Week 12: Sunrise [Murdoch] , Campsfield [Daniels]

[SirBloody Idiot]

Buying a lottery ticket soon?

I fear my luck might run out against Mr. Wleft.

 

[SirBloody Idiot]

Albatross Overload Challenger
Quarter Finals - Campsfield (FR CWLand) - Clay (outdoors)

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

• Rick Langley's frustrating string of quarter final appearances has continued as he was beaten in straight sets by Pablo Scalforo in the first quarter final in Campsfield. In front of a home crowd, Langley could not produce the goods on the clay as the seasoned Scalforo prevailed 7-2 in a quality first set tiebreaker performance. Langley stayed close with the Italian in the second, but was found wanting late in the set as Scalforo got the jump on him and moved into the semi finals with a 7-6(2), 6-3 victory.

• He will play local wildcard entrant Marcuss Deane in the semi finals as his sensational run on the clay continued with a 7-5, 6-1 thrashing of Leonel Romero. The Chilean player started very well as he picked up a pair of service breaks to lead 3-0. But Deane, after a slow start, began to settle into the match and after prevailing in a long rally to claw back a break he went on an unbelievable run of thirteen from sixteen games. His week continues into the weekend, and while he might miss the Miami qualifying next week should he win his semi final this performance on clay will do wonders for his confidence over the coming months.

• In the all-East CWLand clash to round off the day, eighth seed Roy Daniels' fantastic tiebreak form continued as he ousted special exempt Phoenix Wleft in three tight sets. Opponents have found Daniels difficult to break this week despite the surface, and Wleft was no different as Daniels conceeded just ten points on serve in a confident first set which he took 6-3. But his big weakness is his groundstrokes and Wleft attacked his backhand to great effect. That allowed him a break of serve in the second set which was enough to allow Wleft a third set. That one went on serve as Daniels failed to convert any of his six break points with Wleft holding firm under real pressure. But the accurate serve proved too much as Daniels prevailed in a second straight marathon third-set tiebreaker to move into the semi finals 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(8) after saving a match point of his own. He will play sixth seed Emelio Cobos following his 6-3, 2-6, 6-2 win over Fernando Aguero.

• Seeded players out:
  
  Fernando Aguero.

• Wildcard doubles entrants Jason Lawley & Pierre Rose are into the semi finals as they came from a set down to beat Austria's Philipp Dlopst & Roland Winkler. After dropping the first set 3-6, the West CWLanders played entertaining tennis as they grew in confidence en route to a 3-6, 6-4, [10-4] victory. After a dominant match tiebreaker, they need to continue that form into their cutthroat semi final showdown with raging favourites Carlos Machado & Dênis Rodrígues who beat compatriots Marzio Claverini & Flávio Augusto Martins 6-0, 6-7(5), [10-4].

• Seeded players out: None.

 

[Jarquis]

Overjoyed with this run, best showing of my career to date

 

[SirBloody Idiot]

Overjoyed with this run, best showing of my career to date

Have to say I'm pretty stunned at my own performance here, particularly considering the surface. While my luck has to run out eventually, I'd like nothing more than to advance to the final and crush the West's hopes and dreams. Against Deane would be ideal.

Would eclipse my 3-6, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 win over Vladimir Gryzlov back at Australian Open I, tbh.

 

[Jarquis]

Haha, was going to ask who Daniels was
All the better now I know it's you, will hopefully see you in the final before sending you on your way empty handed Will make the (prospective) win all the better.

Edit : Some effort in the Aus Open there to come back from 2 sets down. Hopefully that's still your career highlight this time next week.

 

[Agent TBY]

Good win for Daniels there. Gutting to go out, but we're 1-1 now.

 

[Paid The Umpire]

Rick Langley's frustrating string of quarter final appearances has ...

become frustrating!

 

[SirBloody Idiot]

BMW Tennis Championship
Semi Finals - Sunrise, FL (United States) - Hard (outdoors)

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

• Top seed Dwayne Murdoch will play off in the final of the $125K+H Challenger in Sunrise after he easily beat Petr Brožik 6-3, 6-4. Continuing his good preparation for next week's Miami Masters, Murdoch outplayed the impressive Czech player to advance to his second final of the year. He will play eighth seed Oliver Engel after he overcame a bad second set to claim a 6-4, 1-6, 6-3 win over Heinz Hainisch of Austria.

• Seeded players out: None.

• In the doubles semi finals, local doubles pairing Heath Davis & Scotland Rivers fell victim to the match tiebreaker as they were defeated by Romanian pairing Viorel Iftime & Marius Micu. The West CWLand pair looked in a great position to take a victory after they ran riot against the Romanians in the second set to dish out their third bagel of the week. But the match tiebreaker did not allow them to take advantage of their good second set form as the Iftime-Micu duo produced a surprising 6-2, 0-6, [10-8] win. They play second seeds Gai Kai & Lu Xun in the final.

• Seeded players out:
  
  Artem Krohmal &
  
  Merab Shvelidze.

 

[SirBloody Idiot]

Albatross Overload Challenger
Semi Finals - Campsfield (FR CWLand) - Clay (outdoors)

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

• Young superstar Marcuss Deane has sent West CWLand tongues wagging after he advanced to the final of the clay court Challenger in Campsfield with a three-set win over World No. 142 Pablo Scalforo. The teenager, a wildcard for the tournament, produced his best career performance thus far as he survived a tense showdown with the Italian. Deane needed a strong start and got it as he dominated the first set, but was met with much stronger resistance from the 34-year old veteran who looked for any way possible to break serve. He managed to do it once in the fifth game of the set, but there was an immediate break back from the boy nearly eighteen years his junior as the set went to a tiebreaker. But it was there that the veteran managed to get the best of his younger opponent with some crafty returning and slice backhands to disrupt his rhythm. Whilst the crowd wasn't overly large, there was strong local support for Deane and he set about making their appearance worth it in the first tournament in the new republic. With the score level at 5-5, Deane finally got his chance as he watched a backhand from the veteran sail long to give him a decisive break. With two unreturnable serves, the Australian Open boys' champion moved into the final with a huge 6-2, 6-7(3), 7-5 win.

• The first tournament in either of the newly separated countries will pit East against West as eighth seed Roy Daniels moved to his first career final with three-set win over Argentina's Emelio Cobos. The sixth seeded Argentine was expected to pick up a victory, but met a determined Daniels who, despite not enjoying the slow surface, was impressive in rallies he normally struggles in. Ultimately the difference came in the serving as Daniels had ample opportunities to break as opposed to Cobos' three chances. The 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 win sets up an unlikely big-serving final on a court that ordinarily does not suit it.

• Seeded players out:
  
  Emelio Cobos.

• Jason Lawley & Pierre Rose put in a brave display, but were ultimately outgunned in straight sets by Costa do Sauípe and Buenos Aires champions Carlos Machado & Dênis Rodrígues. The wildcard entrants knew they needed something special against one of the world's best clay court pairings, but offered little resistance in a one-sided first set. They lifted their games considerably in the second, but ultimately the wealth of experience on behalf of the top seeds was too much as they made the final 6-1, 7-5. They play impressive pairing Christophe Norman & Björn Tol who came from a set down to beat Emelio Cobos & Johan Ortiz 2-6, 6-4, [10-3].

• Seeded players out: None.

 

[SirBloody Idiot]

Game on, Deane!

 

[Jarquis]

Bring it on. Defeat is not an option infront of a home crowd.

 

[Magrat Garlick]

Defeat is not an option

Deane taking lessons in publci relations from the Socialist Worker's Totally Honest And Not At All Propagandist Paper, Really, I see.

 

[SirBloody Idiot]

BMW Tennis Championship
Finals Day - Sunrise, FL (United States) - Hard (outdoors)

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

• Top seed Dwayne Murdoch has successfully bounced back from his Indian Wells disappointment and shot up to No. 12 in the world with a straight sets win over Luxembourg's Oliver Engel. Murdoch, who was stunned in the second round of the PTA Masters 1000 in California, made full use of his wildcard entry into the BMW Tennis Championship by overcoming the dangerous eighth seed 7-5, 6-3. Engel held a break in the first set but failed to capitalise on it as the American secured the first set with a powerful double-handed backhand. In the second set it was all Murdoch as he survived a late fightback from Engel to secure the title in ninety-eight minutes.

• Seeded players out:
  
  Oliver Engel.

• Second seeded Chinese pairing Gai Kai & Lu Xun have completed a successful rebound in Indian Wells by claiming the title with a hard-fought 7-6(5), 6-3 win over Viorel Iftime & Marius Micu. The Romanians failed to convert any of their three first set points, and were made to pay as Gai and Lu completed a flawless tournament to hoist the title in straight sets.

• Seeded players out: None.

 

[Jarquis]

Haha, anticlimax after seeing you'd posted in this thread
Delaying the inevitable.

 

[SirBloody Idiot]

Albatross Overload Challenger
Finals Day - Campsfield (FR CWLand) - Clay (outdoors)

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

• World No. 133 Roy Daniels has claimed the first title on West CWLand soil and his first clay court title with a straight sets victory over local youngster Marcuss Deane. It was a surprising final considering the respective clay court performances of the two powerful players, and in a cagey first set neither man was troubled on service. Daniels went 0 from 2 on break points (including one set point) and Deane went 0 from 3 as the set went to a tiebreaker, where Daniels continued his awesome streak by claiming that 7-4. Deane needed to find a break in the second to bring himself back into the contest, but could not find it despite all of his trying. Another three break point opportunities presented themselves, but they were all answered by big first serves as Daniels increased his match tally of aces to fifteen. In contrast, Deane had no troubles on serve as Daniels struggled to stay in rallies but the pressure was on the West CWLander to attack the East CWLander in the tiebreaker. He couldn't do it, though, as Daniels used all of his experience to overpower the youngster and to convert his first championship point to complete a 7-6(4), 7-6(4) victory. Daniels, who won all of his five tiebreakers this week, needed the points from the victory to compensate for the third round points from Indian Wells set to drop off this week.

• Seeded players out: None.

• There were no surprises in the doubles final as one of the best clay court teams Carlos Machado & Dênis Rodrígues claimed the title by defeating Christophe Norman & Björn Tol. The Belgian-Dutch team put up a good fight thanks largely to some good serving from the giant Norman, but the top seeded Brazilians were too good to the tune of a 6-4, 7-5 win.

• Seeded players out: None.

 

[SirBloody Idiot]

 

[Jarquis]

Congrats you bastard.

 

[SirBloody Idiot]

On a positive note, a couple of good weeks for Deane shoots him up about thirty places to No. 151.

 

[Jarquis]

That's awesome.
Where am I off to next? Missed Miami qualifying didn't I?

 

[SirBloody Idiot]

Probably would need a rocket to make it to Miami. Challengers this week in Jersey (indoor hard) and Barletta (clay). Take your pick.