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Post by Brinyi on Jul 11, 2012 10:57:33 GMT -5
20yo Argy Guido ANDREOZZI pulled off a shocker at the Bogota $125K, defeating top seed Feliciano Lopez. Guido is rampant, having won his last 2 tourneys an Argy Futures and the Lima Challenger). Locals Falla and Giraldo are the top seeds there, now that F-Lo is out.
In Scheveningen, RG jr champ Kimmer COPPEJANS got a WC and beat another WC in the first round. His 2R opponent is Windmill Cervantes. Jerzy Janowicz, coming off his Wimby heroics, is top seed there.
Polansky is trying his luck on clay in San Benedetto del Tronto.
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Post by Brinyi on Jul 11, 2012 11:51:59 GMT -5
Filip Peliwo has a WC into the $15K in Saskatoon. He will play Gregory OUELLETTE (USA) [4] in the 1R.
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Post by Brinyi on Jul 16, 2012 10:52:14 GMT -5
The Scheveningen champ was rampant Jerzy Janowicz. At the Prostejov $15K, Former jr ace Dominic Thiem made it to the final and lost to Jiri Vesely (not to be confused with Jan Vesely of the Washington Wizards). Lamine Ouahab made the semis of the Bourg-en-Bresse $15K, but was dumped by former jr #1 and pro flop Jonathan EYSSERIC (FRA) [8] 6-0 6-3. Belgrade $10K final: Marko DJOKOVIC (SRB) 4-1 Retired Carlos GOMEZ-HERRERA (ESP) [3] I don't know what happened to him, but former top 100 player, now ranked 441, Illya Marchenko, titled at a Futures in Kazakhstan. Rochester $10K final: Alex BOGDANOVIC (GBR) [1] 6-3 6-4 Chase BUCHANAN (USA) [7]
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Post by Brinyi on Jul 17, 2012 14:43:43 GMT -5
The men have a similar arrangement to the women for the USO WC - The USTA will give a MD WC to the U.S. player who earns the most points in his best 2 of 4 in Binghamton, Lexington, Vancouver & Aptos. There are surprisingly few USian Challengerites gunning for the spot in Binghamton this week. The highest ranked among them is Ginepri.
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Post by janie on Jul 17, 2012 15:59:06 GMT -5
I remember once considering heading over to Binghamton for a day for this event! No doubt that was when my sister still lived up here, with her air-conditioned car. Anyway I'm glad the Birmingham event still exists, and that it's meaningful this year. Best 2 of 4 is an interesting approach, but sheesh, they've got the guys running all over the continent.
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Post by janie on Jul 21, 2012 7:09:42 GMT -5
Bedene is rampant!
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Post by Brinyi on Jul 25, 2012 11:06:02 GMT -5
Not as rampant as fellow SLOperstar Zemlja, who titled at the An-Ning $50K last week. He beat Bedene in a memorable 16 75 63 final that I'm sure will be discussed in Yunnan Province for years to come. In the race for a USO WC, the early advantage goes to Michael Yani, who titled in Binghamton. In fact, he was the only USian in the final four. USians in the QF were Rhyne Williams, Greg Ouellette and Michael McClune. Ginepri went out in R2. (Note however that Yani lost 1R this week in Lexington, to Dennis Kudla). This week's highlights so far: - Y.Bhambri is into the QF of a Kazakh $125K. Marchenko is also there (he launched his comeback with a Challenger title last week. Top seeds are Carl-Uwe "Dave" Stebe and Karol Beck. Please join me in hoping for a Golubev win over Brydan Klein today. - There will not be a repeat of the all-Slovenian Chinese final this week, since Zemlja retired from his 1R match in Wuhan. Bedene barely survived his 1R match, 36 76(6) 60 over CHANG Yu, but is through to the QF.
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Post by Paean on Jul 25, 2012 12:37:41 GMT -5
SLO superstars have been winning many challengers this year. Zemlja extends his winning streak over Kavcic and Bedene to 11-0. They're both his pigeons now.
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Post by Brinyi on Aug 1, 2012 10:12:02 GMT -5
The SLO rampage continued, with Bedene titling in Wuhan. A hard-earned final win, 63 46 63 over Ouanna. Both he and Zemlja are in Beijing to pile up more cheap Challenger points this week. Joao SOUSA (POR) titled at the Challenger in Tampere. Joao Souza (BRA) is top seed in Ecuador this week. At the Vancouver $100K this week: - Socko has a WC and plays Dancevic in R2 - Fresh off his title in Lexington and eyeing that WC for the USO, Kudla edged Polansky 16 64 76(3) - Peliwo got a WC and lost N 76(4) 60 1R to Jimmy Wang
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Post by Brinyi on Aug 20, 2012 11:10:34 GMT -5
Once Proud Danai Udomchoke went all the way to Mississauga for a Futures, which he won (def. Polansky in the final).
Emilio Gomez, son of Andres, won the Guayaquil $10K as a WC. He is entering his second season at USC, a fact of which I had been unaware.
Another WC Futures titlist was 19yo Austrian and former top ten jr Patrik Ofner, who took the Innsbrick crown. Ofner was famously the runnerup at the Herr and OB last December, losing both finals to countryman Dominic Thiem.
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Post by janie on Aug 20, 2012 12:36:23 GMT -5
The SLO rampage continued, with Bedene titling in Wuhan. A hard-earned final win, 63 46 63 over Ouanna. Both he and Zemlja are in Beijing to pile up more cheap Challenger points this week. Joao SOUSA (POR) titled at the Challenger in Tampere. Joao Souza (BRA) is top seed in Ecuador this week. At the Vancouver $100K this week: - Socko has a WC and plays Dancevic in R2 Bedene So who won that Sock-Dance bout?
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Post by Brinyi on Aug 20, 2012 13:12:24 GMT -5
Ah yes, the Sock Dance! Frankie took it 46 64 61.
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Post by janie on Aug 20, 2012 18:11:34 GMT -5
Oh, too bad. But really, it's right that Frankie should win that, seeing as how it was in Canada and all. (Assuming that was Vanc. BC and not Vanc. WA)
Please give my regards to young Zorro, btw!
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Post by Brinyi on Aug 24, 2012 8:37:17 GMT -5
New pro Filip PELIWO is through to the quarters at a Futures in Winnipeg. His opponent will be 24yo Texan Josh Zavala.
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Post by Brinyi on Aug 27, 2012 11:31:24 GMT -5
Futures roundaup:
Peliwo made the semis of that Winnipeg event, where he lost to Ante Pavic. The champ was former Duke All-American Reid Carleton.
Emilio Gomez, Son of Andres, is showing some good signs - he was doubles champ and singles RUP in Guayaquil.
Federico CORIA (ARG) made the QF of an Argy event.
Maxim Dubarenko, a 19yo former top 20 jr out of Moldova, titled in Romania. He is a protégé of Gunter Bresnik, the former Boris Becker coach who is now (I think) coaching Gulbis.
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Post by Brinyi on Aug 29, 2012 12:09:15 GMT -5
Dudi Sela is top seed at the Bangkok Challenger, and is through to quarters after wins over bumpkins Peerakiat SIRILUETHAIWATTANA and Kittipong WACHIRAMANOWONG.
I wonder of Kazakhstan would have bothered nationalizing the likes of Golubev, Korolev and Karatantcheva if they knew they would turn into Challenger bums. I am sure there are other examples... Maybe they just threw a lot of spaghetti at the wall in the hopes that some would stick.
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Post by Brinyi on Sept 4, 2012 11:03:55 GMT -5
Dudi's slumming in Bangkok paid off with an easy title and points. In the Como $35K final: Andreas HAIDER-MAURER def. Joao SOUSA [POR] 63 64.
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Post by Brinyi on Sept 5, 2012 9:52:39 GMT -5
Futures:
21yo Frenchie Jules Marie won his third title of the year in Chiswick. His ranking has soared from to the top 400 from 1013 at 2011 year-end.
Speaking of rampant, 20yo Diego Sebastian SCHWARTZMAN won won in Santiago del Estero, his third title in three weeks. His is viewed as one of the great Argy hopes, along with Agustin Velotti and Facundo Argüello.
19yo former top 20 jr Guilherme CLEZAR, out of Brazil, won an event in his homeland.
18yo former jr #1 Luke "Potty Mouth" Saville chose to eschew the USO jr event, opting to stay in Oz to boost his ATP ranking. A sage decision, judging from his title in Cairns.
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Post by Brinyi on Sept 10, 2012 15:27:26 GMT -5
Challenger roundup:
In Genova, Robredo continued is climb by making the final where he lost to Al Montanes. I guess it goes without saying this was a clay event.
Speaking of comebacks, Thiemo DE BAKKER had an impressive title run in Alphen aan den Rijn.
Nice title for Ouanna in St-Remy, where he beat the likes of Muller and Cipolla.
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Post by Brinyi on Sept 11, 2012 9:38:42 GMT -5
Futures roundup Polansky won another Futures titles. He is now in the double digits in career Futures titles, which is a bit nebulous as a career achievement. Brydan Klein won Antalya. I fear he is about ready to take on Challengers now. Congrats to 20yo Barbadian Darian King, who titled in Mexico.
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Post by Brinyi on Sept 12, 2012 12:13:20 GMT -5
Speaking of rampant, 20yo Diego Sebastian SCHWARTZMAN won won in Santiago del Estero, his third title in three weeks. His is viewed as one of the great Argy hopes, along with Agustin Velotti and Facundo Argüello. Arguello had a nice result in Seville this week, where he toppled top seed BAUTISTA-AGUT. A quarterfinal showdown with Robredo is a theoretical possibility. Not a great sign for Velotti, who was blitzed 4 and 1 in the Cali 1R by Wayne ODESNIK (HGH). Santiago Giraldo is slumming there as top seed. Other notables into the 2R are Guido Pella, Guilherme Clezar, Ruben Geezer Hidalgo and J. Souza (BRA). Falla retired from his 1R with a supposed virus. It's a good week for Challengers since there is no ATP event because of DC. There is a $75 K in Istanbul. Brydan Klein lost 2R to Adrian MENENDEZ-MACEIRAS. Other notables who have has more early success there are G. ZEMLJA, M. RUSSELL, D. TURSUNOV and M. JAZIRI. Marko Djokovic got a WC in Banja Luka and lost 1R to Franco SKUGOR. Some familiar names adorn a $64K in the Evil Duchy: Evil Gilles MULLER (of course), MATHIEU, HERNYCH, BERANKIS, and the ZOPPster. Futures scourge Jules Marie qualified but lost 1R to J.Minar. We await the results of a boffo Ouanna vs Dodig 1R clash. Oh. Dodig won 4&3. Berankis - Hernych are currently on court in a match I would pay to see. Rick is leading 75 54.
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Post by Brinyi on Sept 17, 2012 12:57:56 GMT -5
Futures round-up:
The young and the rampant!
19yo Slovak Jozef Kavalik, former top 20 jr, claimed his second title in as many weeks in Subotica, Serbia.
Riccardo Bellotti, a 21yo Italian based in Austria (trains with Gunther Bresnik), is rampant, having won 3 straight Futures.
Another Italian, Bollettieri-based future GOAT and USO jr quarterfinalist Gianluigi Quinzi, tried his luck at a Futures in Mexico. He lost in the semis to Marcelo Arevalo, the younger of the Salvadorian tennis playing Arevalo brothers.
Hearty kudos to Takanyi GARANGANGA (ZIM), who picked up a title on the Antalya circuit.
Prakash Amritraj has returned to the tour, playing his first tourney in two years in Claremont, CA. The word on the street is that he has been rehabbing both wrists. He had a nice run to the finals where he lost to 20yo bug server Daniel Kosakowski, who reached the USO qualifying round as you might recall.
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Post by janie on Sept 17, 2012 13:20:55 GMT -5
ZIM! ZIM! ZIM!
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Post by Brinyi on Sept 18, 2012 14:28:42 GMT -5
Is it TTR time for St. Potito? He is unseeded at the Szczecin Challenger and lost 1R to Al Montanes.
In Izmir, an intriguing 2R shaping up between TUN Jaziri and Steve Johnson.
Both Sousas are in Trnava.
Alex Bogomolov Jr has inevitably dropped to the Challenger level and is top seed in Campinas. His first round opponent is a local bumpkin named Enrique Bogo, who is surely a fave among the bargain hunters.
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Post by janie on Sept 19, 2012 6:45:08 GMT -5
Is it TTR time for St. Potito? He is unseeded at the Szczecin Challenger and lost 1R to Al Montanes. I will not accept this verdict! He's only 31, less than a month older than Federer. You may say, But St. Potito is no Federer. And I will say to you, Yes, he is; just give him time. He's a late bloomer!
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Post by Brinyi on Sept 20, 2012 14:32:32 GMT -5
20yo Argy Guido ANDREOZZI pulled off a shocker at the Bogota $125K, defeating top seed Feliciano Lopez. Guido is rampant, having won his last 2 tourneys an Argy Futures and the Lima Challenger). Catching up with Guido since then: - He is now 21yo - He's continuing his upward mobility - He qualified for the USO (lost 1R to Nishikori), and this week has made the Szczecin Challenger quarterfinals. His ranking has soared this year from 397 to an even 200. In Turkey, the Johnson-Jaziri showdown was tight as expected, and resulted in a 63 57 64 for the USian. Dancevic lost 1R to resurgent Marchenko (Frank was perhaps coming from DC).
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Post by Brinyi on Sept 20, 2012 15:29:32 GMT -5
Ah, the dreaded jr-pro transition!
Markham Futures 1st Round Dean O'BRIEN (RSA) 7-6(2) 6-1 Filip PELIWO (CAN)
O'Brien is an ambidextrous 4-handed player, formerly with Georgia Tech.
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Post by Brinyi on Sept 24, 2012 11:51:03 GMT -5
Once-proud D.Tursunov took his second straight Turkish title, grinding out a 76(4) 67(5) 63 final over fellow resurgee Ilya Marchenko. The final windmill fell Cervantes in Poland, Vic Hanescu (64 75). In Trnava, P.Sousa lost 2R, while the higher ranked J.Sousa made the semis (lost to eventual chanp Kuznetsov). Guido Pella, the 22yo Argy hope, won in Brazil. J.Souza lost in the quarterfinal to A.Bogomolov Jr, who then lost to Pella. Futures roundup: Tennys Sandgren delighted his legion of Toronto-area fans with a title in Markham. He beat Polansky, 6-4 6-3. 22yo Indian Vijayant MALIK went all the way to Binh Duong, VIE to pick up his first title. Speaking of India, Prakash Amritraj (!) continued his comeback in Costa Mesa. He fared less well this week, losing 2R to UCLA player and former top 20 jr Marcos Giron. The champ there was young bug server D.Kosakowski, his second Futures title in as many weeks. Speaking of back-to-back trophies, Takanyi GARANGANGA (ZIM) did it again in Antalya! 20yo Swede Isak Arvidsson (no relation) won the Danderyd event as a WC. He is coached by the immortal Jonas Svensson. Since we know you are wondering, he never won the Donald Duck, but was the RUP twice. There was a titanic 1R tilt in Nis, Serbia: Miki JANKOVIC (SRB) def. Marko DJOKOVIC (SRB) 3-6 6-2 6-2. Miki promptly went and lost 2R, but hey. Rampant Barbadian Darian King won his 2nd title in 3 weeks in Mexico. Former #2 jr Hugo Dellein (19yo, BOL) almost got his maiden pro title but lost the final in his homeland. Former top 40 player Marc Gicquel, now a 35yo , titled in Plaisir.
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Post by Brinyi on Sept 24, 2012 12:07:20 GMT -5
The Orleans Challenger usually attracts a good field, and this year is no exception (Kohlschreiber, Goffin, Malisse, Mahut, Muller, Darcis, Levine, Llodra, Dancevic, Gulbis, Brown, Rochus, Ouanna, Jaziri, Rosol, Tursunov, Johnson, Berankis...)
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Post by Paean on Sept 25, 2012 11:46:45 GMT -5
Thanks for a long report, Brinyi!
Sad to see no title run for the Souszas.
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