SirBloody Idiot
Cricketer Of The Year
I'm absolutely ****ed for my pols exam on Monday, anyway, but it is just the two to go. 
-
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CricketWeb Tennis - Season I
- Thread starter SirBloody Idiot
- Start date
Magrat Garlick
Rather Mad Witch
More tennis over the weekend?
SirBloody Idiot
Cricketer Of The Year
Defs. Simmed the second round matches - so hope to get a lot of stuff up today.
SirBloody Idiot
Cricketer Of The Year
Buenos Aries, Marseille, Memphis (R16) - Feb 16-22 Season I
Open 13
Round of 16 - Marseille
Tournament Information
Draw - Top Half
Draw - Bottom Half
Considering the only CWLander to appear in this tournament, Rob Bowenburg, crashed out in the first round, it was all quiet on CWLand front in the round of sixteen. Wildcard Christian Mary defeated "The Lob" in the opening round and looked to continue his good form against Finland 24-year old Lari Färkkilä as he sent the first set to a tiebreaker. But Färkkilä, who produced the upset of the opening round as he knocked out top seed Radek Špidla in three sets, was far too strong for the Frenchman as he romped home to a 7-6(2) 6-1 victory.
In the upset of the day, Danish qualifier Kasper Buur overcame world number 25 Diego Hurtado in straight sets. The sixth seed will be disappointed with his ability to produce on the big points as the steely concentration of Buur helped him to a 7-5 7-6(5) victory.
Seeds Out: 6-Diego Hurtado (COL).
Regions Morgan Keegan Championships
Round of 16 - Memphis
Tournament Information
Draw - Top Half
Draw - Bottom Half
Brett Read produced the only CWLand victory in the second round as he impressed onlookers with a win over Dimitris Chasiotis despite dropping the first set. The Greek world number 73 looked the better player in the opening set as he produced a stunning display of tennis to hammer the workman-like Read off of the court. But the power tennis of Chasiotis eventually proved his downfall as Read began to wear him down and force him to play poor strokes. In the deciding set, Chasiotis managed to tone down his game but still looked a class behind Read who had already impressed all in the first round following his three-set win over third seed Patrick Pascaul. The 2-6 6-1 7-5 victory for Read gives him a tough quarterfinal assignment against Li Wang of China.
It could have been an all-CWLand quarterfinal if Li wasn't so strong against qualifier Spas Delev. The CWLand import fought valiantly against the world number 33 but ultimately came up well short - seemingly tired from his difficult opening round clash with Nikola Todorovski. Delev started both sets well enough, but faltered late as the hard-working Li managed to capitalise on some elementary errors from the 22-year old. Li's 6-4 6-3 victory sets up an interesting quarterfinal clash between Li and Read.
In the upset of the day, Ivan Genov of Bulgaria produced a sensational victory which will almost certainly help him break into the top hundred as he eliminated second seed Morgan Carter from the tournament. Genov's impressive 6-4 5-7 7-6(6) victory sees him pitted against sixth seed Henry Charles in the quarterfinals.
Seeds Out: 2-Morgan Carter (USA); 8-Antonio Bachunelli (ITA).
Copa Telmex
Round of 16 - Buenos Aries
Tournament Information
Draw - Top Half
Draw - Bottom Half
28-year old journeyman Randy Smeltz has continued his very impressive run at the Copa Telemex in Argentina with a huge upset against third seed Tom Vollan. The big serving Norwegian mountain of a man came into the contest as raging favourite following an emphatic victory over qualifier Evgeny Volkoff in the first round. The 29-year old was right on the money in the opening set as eight aces helped him breeze to a 6-3 victory, but it was on Smeltz' serve that the big man was made to work. In a David vs. Goliath type battle, Vollan slowly became less-and-less dominant on his own service and faltered at an important time in the second set tiebreaker to see the match levelled at a set each. From there, Smeltz only grew in confidence as he worked the ball around masterfully to seal a 3-6 7-6(4) 6-2 upset to set up a quarterfinal clash with fifth seeded Hungarian József Boros. Boros belies his world number 39 ranking as at one stage many saw him as one of the top fifteen players in the world.
Seeds Out: 3-Tom Vollan (NOR); 7-José Navarro (PER).
Open 13
Round of 16 - Marseille
Tournament Information
Draw - Top Half
Draw - Bottom Half
Considering the only CWLander to appear in this tournament, Rob Bowenburg, crashed out in the first round, it was all quiet on CWLand front in the round of sixteen. Wildcard Christian Mary defeated "The Lob" in the opening round and looked to continue his good form against Finland 24-year old Lari Färkkilä as he sent the first set to a tiebreaker. But Färkkilä, who produced the upset of the opening round as he knocked out top seed Radek Špidla in three sets, was far too strong for the Frenchman as he romped home to a 7-6(2) 6-1 victory.
In the upset of the day, Danish qualifier Kasper Buur overcame world number 25 Diego Hurtado in straight sets. The sixth seed will be disappointed with his ability to produce on the big points as the steely concentration of Buur helped him to a 7-5 7-6(5) victory.
Seeds Out: 6-Diego Hurtado (COL).
Regions Morgan Keegan Championships
Round of 16 - Memphis
Tournament Information
Draw - Top Half
Draw - Bottom Half
Brett Read produced the only CWLand victory in the second round as he impressed onlookers with a win over Dimitris Chasiotis despite dropping the first set. The Greek world number 73 looked the better player in the opening set as he produced a stunning display of tennis to hammer the workman-like Read off of the court. But the power tennis of Chasiotis eventually proved his downfall as Read began to wear him down and force him to play poor strokes. In the deciding set, Chasiotis managed to tone down his game but still looked a class behind Read who had already impressed all in the first round following his three-set win over third seed Patrick Pascaul. The 2-6 6-1 7-5 victory for Read gives him a tough quarterfinal assignment against Li Wang of China.
It could have been an all-CWLand quarterfinal if Li wasn't so strong against qualifier Spas Delev. The CWLand import fought valiantly against the world number 33 but ultimately came up well short - seemingly tired from his difficult opening round clash with Nikola Todorovski. Delev started both sets well enough, but faltered late as the hard-working Li managed to capitalise on some elementary errors from the 22-year old. Li's 6-4 6-3 victory sets up an interesting quarterfinal clash between Li and Read.
In the upset of the day, Ivan Genov of Bulgaria produced a sensational victory which will almost certainly help him break into the top hundred as he eliminated second seed Morgan Carter from the tournament. Genov's impressive 6-4 5-7 7-6(6) victory sees him pitted against sixth seed Henry Charles in the quarterfinals.
Seeds Out: 2-Morgan Carter (USA); 8-Antonio Bachunelli (ITA).
Copa Telmex
Round of 16 - Buenos Aries
Tournament Information
Draw - Top Half
Draw - Bottom Half
28-year old journeyman Randy Smeltz has continued his very impressive run at the Copa Telemex in Argentina with a huge upset against third seed Tom Vollan. The big serving Norwegian mountain of a man came into the contest as raging favourite following an emphatic victory over qualifier Evgeny Volkoff in the first round. The 29-year old was right on the money in the opening set as eight aces helped him breeze to a 6-3 victory, but it was on Smeltz' serve that the big man was made to work. In a David vs. Goliath type battle, Vollan slowly became less-and-less dominant on his own service and faltered at an important time in the second set tiebreaker to see the match levelled at a set each. From there, Smeltz only grew in confidence as he worked the ball around masterfully to seal a 3-6 7-6(4) 6-2 upset to set up a quarterfinal clash with fifth seeded Hungarian József Boros. Boros belies his world number 39 ranking as at one stage many saw him as one of the top fifteen players in the world.
Seeds Out: 3-Tom Vollan (NOR); 7-José Navarro (PER).
SirBloody Idiot
Cricketer Of The Year
Buenos Aries, Marseille, Memphis (QFs) - Feb 16-22 Season I
Open 13
Quarterfinals - Marseille
Tournament Information
Finals
A seeded player will become the Open 13 champion by the end of the week in a fairly predictable set of quarterfinal matchups. In possibly the match of the day, third seeded Moroccan Ross Onwye claimed an impressive 7-6(3) 7-6(5) victory over Dutch seventh seed Maarten Berg. The hard-fought win sets up an enticing semifinal clash between Onwye and world number eight Zhijun Sun of China. On the other side of the draw, Lari Färkkilä's giant-killing run did not continue as the ever-impressive Serb Danijel Micic advanced in straight sets. The allrounder Micic will have a tough fight on his hands in the first semifinal after Croat Miroslav Brdar defeated countryman Nilikar Midid in an exciting three-set contest.
Seeds Out: 7-Maarten Berg (NED).
Regions Morgan Keegan Championships
Quarterfinals - Memphis
Tournament Information
Finals
It was a very exciting quarterfinal for CWLander Brett Read as he came from behind in an impressive display to defeat fifth seed Li Wang in an exciting three-set contest. In one of the matches of the season, all three sets went to tiebreakers, but it so easily could have been a straight sets victory for Li as he found himself a set and 4-1 up half-way through the second set. But the ever determined Read managed to match his game with the Chinese 27-year old as he stormed back into the contest to take the second in a breaker. It seemed only fitting that the third set was as tight as a nun's... and Read prevailed in dramatic style to set up an exciting semifinal clash against another unseeded player - Ivan Genov.
The opponent awaiting one of these men in the final will be decided in the first semifinal as top seed Darcy Cowan faces the other Onwye brother - Hayden Onwye - in what should be an enthralling contest.
Seeds Out: 4-Zoltan Varga (HUN); 5-Li Wang (CHN); 6-Henry Charles (GBR)
Copa Telmex
Quarterfinals - Buenos Aries
Tournament Information
Finals
Randy Smeltz was denied a dream semifinal berth in the Copa Telemex semifinals as he crashed out in convincing fashion in his quarterfinal defeated to fifth seeded Hungarian József Boros. Boros, who continues to show that he performs well on most surfaces, had his work cut out for him in the first set by a determined Smeltz, but eventually prevailed to claim the opening set 7-5. The second set was merely academic for the fifth seed as he raced past the fighting CWLander to seal an imposing 7-5 6-4 victory. Boros' victory over Smeltz will see him face German Becker Haas in the second semifinal who upset second seed Juan Moreno in three sets.
But the overwhelming favourite remains Daniel Páez Blanco who raced past big-serving Norwegian Haiku Morkel within an hour. His opponent will be unseeded Croat Ivan Cesljar who pulled off an amazing victory against fourth seed Marcelo Alavos. Down 4-0 in the first set, Cesljar stormed back into the contest to win twelve games on the trot to seal a 6-4 6-0 thrashing.
Seeds Out: 3-Tom Vollan (NOR); 7-José Navarro (PER).
Open 13
Quarterfinals - Marseille
Tournament Information
Finals
A seeded player will become the Open 13 champion by the end of the week in a fairly predictable set of quarterfinal matchups. In possibly the match of the day, third seeded Moroccan Ross Onwye claimed an impressive 7-6(3) 7-6(5) victory over Dutch seventh seed Maarten Berg. The hard-fought win sets up an enticing semifinal clash between Onwye and world number eight Zhijun Sun of China. On the other side of the draw, Lari Färkkilä's giant-killing run did not continue as the ever-impressive Serb Danijel Micic advanced in straight sets. The allrounder Micic will have a tough fight on his hands in the first semifinal after Croat Miroslav Brdar defeated countryman Nilikar Midid in an exciting three-set contest.
Seeds Out: 7-Maarten Berg (NED).
Regions Morgan Keegan Championships
Quarterfinals - Memphis
Tournament Information
Finals
It was a very exciting quarterfinal for CWLander Brett Read as he came from behind in an impressive display to defeat fifth seed Li Wang in an exciting three-set contest. In one of the matches of the season, all three sets went to tiebreakers, but it so easily could have been a straight sets victory for Li as he found himself a set and 4-1 up half-way through the second set. But the ever determined Read managed to match his game with the Chinese 27-year old as he stormed back into the contest to take the second in a breaker. It seemed only fitting that the third set was as tight as a nun's... and Read prevailed in dramatic style to set up an exciting semifinal clash against another unseeded player - Ivan Genov.
The opponent awaiting one of these men in the final will be decided in the first semifinal as top seed Darcy Cowan faces the other Onwye brother - Hayden Onwye - in what should be an enthralling contest.
Seeds Out: 4-Zoltan Varga (HUN); 5-Li Wang (CHN); 6-Henry Charles (GBR)
Copa Telmex
Quarterfinals - Buenos Aries
Tournament Information
Finals
Randy Smeltz was denied a dream semifinal berth in the Copa Telemex semifinals as he crashed out in convincing fashion in his quarterfinal defeated to fifth seeded Hungarian József Boros. Boros, who continues to show that he performs well on most surfaces, had his work cut out for him in the first set by a determined Smeltz, but eventually prevailed to claim the opening set 7-5. The second set was merely academic for the fifth seed as he raced past the fighting CWLander to seal an imposing 7-5 6-4 victory. Boros' victory over Smeltz will see him face German Becker Haas in the second semifinal who upset second seed Juan Moreno in three sets.
But the overwhelming favourite remains Daniel Páez Blanco who raced past big-serving Norwegian Haiku Morkel within an hour. His opponent will be unseeded Croat Ivan Cesljar who pulled off an amazing victory against fourth seed Marcelo Alavos. Down 4-0 in the first set, Cesljar stormed back into the contest to win twelve games on the trot to seal a 6-4 6-0 thrashing.
Seeds Out: 3-Tom Vollan (NOR); 7-José Navarro (PER).
Magrat Garlick
Rather Mad Witch
Will say it for pattat0. Readddd.
SirBloody Idiot
Cricketer Of The Year
Buenos Aries, Marseille, Memphis (SFs) - Feb 16-22 Season I
Open 13
Semifinals - Marseille
Tournament Information
Finals
Despite his higher ranking, Croatia's Miroslav Brdar has produced an impressive match against eighth seed Danijel Micic to book a spot in the Open 13 final with a straight sets victory. Micic came into the contest as favourite against the fifth seed after an impressive tournament, but proved to be little match for Brdar who eased to a 6-4 6-3 victory - much to the chagrin of an irate Micic. His opponent in the final will be second seeded wonderkid Zhijun Sun of China who took a similarly straight-forward victory against Ross Onwye. In his straight sets victory, Zhijun gave Onwye just the one break point for the entire match - a break point Onwye would take advantage of - en route to a comfortable 6-3 6-4 victory.
Seeds Out: 3-Ross Onwye (MAR); 8-Danijel Micic (SRB).
Regions Morgan Keegan Championships
Semifinals - Memphis
Tournament Information
Finals
Brett Read is certain to break into the top hundred following his semifinal victory in Memphis as he defeated fellow unseeded competitor Ivan Genov of Bulgaria. Read dropped a close opening set and few could see the CWLander prevailing in a three-setter after his tremendously tough quarterfinal against Li Wang. But the world number 107 stormed back into the contest to fire Genov off the court 6-1, setting up thrilling third set. But Read grew in confidence and, after a shaky start to the decider, set up a surprisingly berth in the Regions Morgan Keegan final with a 5-7 6-1 6-4 victory. He will come into the final as firm underdog considering his opponent is top seeded American Darcy Cowan. Cowan, who looks to be pushing for a spot in the ultra-competitive American Davis Cup team, came from a set down against Moroccan Hayden Onwye to complete a hard-fought 4-6 7-5 7-5 win.
Seeds Out: 7-Hayden Onwye (MAR).
Copa Telmex
Semifinals - Buenos Aries
Tournament Information
Finals
Unsurprisingly, the best player on clay Daniel Páez Blanco has booked his place in the Copa Telemex final after a simple victory over Ivan Cesljar in the first semifinal. It took Blanco just over an hour to seal victory as he continues his fantastic run throughout the tournament. The Croat failed to put up any real fight against the world number nine who will hope to push into the top five with a victory. Awaiting Blanco in the final is Hungarian fifth seed József Boros who fought to victory over Becker Haas. Haas fought bravely against the talented Boros, but fell short as Boros sealed a deceptive straight sets victory - 7-5 6-4.
Seeds Out: 6-Becker Haas (GER).
Open 13
Semifinals - Marseille
Tournament Information
Finals
Despite his higher ranking, Croatia's Miroslav Brdar has produced an impressive match against eighth seed Danijel Micic to book a spot in the Open 13 final with a straight sets victory. Micic came into the contest as favourite against the fifth seed after an impressive tournament, but proved to be little match for Brdar who eased to a 6-4 6-3 victory - much to the chagrin of an irate Micic. His opponent in the final will be second seeded wonderkid Zhijun Sun of China who took a similarly straight-forward victory against Ross Onwye. In his straight sets victory, Zhijun gave Onwye just the one break point for the entire match - a break point Onwye would take advantage of - en route to a comfortable 6-3 6-4 victory.
Seeds Out: 3-Ross Onwye (MAR); 8-Danijel Micic (SRB).
Regions Morgan Keegan Championships
Semifinals - Memphis
Tournament Information
Finals
Brett Read is certain to break into the top hundred following his semifinal victory in Memphis as he defeated fellow unseeded competitor Ivan Genov of Bulgaria. Read dropped a close opening set and few could see the CWLander prevailing in a three-setter after his tremendously tough quarterfinal against Li Wang. But the world number 107 stormed back into the contest to fire Genov off the court 6-1, setting up thrilling third set. But Read grew in confidence and, after a shaky start to the decider, set up a surprisingly berth in the Regions Morgan Keegan final with a 5-7 6-1 6-4 victory. He will come into the final as firm underdog considering his opponent is top seeded American Darcy Cowan. Cowan, who looks to be pushing for a spot in the ultra-competitive American Davis Cup team, came from a set down against Moroccan Hayden Onwye to complete a hard-fought 4-6 7-5 7-5 win.
Seeds Out: 7-Hayden Onwye (MAR).
Copa Telmex
Semifinals - Buenos Aries
Tournament Information
Finals
Unsurprisingly, the best player on clay Daniel Páez Blanco has booked his place in the Copa Telemex final after a simple victory over Ivan Cesljar in the first semifinal. It took Blanco just over an hour to seal victory as he continues his fantastic run throughout the tournament. The Croat failed to put up any real fight against the world number nine who will hope to push into the top five with a victory. Awaiting Blanco in the final is Hungarian fifth seed József Boros who fought to victory over Becker Haas. Haas fought bravely against the talented Boros, but fell short as Boros sealed a deceptive straight sets victory - 7-5 6-4.
Seeds Out: 6-Becker Haas (GER).
SirBloody Idiot
Cricketer Of The Year
Memphis Final Preview
REGIONS MORGAN KEEGAN CHAMPIONSHIPS FINAL - PREVIEW
Can the workhorse upstage the golden boy?
At 27 years of age and ranked outside the top hundred players in the world, CWLand fighter Brett Read has surprised all with his grit and determination en route to his first career final in Memphis. But what awaits Read is the biggest challenge of his life - eighteen year old American wonder kid Darcy Cowan who also is looking for his maiden career title. It is little surprise that Cowan comes into the final as $1.20 favourite as he has dropped just one set all tournament and looked completely dominant in his previous three matches. But stranger things have happened in tennis, and Read will be hoping that he can cause the biggest upset of his career and claim the $163,750 winner’s cheque and push inside the top twenty in the world.
Born in the small town in Brackenhurst, New South Wales, Read could not imagine the unexpected turn of events his life would take as he was snapped up by emerging nation CWLand on an experienced player's contract mid-way through last year after a successful season on the Australian circuit. Despite his small successes, he was one of the targets that CWLand had pursued less heavily as they looked to bolster their sporting coffers after a generous contribution from leader James Nixon. Relocating to the town of Natham just west of the Robbham district, Read worked hard over the summer in an attempt to get in tip-top shape for the beginning of the Open Era.
Things didn't start well for the 27-year old as he failed to directly qualify for the Medibank International - but a few impressive performances did manage to earn him a wildcard and he eventually advanced to the second round before losing to Morgan Carter in three sets. His form was scratchy at best as he also fell in the first round of qualification at the Australian Open, and this time did not earn himself a wildcard berth. But it was here in Memphis that was the highest point of Read's rising star - particularly his victory over Li Wang in the quarterfinals - a three-set epic lasting over three hours.
But now he faces the young man called "The Future of American Tennis" - a label not to be taken lightly considering the wealth of talent the North American country possesses. A former All-American, Cowan is known for his thunderous serve and youthful exuberance which comes as a part of carrying the entire state of Wyoming on his shoulders. And his form this tournament suggests he will be an extremely difficult man for Read to defeat.
So can he? At just under six foot, Read is no power player and certainly has a less exciting style than the golden-locked Green River native. Whilst Cowan's forehands and serve are among the best in the world, Read has not developed any outstanding qualities to his game. He is, by all accounts, the typical spare parts man. But if there is a benefit to be gained from that it is that he doesn't have any glaring weaknesses either - he is more than happy to slog it out at the baseline and capitalise on mistakes, and, if needed, has a more than adequate game up at the net. His serve is steady and he is accurate, if not reserved, with the placement of his shots. And because of his impressive endurance he will no doubt frustrate Cowan who looks for quick ways to end points.
Therefore the match comes down to two crucial factors - Read's endurance and Cowan's patience. Read comes into this match on the back of four consecutive three-set matches which is undoubtedly going to affect his ability to go the distance. Even in his dominant third set against Ivan Genov in the semifinals he looked fatigued at the end of the game. On the other hand, Cowan has a tendency to try to push too early in points and has, on occasion, been found wanting. Hayden Onwye capitalised on this by attempting to force Cowan into poorly judged decisions and it very nearly paid off for the Moroccan. The best avenue for Read would be to attack Cowan's slightly weaker backhand and try and work the game from there - if he allows the big man up to the net he will be duly crushed.
Today's final is certainly one the whole of CWLand will be eagerly waiting to watch, and they will hope that their surprise packet can become the first CWLander to win a tournament in the Open Era.
REGIONS MORGAN KEEGAN CHAMPIONSHIPS FINAL - PREVIEW
Can the workhorse upstage the golden boy?
At 27 years of age and ranked outside the top hundred players in the world, CWLand fighter Brett Read has surprised all with his grit and determination en route to his first career final in Memphis. But what awaits Read is the biggest challenge of his life - eighteen year old American wonder kid Darcy Cowan who also is looking for his maiden career title. It is little surprise that Cowan comes into the final as $1.20 favourite as he has dropped just one set all tournament and looked completely dominant in his previous three matches. But stranger things have happened in tennis, and Read will be hoping that he can cause the biggest upset of his career and claim the $163,750 winner’s cheque and push inside the top twenty in the world.
Born in the small town in Brackenhurst, New South Wales, Read could not imagine the unexpected turn of events his life would take as he was snapped up by emerging nation CWLand on an experienced player's contract mid-way through last year after a successful season on the Australian circuit. Despite his small successes, he was one of the targets that CWLand had pursued less heavily as they looked to bolster their sporting coffers after a generous contribution from leader James Nixon. Relocating to the town of Natham just west of the Robbham district, Read worked hard over the summer in an attempt to get in tip-top shape for the beginning of the Open Era.
Things didn't start well for the 27-year old as he failed to directly qualify for the Medibank International - but a few impressive performances did manage to earn him a wildcard and he eventually advanced to the second round before losing to Morgan Carter in three sets. His form was scratchy at best as he also fell in the first round of qualification at the Australian Open, and this time did not earn himself a wildcard berth. But it was here in Memphis that was the highest point of Read's rising star - particularly his victory over Li Wang in the quarterfinals - a three-set epic lasting over three hours.
But now he faces the young man called "The Future of American Tennis" - a label not to be taken lightly considering the wealth of talent the North American country possesses. A former All-American, Cowan is known for his thunderous serve and youthful exuberance which comes as a part of carrying the entire state of Wyoming on his shoulders. And his form this tournament suggests he will be an extremely difficult man for Read to defeat.
So can he? At just under six foot, Read is no power player and certainly has a less exciting style than the golden-locked Green River native. Whilst Cowan's forehands and serve are among the best in the world, Read has not developed any outstanding qualities to his game. He is, by all accounts, the typical spare parts man. But if there is a benefit to be gained from that it is that he doesn't have any glaring weaknesses either - he is more than happy to slog it out at the baseline and capitalise on mistakes, and, if needed, has a more than adequate game up at the net. His serve is steady and he is accurate, if not reserved, with the placement of his shots. And because of his impressive endurance he will no doubt frustrate Cowan who looks for quick ways to end points.
Therefore the match comes down to two crucial factors - Read's endurance and Cowan's patience. Read comes into this match on the back of four consecutive three-set matches which is undoubtedly going to affect his ability to go the distance. Even in his dominant third set against Ivan Genov in the semifinals he looked fatigued at the end of the game. On the other hand, Cowan has a tendency to try to push too early in points and has, on occasion, been found wanting. Hayden Onwye capitalised on this by attempting to force Cowan into poorly judged decisions and it very nearly paid off for the Moroccan. The best avenue for Read would be to attack Cowan's slightly weaker backhand and try and work the game from there - if he allows the big man up to the net he will be duly crushed.
Today's final is certainly one the whole of CWLand will be eagerly waiting to watch, and they will hope that their surprise packet can become the first CWLander to win a tournament in the Open Era.
All you need to know
Darcy Cowan
Born: 14 May, 1990, Green River, Wyoming
Current Ranking: 5
Career Record: 14-3
Prize Money: $355,350
Tournaments Won: 0
R32: 1-Cowan (USA) def. WC-Kemp (USA) 6-4 6-3
R16: 1-Cowan (USA) def. Heug (GER) 7-5 6-3
QF: 1-Cowan (USA) def. Andueza (ESP) 6-4 6-4
SF: 1-Cowan (USA) def. Onwye (MAR) 4-6 7-5 7-5
Brett Read
Born: 14 August, 1981, Brackenhurst, New South Wales
Current Ranking: 107
Career Record: 5-3
Prize Money: $19,395
Tournaments Won: 0
R32: Read (CWL) def. 3-Pascaul (FRA) 6-4 5-7 6-4
R16: Read (CWL) def. Chasiotis (GRE) 2-6 6-1 7-5
QF: Read (CWL) def. 5-Li (CHN) 6(2)-7 7-6(4) 7-6(3)
SF: Read (CWL) def. Genov (BUL) 4-6 6-1 6-4
Darcy Cowan
Born: 14 May, 1990, Green River, Wyoming
Current Ranking: 5
Career Record: 14-3
Prize Money: $355,350
Tournaments Won: 0
R32: 1-Cowan (USA) def. WC-Kemp (USA) 6-4 6-3
R16: 1-Cowan (USA) def. Heug (GER) 7-5 6-3
QF: 1-Cowan (USA) def. Andueza (ESP) 6-4 6-4
SF: 1-Cowan (USA) def. Onwye (MAR) 4-6 7-5 7-5
Brett Read
Born: 14 August, 1981, Brackenhurst, New South Wales
Current Ranking: 107
Career Record: 5-3
Prize Money: $19,395
Tournaments Won: 0
R32: Read (CWL) def. 3-Pascaul (FRA) 6-4 5-7 6-4
R16: Read (CWL) def. Chasiotis (GRE) 2-6 6-1 7-5
QF: Read (CWL) def. 5-Li (CHN) 6(2)-7 7-6(4) 7-6(3)
SF: Read (CWL) def. Genov (BUL) 4-6 6-1 6-4
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SirBloody Idiot
Cricketer Of The Year
Open 13
Final - Marseille
Tournament Information
Finals
Zhijun Sun has surged into the world's top five players following a comfortable straight sets victory in the Open 13 final in Marseille; the Chinese youngster defeating Croatia's Miroslav Brdar in one hour and twenty-three minutes to seal his second career victory. Despite a difficult run to the final, the second seed managed to bring his best tennis in the most important match of the tournament as he surged out to a 3-0 lead early. Brdar managed to break back in the first set to give himself a sniff, but Zhijun was too composed and too good as he closed out the set with a backhand winner 6-4. The second set was much more evenly matched from Brdar as it went on service for all twelve games as neither man seemed willing to give up easy games. In the tiebreaker, though, Zhijun continued to look the better player and would soon be hoisting up the cup following a 6-4 7-6(1) victory.
Seeds Out: 5-Miroslav Brdar (CRO).
Copa Telmex
Final - Buenos Aries
Tournament Information
Finals
There were no surprises in store in Buenos Aries as top seed Daniel Páez Blanco sealed his second tournament win on clay for the season with a straight-forward 6-3 6-4 victory over Hungary's József Boros. The "Chameleon of the Court" continues to perform on most surfaces, but struggled to impose himself on the now world number seven as Blanco's superb clay court game grew from strength-to-strength. Boros made an early opening by breaking a surprisingly lacklustre opening service game from Blanco, but his early lead was eaten away as he failed to win a point on his own service. The veteran Spaniard showed the world why he is the overwhelming favourite for the French Open as he had little trouble in heavily returning Boros' powerful shots to make his Hungarian opponent work hard all over the court. The hard work did not pay off as Boros struggled to convincingly win many of his points and found himself eventually outdone by the strength of the 5'9" Blanco.
Seeds Out: 5-József Boros (HUN).
Read seals momentous victory
Finals - Regions Morgan Keegan Championships - Memphis
Tournament Information
Finals
CWLand's Brett Read has pulled off the biggest win of his career with an upset victory over top seeded American Darcy Cowan in the final of the Regions Morgan Keegan Championships in Memphis. Against all odds, Read was at his best as he frustrated the big-serving American with his ability to return almost anything and then capitalised on some of his opponent's more ambitious strokes. It was a masterful performance from the Australian-born battler who, lacking the talent of his younger opponent, was able to manipulate the match into a baseline slog to seal a dramatic victory.
Read got out of the blocks with a racing start as he surged ahead 4-1 against the promising American with two breaks of service, but that lead soon whittled away as he conceded his serve in the sixth and eighth games to see the match level at four games a piece. But Read managed to find his feet again and proved he was not going to be overwhelmed by the occasion and the power game of Cowan as he resorted to making Cowan work hard for his points. The tactics paid off in the first set tiebreaker as the world number 107 forced the inexperienced Wyoming native into a couple of costly mistakes - taking the first set in surprising fashion as the normally accurate Cowan serve went missing at the worst time possible as he dropped the set with a double fault.
The second set was just as even as the first as a clearly rattled Cowan endeavoured to make amends for his first set misfortune as he broke service in the third game of the set and soon found himself leading 4-2. But Read again forced Cowan to play that extra shot as he defied those who said he would be too fatigued to compete following his four taxing matches. The ploy worked as Cowan dropped service as he put an elementary smash right into the net - a mistake which clearly had him annoyed, and his racquet suffered for the frustration. With the score at 4-5 and 15-40, Cowan tried an ambitious serve and volley but found the ball passing well past his reach to his left-hand side as Read hit a lovely backhand winner to seal a momentous victory 7-6(5) 6-4.
The win for Read sees him become the first CWLand player to win an international championship and he was understandably happy. In front of a disappointed yet appreciative crowd, Read raised the trophy above his head - a historic moment for the emerging nation. It is also a historic moment for the 27-year old who surges up the rankings by an amazing 91 places to find himself ranked number 16 in the world.
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Congratulations to Brett Read who becomes the first CWLander to win a tournament! I gotta say, when I simmed the match I couldn't believe he got the win considering Cowan had a +4 modifier on him. Great effort by the veteran.
Final - Marseille
Tournament Information
Finals
Zhijun Sun has surged into the world's top five players following a comfortable straight sets victory in the Open 13 final in Marseille; the Chinese youngster defeating Croatia's Miroslav Brdar in one hour and twenty-three minutes to seal his second career victory. Despite a difficult run to the final, the second seed managed to bring his best tennis in the most important match of the tournament as he surged out to a 3-0 lead early. Brdar managed to break back in the first set to give himself a sniff, but Zhijun was too composed and too good as he closed out the set with a backhand winner 6-4. The second set was much more evenly matched from Brdar as it went on service for all twelve games as neither man seemed willing to give up easy games. In the tiebreaker, though, Zhijun continued to look the better player and would soon be hoisting up the cup following a 6-4 7-6(1) victory.
Seeds Out: 5-Miroslav Brdar (CRO).
Copa Telmex
Final - Buenos Aries
Tournament Information
Finals
There were no surprises in store in Buenos Aries as top seed Daniel Páez Blanco sealed his second tournament win on clay for the season with a straight-forward 6-3 6-4 victory over Hungary's József Boros. The "Chameleon of the Court" continues to perform on most surfaces, but struggled to impose himself on the now world number seven as Blanco's superb clay court game grew from strength-to-strength. Boros made an early opening by breaking a surprisingly lacklustre opening service game from Blanco, but his early lead was eaten away as he failed to win a point on his own service. The veteran Spaniard showed the world why he is the overwhelming favourite for the French Open as he had little trouble in heavily returning Boros' powerful shots to make his Hungarian opponent work hard all over the court. The hard work did not pay off as Boros struggled to convincingly win many of his points and found himself eventually outdone by the strength of the 5'9" Blanco.
Seeds Out: 5-József Boros (HUN).
Read seals momentous victory
Finals - Regions Morgan Keegan Championships - Memphis
Tournament Information
Finals
CWLand's Brett Read has pulled off the biggest win of his career with an upset victory over top seeded American Darcy Cowan in the final of the Regions Morgan Keegan Championships in Memphis. Against all odds, Read was at his best as he frustrated the big-serving American with his ability to return almost anything and then capitalised on some of his opponent's more ambitious strokes. It was a masterful performance from the Australian-born battler who, lacking the talent of his younger opponent, was able to manipulate the match into a baseline slog to seal a dramatic victory.
Read got out of the blocks with a racing start as he surged ahead 4-1 against the promising American with two breaks of service, but that lead soon whittled away as he conceded his serve in the sixth and eighth games to see the match level at four games a piece. But Read managed to find his feet again and proved he was not going to be overwhelmed by the occasion and the power game of Cowan as he resorted to making Cowan work hard for his points. The tactics paid off in the first set tiebreaker as the world number 107 forced the inexperienced Wyoming native into a couple of costly mistakes - taking the first set in surprising fashion as the normally accurate Cowan serve went missing at the worst time possible as he dropped the set with a double fault.
The second set was just as even as the first as a clearly rattled Cowan endeavoured to make amends for his first set misfortune as he broke service in the third game of the set and soon found himself leading 4-2. But Read again forced Cowan to play that extra shot as he defied those who said he would be too fatigued to compete following his four taxing matches. The ploy worked as Cowan dropped service as he put an elementary smash right into the net - a mistake which clearly had him annoyed, and his racquet suffered for the frustration. With the score at 4-5 and 15-40, Cowan tried an ambitious serve and volley but found the ball passing well past his reach to his left-hand side as Read hit a lovely backhand winner to seal a momentous victory 7-6(5) 6-4.
The win for Read sees him become the first CWLand player to win an international championship and he was understandably happy. In front of a disappointed yet appreciative crowd, Read raised the trophy above his head - a historic moment for the emerging nation. It is also a historic moment for the 27-year old who surges up the rankings by an amazing 91 places to find himself ranked number 16 in the world.
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Congratulations to Brett Read who becomes the first CWLander to win a tournament! I gotta say, when I simmed the match I couldn't believe he got the win considering Cowan had a +4 modifier on him. Great effort by the veteran.
Magrat Garlick
Rather Mad Witch
Wow, congrats. Seems like picking a DC team will be tricky now.
Gun read SBI.
Gun read SBI.
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SirBloody Idiot
Cricketer Of The Year
Not as tough as it'll be to pick a USA Davis Cup team.
dontcloseyoureyes
BARNES OUT
Quality stuff.
J-Drake out for Read's blood.
J-Drake out for Read's blood.