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    As to the Davis Cup, given how many players are generally completed burned out by the end of the year, I can't see too many top players taking part.

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      Two wildcards? To make a perfectly sensible 16 teams into 18? That's a load of bollocks for a start.

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        Three rubbers over three sets instead of five over five. It's a set of friendlies pretending to be a World Cup. No serious tennis fan would regard the winners as on a par with past winners, who had to win in all conditions home and away across the year, each in five matches over five sets.

        Gerard Piquet gets to preside over the event's death? They couldn't even find a retired Spanish tennis player to front it? Very odd.
        Last edited by Satchmo Distel; 18-08-2018, 10:30.

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          Crazy situation for Australia and Austria:

          https://www.theguardian.com/sport/20...-left-in-limbo

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            That Davis Cup format is almost exactly what was tried with the Federation Cup (as was) in the 1980s. It was a total failure of a format then, I don't see anything different now.

            And the situation SD highlights applies to all eight of the World Group play-off ties and not just Austria and Australia, of course. Including Britain vs Uzbekistan, which is due to happen in Glasgow. They are all effectively pointless, seeing as the structure is changing to make this season's promotion and relegations irrelevant.

            In lighter news, Heather Watson beat Nao Hibino comfortably in the Vancouver. She will now play another Japanese player, Misaki Doi, in the final. A win wouldn't lift Watson back into the top 100 or even above Boulter at ~105, but it would put her closer to getting back to where she has been previously.

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              Although Watson is currently a good hundred or so official ranking places above Doi, Doi's personal highest ranking (30) is above Watson's (38), so I'm guessing Watson is not necessarily favourite.

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                Watson's head 2 head with Doi is 5-0, with Doi only having won one set. I think Watson is favourite.

                Also having a good time in Vancouver is Dan Evans who had struggled a bit in the US season and had to fight hard to get through qualifying, but has now rolled through to the final with some decent scalps en route.

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                  Originally posted by Jimski View Post
                  Djokovic seems right back in form now. Could easily make a late run for the year-end number one from here...
                  He has won Cincinnati, beating Federer in the final. Which makes him the first player to have won all 9 of the current Masters Series, apparently. That surprises me, I would have thought Rafa had already done it. I think end of year no.1 is pushing things though - he is still ~2500 points behind Nadal, i.e. Djokovic will trail even if he wins the US Open and Nadal goes out in R1. Nole winning seems possible, but the other bit is unlikely.

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                    Nadal is quite a way off that record. He's never won Miami, Shanghai or Paris (the latter two, plus his failure ever to win the tour champs, show how relatively poor his post-US Open season tends to be).

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                      Evans won his final, Watson lost hers.

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                        On the general front, Simona Halep didn’t quite make it back-to-back Premier 5s as she lost the Cincinnati final to Kiki Bertens, which is the biggest title of Bertens career to date. She is also in fine form, having made the Montreal QFs the week before. Both of them were down to play in New Haven this week, which bemused me completely. Surely a rest would be more appropriate? Halep, fortunately, has thought better of it, but Bertens is still playing which means up to four weeks without a break. Maybe resting is hard to do in New York though (players tend to stay in Manhattan and make their way over to Queens where the Billie Jean King Tennis Centre is located on a daily basis), so spending time in Yale with easier access to practice courts is better, even if an occasional match interrupts things…?


                        To the Brits, though - the American summer (or ‘US Open Series’ to give it it’s brand name) is building towards its conclusion, with the main event getting underway for most of the Brits this week as the US Open qualifiers start. Updates have got a bit piecemeal in the last couple of weeks, so a player-by-player summary of what each who are over there has got up to seems in order.


                        WTA Tour – singles

                        Johanna Konta: two steps forward, one step back has been the theme. Started with a hammering of Serena in San Jose that remains excellent from Konta’s point of view whatever the issues were on the other side of the net. But then lost to the first top 20 player she encountered, Elise Mertens. Two good wins in Montreal over Ostapenko and Azarenka ended in an underwhelming performance against Elena Svitolina, and then went out in R1 of Cincinnati to Aryna Sabalenka in a match it felt like she had in the bag midway through the second set. OK, none of the losses are embarrassing; Mertens is top 20, Svitolina is top 10 and Sabalenka is shooting up the rankings. All made the Semis of the respective tournaments. It’s just that when Jo appears about to be get on a real run again, she loses. Hopefully things will go better in New Haven this week, where she beat Siegemund in R1 and now faces Suarez Navarro.

                        Katie Boulter: now the British No.2, Boulter has threatened to break into the top 100 all summer, but never quite got over the line. Her best performance of the summer was arguably the first, dismantling a seeded player (Krunic) in Washington, but then going out in R2. Got a lucky break in the Canada Open qualifiers, which she only partially took advantage of, reaching R1 but then losing Lesia Tusrenko. Stayed north of the parallel to play the ITF event in Vancouver, only to lose to countrywoman Heather Watson in the QFs. Disappointments aside, she looks a genuine talent and a good bet to get through the New York qualifiers, where she is the #2 seed and plays Naomi Broady in first up.

                        Heather Watson: Has moved on from the dire form of spring, winning her first match in San Jose before running into Venus Williams. Then retreated to the ITF circuit, which initially didn’t go well, losing in R1 in Landisville, but then came good as she was runner-up in Vancouver as noted up thread (l to Misaki Doi). Now heads to the Open qualifiers, where she is seeded #11 and plays a local wild card, Cori Gauff in Q1.

                        Harriet Dart: cruised through the qualifiers in Washington and then held a good lead on Belinda Bencic in the first round, but rather faded to defeat. Hasn’t played singles since though, which is concerning seeing as an ITF doubles match with Dunne in Landisville ended with the British pair retiring – the assumption was that was Dunne, who had pulled out of the singles qualifying the day before, but then Dart disappears from the scene… We will find out how fit she is when she takes on Jamiee Fourlis at the Slam qualies.

                        Katie Swan: got a wild card to Washington under the aegis of Andy Murray (you want him to play a joint event, you’ve got a find a spot for Katie as well apparently) but was unlucky to draw the eventual semi-finalist Zheng Saisai in R1. Not that Swan played up to her best level, mind. Then went to Landisville, won her first match but backed out of the next one. Another with fitness questions to be answered when she takes the court against Deborah Chiesa in New York.


                        WTA and some ITF - doubles

                        Konta w/ Zhang: Jo has been playing more doubles recently in search of form and volleying practice. She and Zhang made the QFs in San Jose (l to Watson/Buzarnescu) and R2 in Montreal but then withdrew. Konta subsequently played Cincinnati with Ostapenko, and again won a round before losing in R2. Is playing the New Haven doubles w/ Melichar as well.

                        Watson w/ Buzarnescu: made SF in San Jose as the 2nd seeds, but then Watson went to the ITF and concentrated on singles and Buzarnescu went to Montreal and got injured.

                        Swan w/ van der Hoek and Dart w/ Thombare: both lost in R1 of Washington, the only other doubles match either Brit played being Dart’s abortive effort with Dunne in Landisville.


                        ITF Circuit – incomplete singles and some doubles

                        Naomi Broady: oof. Lost in R1 of Landisville and Vancouver in singles, and also in her first match in the Van doubles. Last won a singles match in Japan in May. Will have to raise it many levels to beat Boulter in the first round of the US Open qualifiers.

                        Gabriella Taylor: another who hasn’t had a great summer. Lost to Jessiace Pegula in R2 of Lexington, and then had to retire from a second round match against Madison Brengle in Landisville at a set-all (and subsequently scratch from a doubles QF w/ Webley-Smith). Will get to renew acquaintances with Brengle in the Big Apple as they have been drawn together in the qualifying. This time I’m not inferring when I worry about Taylor’s fitness to play.

                        Katy Dunne: had a decent run to the QFs of Lexington before going down to Jessica Pegula (it’s that girl again!), but then retired hurt from both her Q1 match in Landisville and R1 match in the doubles with Dart. The initial assumption was that it was Dunne who canned that, but she was back the next week at Vancouver, though she did lose heavily in Q1, making me wonder if the doubles retirement was more her partner. Played three, lost three on the doubles court in the States. Is now off to New York, where he first match is against Ons Jabeur, which isn’t an easy draw.

                        Samantha Murray: lost in R1 of three Canadian events in Winnipeg, Gatineau and Granby, but did qualify for the later two. Then came back to blighty where she lost in R1 of Woking but again qualified in Chiswick (beating Freya Christie in the last round of that) and made the SFs of the main draw. Also won the doubles title in Chiswick w/ Christie, who clearly doesn’t bear grudges. Also made two Semis and one quarter in doubles in the Canadian events. Not playing the US Open due to insufficient ranking.

                        Freya Christie: a similar pattern to Murray in Canada, out in R1 of Winnipeg, Q2 of Gatineau and R1 after qualifying of Granby. Made QFs of Woking back in Britain and of course won the Chiswick doubles w/ Murray. As Murray on US participation.

                        Jodie Anna Burrage: Winnipeg – won a round, Gatineau – lost in R1 after qualifying, Granby, lost in Q1, Woking – R2, Chiswick – QF. Played doubles w/ Christie in Winnipeg and lost in R1, and then was on the other side of the net as she and Arbuthnott lost to Christie/Murray in the Chiswick SF. Another ranked too low for the Slam.

                        Alicia Barnett: whilst all the others were finding Canada conditions a struggle, Barnett had a good time getting a win in Winnipeg and then qualifying and making the SFs in Gatineau (5 wins in total). Couldn’t play Granby qualifying as she was busy and hasn’t quite had the same fortunate back in Britain since.

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                          ATP World Tour – singles

                          Kyle Edmund: lost to Andy Murray in R2 of Washington after a R1 bye. Tough draw, but also a heavy defeat in R1 of Toronto. Finally won a game in R1 of Cincinnati, but then lost in R2. In clear need of games and wins, so has taken a wild card into this weeks’ event in Winston-Salem, where he is the no.3 seed and so gets a R1 bye.

                          Cameron Norrie: great start to the campaign saw him make Semis in Atlanta and Los Cabos (l to Ryan Harrison and Fabio Fognini respectively). Because of the run in Los Cabos was not available to play the Canada Open qualifying, and then lost in the first round of qualifying in Ohio. Not playing this week, so presumably getting across to New York to practice.

                          Andy Murray: won three matches to make QFs in Washington before withdrawing and also pulling out of Canada Open. The wins were all three setters, as was his R1 defeat to Lucas Pouille in R1 of Cincinnati. Now resting ahead of the Open.


                          ATP World Tour and a bit of the Challenger one – doubles

                          J.Murray w/ Soares: this has gone well. Champions in Washington (b M.Bryan/Roger-Vasselin), a blip in first up defeat in Toronto, but champions again last week in Cincinnati (b Cabal/Farah). Fully prepared, so skipping Winston-Salem and heading to the Big Apple, where they will be the 4th seeds.

                          Inglot w/ Skugor: only made their way across to North America this week, opting to play European clay in the aftermath of Wimbledon instead (SF in Umag, R1 in Hamburg). Played in Winston-Salem, but went out in the first round – Skugor is going to do better in singles as he qualified as a lucky loser and then won in R1! Won’t be seeded this time for the Slam.

                          Salisbury w/ Erlich: Seeded for both Atlanta and Los Cabos but lost R1 of the first and QF of the second. That looks like it was enough to break the partnership up, both playing the Aptos Challenger but with Salisbury partnering O’Mara. The Brits were runners-up (l to Kokkinakis/Reid) there, but this week Salisbury is playing Winston-Salem with N.Skupski.

                          Bambridge/O’Mara: Out in QFs of Atlanta and R1 of Los Cabos, and as above then seem to have split, O’Mara playing the Challengers in Aptos and Vancouver with Salisbury (result as above) and Broady (l in R1) respectively. Bambridge has benefitted even more from going another way, joining up with N.Skupski to make SF in Aptos and win Vancouver (b Polmans/Purcell)

                          K.Skupski w/ Raja: made SFs of Atlanta following a QF showing in Newport (on grass), but Ken hasn’t played since…

                          N.Skupski/Salisbury: playing Winston-Salam as detailed above, after two good Challenger showings with Bambridge in Aptos and Vancouver.

                          Norrie w/ Fritz: won a round in Los Cabos, and contributed to the end of the Salisbury/Erlich partnership.


                          ATP Challenger Tour – incomplete singles and some doubles

                          Jay Clarke: won the event in Binghamton, his first challenger level title, and won matches in both Lexington and Aptos, but fewer in each as time progressed (two then one). His exit in Lexington was due to retirement, and thought he played Aptos the following week he hasn’t played since, which is concerning. One of just two British Men to play the US Open qualifers, and they have drawn each other, Clarke being paired with Liam Broady in Q1.

                          Liam Broady: talking of whom… out in R1 of Gatineau as a seed. And Granby. And Lexington. Wasn’t seeded in Aptos and won through to the QFs, but then also wasn’t in Vancouver and reverted to the first up exit. Did reach the doubles final at Granby (w/ Aragone), as he played doubles at all events but Aptos with a different partner each time, so at least has won some matches of some sort along the way. But Clarke looks a tough ask in the big show prelims.

                          Dan Evans: down but then up. Got into the main draws of Binghamton and Lexington via his ranking, but only won one match in either (in Binghamton, against Broady!). Then failed to qualify in Aptos, but it all came together last week as he qualified for Vancouver and then went through the main draw like a dose of salts to take the title, beating local favourite and top seed Vasek Pospisil in the Semi (which was a repeat of the 2013 final at the same event) and Jason Kubler in the title match. A $100k Challenger is as significant a title as Evans has ever won. Might have hoped that this, allied to his previous performances in the main draw, might be enough to nab him a last ditch US Open qualifying wild card, but no dice.

                          Alex Ward: worse than Broady, if anything. Won a match in the main draw of Lexington, and qualified in Aptos but then suffered a R1 exit, which is also the stage he exited having got in by ranking to Gatineau and Binghamton. Lost (heavily) first up in the qualifying in Vancouver last week. Hasn’t made the US Open qualifying cut.

                          James Ward: has had a good month, just not in North America! Doing things backwards, he played Binghamton first, where he went out in R1, and then headed for the Far East. In results terms this was a brilliant move, as he got to the Semi in Chengdu and the final in Jinan (l to Popyrin). Ranking is not high enough to make the qualifying cut at the US Open.

                          Comment


                            Konta has just withdrawn from New Haven with a viral illness. Presumably precautionary.

                            Surprisingly, N Broady beat Boulter.

                            Comment


                              Originally posted by Etienne View Post
                              Surprisingly, N Broady beat Boulter.
                              That is disappointing, to be honest. Boulter feels like she could go much further in both this tournament and the sport overall than Broady. Dunne also lost (heavily) in Q1 yesterday.

                              Comment


                                Yes, that's my feeling too. A Broady double over ostensibly more promising younger players, as Liam hammered Jay Clarke 3&1.

                                Watson went an early break down against Gauff, but has fought back to take the set 6-4. Gauff has massive potential, she's been junior world #1, but you'd hope Watson has enough experience to get through.

                                Comment


                                  Watson breezed through the second set. Katie Swan looked down and out at a set and 4-2 down, but then won 9 of the next ten games (with a lengthy injury break in between). From 5-1 up in the third she then blew a handful of match points on her way to 5-4 and 40-0 on Chiesa's serve, before surviving six game points to sneak the match. She will play Hibino now, winner will play the winner of Watson's match against Han.

                                  Comment


                                    Just been reminded that the US Open have sold exclusive UK TV rights to Amazon. So I won't be seeing any of this tournament. Well, at least that will remove the temptation to stay up until stupid o'clock.

                                    Comment


                                      Disappointing overnight results. Upshot is only 3 out of 7 British women through to Q2: Broady, Watson and Swan. Q1 defeats for Boulter, Dart, Taylor and Dunne.
                                      Last edited by Evariste Euler Gauss; 23-08-2018, 22:08.

                                      Comment


                                        Apparently Dart and (especially) Taylor were less than 100% from whatever ailed them prior to the tournament.

                                        Comment


                                          Rather late, but here are the qualifying draws that involve(d) Brits in New York

                                          Men's

                                          Carlos Berlocq Arg bt Elias Ymer Swe [16]
                                          Enrique Lopez Perez Esp bt Ulises Blanch USA [WC]
                                          Liam Broady GBr bt Jay Clarke GBr
                                          Uladzimir Ignatik bt Stephane Robert Fra [21]


                                          Women's

                                          Naomi Broady GBr bt Katie Boulter GBr [2]
                                          Georgina Garcia Perez Esp bt Anne Schaefer Ger [PR]
                                          Marie Bouzkova Cze bt Ann Li USA [WC]
                                          Marta Kostyuk Ukr [23] bt Valentyna Ivakhnenko Rus

                                          Madison Brengle USa [3] bt Gabriella Taylor GBr
                                          Tereza Smitkova Cze bt Bethanie Mattek-Sands USA [WC]
                                          Mandy Minella Lux bt Dejana Radanovic Srb
                                          Anna Kalinskaya Rus [32] bt Grace Min USA

                                          Olga Danilovic Srb [6] bt Bianca Andreescu Can
                                          Jamiee Fourlis Aus bt Harriet Dart GBr
                                          Tereza Martincova Cze bt Rebecca Sramkova Svk [PR]
                                          Anhelina Kalinina Ukr [26] bt Elena-Gabriela Ruse Rou

                                          Ons Jabeur Tun [9] bt Katy Dunne GBr
                                          Kristia Ahn USA bt Katarina Zavarska Ukr
                                          Paula Badosa Gibert Esp bt Sophie Chang USA [WC]
                                          Alexandra Dulgheru Rou [30] bt Allie Kiick USA

                                          Heather Watson GBr [11] bt Cori Gauff USA [WC]
                                          Ayano Shimizo Jpn bt Han Xinyun Chn
                                          Katie Swan GBr bt Deborah Chiesa Ita
                                          Nao Hibino Jpn [17] bt Misaki Doi Jpn

                                          Comment


                                            Liam Broady lost his Q2 match in 3 sets. But Katie Swan has won hers just now, 6-1, 6-4, and Watson is 3-0 up in her first set so is currently favourite to play Swan for a place in the main draw.

                                            Comment


                                              One of Swan's best wins of her career (on paper at least, I didn't see it).

                                              Comment


                                                If they do, they will be the only Brits left in the qualies as Naomi Broady went the same way as her brother.

                                                Comment


                                                  Watson won comfortably, so she does indeed play Swan in the final round. Worth noting that Watson's win so far this year have been her first ever senior wins at the US Open since winning it as junior. She has lost in the first round of qualifying once, and in the main draw first round seven times!

                                                  Selected matches from the first round draw.

                                                  (1) Nadal vs Ferrer
                                                  (3) del Potro vs Q
                                                  (8) Dmitrov vs Wawrinka
                                                  (4) A Zverev vs Q (Zverev has added Lendl to his coaching team to try and do better in slams)
                                                  (6) Djokovic vs Fucsovics
                                                  (2) Federer vs Nishioka
                                                  (16) Kyle Edmund vs Paulo Lorenzi
                                                  Andy Murray vs James Duckworth
                                                  Cam Norrie vs Jordan Thompson

                                                  (1) Halep vs Kanepi
                                                  (17) S Williams vs Linette
                                                  (16) V Williams vs Kuznetsova (the sisters are seeded to meet in round 3)
                                                  (12) Muguruza vs Zhang
                                                  (8) Ka. Pliskova vs Diyas
                                                  (3) Stephens vs Rodina
                                                  (6) Garcia vs Konta
                                                  (5) Kvitova vs Wickmayer
                                                  (4) Kerber vs Gasparyan
                                                  (2) Wozniacki vs Stosur
                                                  Last edited by Etienne; 24-08-2018, 05:36.

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                                                    I would think all the Brits will be gone by Round 3 (Murray v Delpo). Not sure Venus will last the two rounds she needs to win to face Serena, whom I assume would probably then lose to Halep. Djokovic starts favourite to beat Federer in the QF.

                                                    How do they allocate the players who come through qualifying e.g. who gets Zverev?
                                                    Last edited by Satchmo Distel; 24-08-2018, 14:15.

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