entrant Rick Langley who picked up his first ever main tour victory with a 6-0, 4-6, 6-2 win over local Waylon Jones. Langley was sublime early as he shut Jones out of the first set, but the American lifted in the second to clinch key points with some dogged returning. But after levelling the match at a set each, Jones struggled with cramp and took an injury timeout after which Langley surged home with two breaks of serve to move into a second round clash with Gregor Gorshkov in three sets.

• Seeded players out:
  
  Boris Denisov;
  
  Alex Peters.

 

[SirBloody Idiot]

Congrats to Mr. Langley for his first PTA tour victory.

I also realise that Mustard is down as an American, but I'll change that next round. I had to stuff around with the seeding and messed up there.

 

[SirBloody Idiot]

​

Grand Prix Hassan II (Season II) - Singles
PTA 250 - 1st Round - Casablanca, Morocco - Clay (Red)

• Rob Bowenburg has made an impressive start to his clay season with a straight sets thrashing of unimpressive Russian Oleg Puder. Not known for his clay prowess, Bowenburg was only a slight favourite coming into the match against the Russian, but made light work of him as he dropped just two games all match in a 6-0, 6-2 win. For once looking good on the red clay, Bowenburg now turns his attention to Wednesday's second round match against Roman Dorogan of the Ukraine. Dorogan was a surprise winner as he blew away impressive Belgian youngster Yves Parmentier 6-1, 6-1.

• Scotland Rivers, meanwhile, had less luck as he was beaten in straight sets by Italy's Michael De Kinsele. In fairness, Rivers was making his first appearance on clay in a tour level event since joining the tour last April while Kinsele has spent the past couple of months trudging around the Challenger circuit with good results. After a very slow start, Rivers stormed back from 1-4 down to level the match at 5-5 before he was stung by a bad backhand error at break point. De Kinsele served out the set, and was too strong in the second en route to a 7-5, 6-3 win.

• Seeded players out:
  
  Yves Parmentier.

 

[Johnners]

Noice start

 

[SirBloody Idiot]

US Men's Clay Court Championships II - Singles
PTA 250 - 2nd Round - Houston, TX - Clay (Red)

• Spas Delev has taken a tight three-set win to oust Latvian giant Ivars Emsis to advance to the quarter finals in Houston. Just a week removed from a stunning upset of Jason Hall in Miami, Emsis's power was far less effective on the clay as the powerful East CWLander worked hard to make opportunities on the Latvian's serve. Admittedly he only broke serve twice - once in the first and third sets - but it was enough to break the big man whose third set was littered with errors and only went so long due to the big serve. It was a matter of time for Delev as he ran Emsis off his feet for a 7-6(5), 4-6, 7-5 win. He now plays Sam Lazzeri after the World No. 108 beat compatriot and third seed Morgan Carter 6-2, 7-5.

• There was no such luck for Rick Langley as he fell victim to Russia's Gregor Gorshkov inside of an hour. After claiming his maiden tour win on Monday, the wildcard entrant was no match for Gorshkov who showed his comfort on the clay in a 6-1, 6-1 win. There were some moments of happiness for Langley, but they were few and far between as the fifth seed showed why when on song he's one of the best pure hitters of a tennis ball in the world.

• Jojo Mustard's return to the clay was an undignified affair, but he did the job in the end as he came from a set down to beat Chile's Jefferson Quezada. It was always going to be a tough fixture against a clay staple, and Mustard looked scratchy in the first set as he continued to adjust to the Houston courts after arriving on Sunday. But after dropping the first set, Mustard prevailed in an entertaining if not fairly conservative performance as he showed his net play can bring him success on the clay courts with a 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 win. He now plays Roberto Santos after the Brazilian's 6-0, 6-4 win over Anothy Ficher.

• Seeded players out:
  
  Morgan Carter.

 

[SirBloody Idiot]

​

Grand Prix Hassan II (Season II) - Singles
PTA 250 - 2nd Round - Casablanca, Morocco - Clay (Red)

• World No. 4 Sven Oxenstierna has survived a first up test against local hope Ross Onwye to secure a straight sets win in a good opening hit out. Onwye's singles ranking has taken a tumble, but he picked up an early break against the Ox to give himself some hope of a boilover. But the French Open finalist showed his real quality to storm back into the match with three games in a row. Showing his class, Oxenstierna never really got out of second gear as he lifted his intensity only when he needed to as he ended Onwye's Casablanca dream with a 6-4, 6-3 win.

• He now faces compatriot Rob Bowenburg in the quarter finals after The Lob advanced at the expense of Roman Dorogan in their clash on Wednesday afternoon. Both men secured dominant first round wins, but it was Bowenburg who looked the more likely player as he secured two service breaks with his typically explosive style to secure the first set 6-2. But as his way, he gave up control in the second as he let a break point at 2-1 slip to give the Ukrainian a passage back into the contest. Dorogan took it and then soon had the set as the tide swung in his favour. Staring down the barrel of another bitterly disappointing defeat, Bowenburg came roaring out of the blocks in the third and did not even let a questionable line call phase him as he demolished the Ukrainian in the third to set up an all-FRC quarter final 6-2, 3-6, 6-1.

• Defending champion Jefferson Drake has had a great run of form as of late, but was forced to come from a set down to keep his quest to defend his title alive with a 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(6) win over Argentina's Paolo Mandonna. Not only that, Drake was forced to save two match points in a nailbiting third set tiebreaker but showed why he has entrenched himself inside the top ten with a composed performance. In one of the most entertaining second round clashes, both players went for their shots as the normally placid Mandonna looked to stun the second seed. It was not to be, though, as at 7-6 in the deciding tiebreaker Drake slammed home a big first serve and then a brutal forehand to secure a three-set win and a quarter final matchup with ominous fifth seed Sergio Joaquín.

• Seeded players out: None.