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CricketWeb Tennis - Season I

SirBloody Idiot

SirBloody Idiot

Cricketer Of The Year
Sunday, July 5, I
WIMBLEDON 2009: Men's Final PREVIEW

With the men's singles final decided, let's see how the competitors in tomorrow's final stack up.

Radek Špidla (Czech Republic)
Ranking: 5 (peak of 2, 5/4)
Born: Zlín, Czech Republic
D.O.B.: 1 February, 1984 (age 25)
Height: 1.94 m (6 ft 4 in)
Best Performances:W: Queen's (d Hall); F: Australian Open (Hall); Sydney (Carter); SF: Miami (Daneu); Belgrade (Brdar); QF: Rotterdam (Champion); Dubai (Champion); Indian Wells (Daneu).

Darcy Cowan (United States)
Ranking: 6 (peak of 3, 23/2)
Born: Green River, Wyoming, United States
D.O.B.: 14 April, 1990 (age 19)
Height: 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)
Best Performances: F: Memphis (Read); SF: Australian Open (Špidla); San Jose (Boyd); Miami (Hall); Queen's (Hall); QF: Auckland (Hainisch); Estoril (Matias); Madrid (Blanco).

Previous Meetings: 1 (Špidla 1, Cowan 0)

  1. Australian Open - Men's Singles, 1st Semifinal, R Špidla def. D Cowan, 6-2, 4-6, 6-2, 7-5
Cowan had come off a tough run to the semifinals which included five-set affairs with David Champion and Radivoj Daneu, and a typically taxing fourth round clash with fourth seed Daniel Páez Blanco. Meanwhile, sixth seed Špidla had dropped just three sets throughout the tournament and looked too fresh for the eighteen year old who was made to struggle against a man in rampant form. Špidla was too good on service for Cowan and served an almost perfect match in a confident victory against the American gun.
​
Odds: Špidla $1.81, Cowan $2.00.

(5) Radek Špidla CZE vs. (1) Jason Hall USA (6) Darcy Cowan USA. No one was more surprised to see Cowan go through the semifinals than Jason Hall himself who looked utterly bewildered at times with how well the teenager had played. Is he really the next big thing? If he didn't already prove it at the Australian Open, he's proved it here with some awesome tennis. That being said, I think Špidla is in the best form out of any one in the tournament; he was clinical at Queen's, and was only really troubled for the first time in the semis against Zoltan Varga. Remember, if it weren't for Danijel Micic's total brain explosion in the third round, we might've been given the Hall-Špidla match every one desired.

Špidla struggled against Varga in on Friday because the Hungarian played aggressive tennis. Against the big man - particularly on grass - you can't just put the ball back in play otherwise he'll eat you alive. As highly as I rate Dwayne Murdoch, he did it in the quarters and was embarrassed because of it. That plays into the hands of Cowan who showed his aggressive streak against the world number two on Friday. If he can get off to a big start - unlike at the Aussie Open back in February - it will go a long way to making him the first Grand Slam champion under the age of twenty.

As far as rankings are concerned, the result of the match does not matter; Špidla leapfrogs Radivoj Daneu and Sven Oxenstierna to move back into third spot, whilst Cowan ousts the Ox from the top five to settle into fifth. But there's more than rankings points on the line; Špidla doesn't want to go 0-2 in Grand Slam finals, and Cowan wants to do what he couldn't do in Memphis against Brett Read and go on to win his first ATP International Series title. I've betted against him twice in a row, and I am not going to make that same mistake again no matter how good Špidla has looked this month. PREDICTION: Cowan in 4 sets.
 
Indipper

Indipper

State Regular
Money of Stakhanov is on fellow Slav.

Vladimir Stakhanov
Ramat Hasharon-Manta-Indianapolis-Los Angeles-Washington-Montreal-Clowich-Pickford-CW Open
 
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SirBloody Idiot

SirBloody Idiot

Cricketer Of The Year
Poznan (+); Cordoba (+); Dublin (Final) - June 29- July 5 Season I

Open Diputacion - Ciudad de Pozoblanco
Finals - Cordoba

Men's Singles (Finals - Top Half - Bottom Half)

China's Fok Zhenyu has claimed his maiden career title with a come from behind win against Swede Bjorn Donaldson. In a surprise final between the lanky Fok (ha ha) and the Swedish wildcard, Donaldson got the jump on his opponent in a confidence boosting first set ahead of this week's Davis Cup quarterfinal against Russia. But after a solid first set, he struggled against the swinging service of the left-handed Fok who levelled the match at a set each after not giving his opponent a chance to break. He was high on confidence, and the 29-year old showed enough composure to seal a 3-6, 7-5, 6-2 tournament win.


  • Seeded players out: None.

Porsche Open
Finals - Poznan

Men's Singles (Finals - Top Half - Bottom Half)

Second seeded wildcard Randy Smeltz has claimed his first championship on the Challenger circuit as he took the Porsche Open final in straight sets against Spain's Rafael Fernando. The workman-like Smeltz took just thirty-two minutes to take the first set against Fernando; dominating the game from the baseline in a controlled display. Fernando engineered a better performance in the second set, but another late break of service ruined his chances of taking it to a third as Smeltz secured a 6-2, 7-5 in Poland.


  • Seeded players out: None.

Dublin Challenger
Finals - Dublin

Men's Singles (Finals - Top Half - Bottom Half)
Men's Doubles (Draw)

Third seed Tal Cohen had made amends for his embarrassing first round exit it Wimbledon to Jarko Maxum by smashing Sam Lazzeri in the final of the Dublin Challenger. Gaining some valuable points to stay in striking distance of the top eighty, Cohen played solid tennis right throughout the match as he proved far too good for a man ranked in excess of 150 places below him. After bagelling him in the first set, Cohen shot to a 2-0 lead and maintained the one break lead right throughout the match to win 6-0, 6-3.


  • Seeded players out: None.

Making their case to team together in next weekend's Davis Cup quarterfinal, fourth seeded Serbs Savo Petkoviä and Dusko Milosevic have claimed the doubles title against Argentina's Paolo Mandonna and Brazil's Dênis Rodrigues. The Serbian duo have not produced brilliant displays together as of yet, but had too much experience together for the thrown together pair. After a dominant first set, the fourth seeds were caught off guard by the Argentine-Brazilian duo who scrapped to take the second set 6-4. But in the match tiebreaker, they got the better of the third seeds early and ran away with a 6-2, 4-6, [10-5] title win.


  • Seeded teams out: Tal Cohen / Raz Teper.
 
Simon

Simon

Request Your Custom Title Now!
nice to win the tournament even if it was a challenger, Porsche Open>Wimbledon imo.
 
SirBloody Idiot

SirBloody Idiot

Cricketer Of The Year
Wimbledon - June 22- July 5 Season I


The Championships - Gentlemen's Doubles Final
Hayden Onwye MAR / Ross Onwye MAR (4) vs. Sandro Bachunelli ITA / Hicham Hadir MAR (5)​

Fifth seeds Sandro Bachunelli and Hicham Hadir have defeated Moroccan brothers Hayden and Ross Onwye in an ebbing-and-flowing four-set affair to claim the gentlemen's doubles crowd at Wimbledon. With all four sets finishing at 6-4 to one side or the other, it was the Italian-Moroccan connection which got the best of the breaks as they produced impressive tennis to defeat the favourites. The first two sets were decidedly uneventful as both teams only effected one break of service each - both coming early in the sets as the match was left deadlocked at a set each. But the match soon picked up in tempo as all four players had their service broken early in the third to see the match level at 2-2. But after steadying with a hold, the Italian Bachunelli ensured the underdogs was surge to a 4-2 lead as he chipped away at the Hayden Onwye service to earn a break. Taking the third 6-4, the fifth seeds started the fourth poorly as the Onwye Brothers edged ahead 3-1. But they refused to take that lying down in a fine fourth set; Bachunelli and Hadir coming from a break down to secure a momentous victory 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4.

 
SirBloody Idiot

SirBloody Idiot

Cricketer Of The Year

​
The Championships - Gentlemen's Singles Final
Radek Špidla CZE (5) vs. Darcy Cowan USA (6)
​

19-year old American Darcy Cowan has pulled off a shocking victory in the final of The Championships against Czech number one Radek Špidla to become the youngest winner of a Grand Slam final. Coming into the match as a firm underdog, Cowan needed a good start against the giant Špidla, and got it in his first career final as he stuck close with some confident serving. But with the score at 3-3, Cowan made the decisive breakaway; surprising the Czech by moving up to the net to capitalise on his first break point. In a shaky start to the second, neither man was able to hold service in the first two games before finding their feet with holds. But Cowan managed to surge to a 4-2 lead against a stuttering Špidla; the fifth seed only managing to claw back into the set as Cowan blew a 40-15 lead to be broken. But in the tiebreaker it was the American who held his nerve and shot out to a 5-2 lead; securing a two-set lead and placing one hand on the championship. Špidla's best chance of staging a dramatic turnaround was to strike early, but it was the American who drew first blood with a break of service. Clinging to that gap with his life, Cowan brought up three championship points at 5-3. With all the maturity of a veteran, the 19-year old sealed the title with his first; a brave backhand down the line sealing his place in history.

 
SirBloody Idiot

SirBloody Idiot

Cricketer Of The Year
Injuries - July 5, I



Oxenstierna shelves Båstad plans

A sprained ankle will keep world number six Sven Oxenstierna out of action for at least two weeks; ruling him out of the Catella Swedish Open in Båstad in a fortnight's time. The former number four injured his ankle in training, and had to be assisted off the court by his coach. With the prestigious German Hamburg Open occuring the week after, the clay courter may be tempted to ask for a wildcard to enter the draw with the CW Open just around the corner. American Rick Henson will not require surgery on his troublesome calf, and will be fit to play in Indianapolis in a fortnight's time. The former world number two was forced to retire a set ahead against Viktor Vuriak in the second round of Wimbledon, but scans suggest he has done no lasting damage. Henson was among those who would be considered for the USA's Davis Cup quarterfinal against Croatia in Poreč next weekend, but ruled himself out of the clash.
 
Magrat Garlick

Magrat Garlick

Rather Mad Witch
Had to happen sometime, I suppose. Devastated about missing Båstad though, had plans to take the first title. Officially applying for wild card to Hamburg.

Well done to Cowan, though I'm sure he'll be as insufferable as Radek given the chance.
 
dontcloseyoureyes

dontcloseyoureyes

BARNES OUT
Newport-Båstad\_/-Gstaad\_/Montreal-Clowich\_/CW Open

Hopefully that's to Korpinen's liking. If he wants to play a few smaller tourney's so he can play singles as well I'm very much happy to do so.
 
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