Australian Open Men’s Qualifying – Day Three Results(!)

Sweet, sweet results. Unfortunately everybody is now on different rounds, which makes things a bit confusing. With only two days left to complete qualifying, there are fourteen second-round matches still to complete, mainly in the top half of the draw, while other players have already made it to the final round.

However, the first round has finally been completed (applause!) which will have come as a bit of relief to those players who started their matches on Wednesday. The biggest name to fall was fifth seed Marco Chiudinelli, who lost to the unseeded and unsung Alex Bogomolov Jr., a.k.a American Boggo.

History is silent on whether it was the rain or American Boggo’s superlative play that turned Chiudinelli to a sort of mushy pulp over the course of three sets, but American Boggo moves on to face Brazilian Thiago Alves tonight. These two have a long-standing rivalry dating back to 2002, and while Alves is 1-3 down, he completed his match on Wednesday so should surely have the advantage of being well-rested. Alves’ countryman did not fare so well; another top seed to fall was fourth seed Joao Souza, a man not at the back of the line when vowels were handed out, who lost 6-1 in the third to Flavio Cipolla.  

Hello, Mr Cips.

In remaining first-round action, Stephane Robert of France and Antonio Veic of Croatia both progressed, while my favourite pumpkin-head and official Tip For The Biggish Time, Jerzy Janowicz, took three sets to complete his first-round win over Michael Yani, but win he did. He’ll be wiping the floor with Bobby Reynolds later tonight.  

And as for the second round matches …

ChallengerTennis’ supposed Mr Consistency, John Millman, the sole Australian in action in men’s qualifying yesterday, showed off his abs and not much else in a straight-sets loss to Vincent Millot of France. Millot, the 31st seed, was looking pretty likely to me; he faces Peter Parker Polanksy in the next round after the Canadian upset tenth seed Jesse Huta Guleng 61 76(2).

Other second-round upsets included Andreas Haider-Maurer’s 36 06 loss to Frederik Nielsen of Denmark. Otherwise the seeds came through in fine style, although Nicolas Mahut took three sets to subdue Guillermo Olaso of Spain. Next up for Mahut? Seed-bageller Frederik Nielsen. Stay tuned.

Full results here.

Totally Ozsome: Australian Open Men’s Qualifying Day One Wrap-up

So.  Hello.  I’m pretty sure it’s not me you’re looking for either.  And I know I’m supposed to be driving to Florida right now, but the Northeast is getting slammed with snow – bamboozled by blizzard, we are! – so I’m (Tom) delayed for one more day. Which means, despite my procuring of the finest guest-hosting talents (and they are doing a spectacular job), you are stuck with me for one more day. I don’t know what to do with myself, other than sully my site with more of my words. Therefore, I proudly present to you my Australian Open men’s qualifying day one wrap-up – cabin fever edition:

I was able to wake up in the middle of the night and watch the livestream of the John Millman v Sebastian Rieschick match as well as the Greg Jones v Olivier Patience contest. Then I fell asleep again (sorry Gooch!) Turns out that Greg and the Mailman were the only Aussies to come good out of the twelve who played yesterday.

That’s right, two wins out of twelve. Maverick Banes, Matt Reid, Chris Guccione, Sean Berman, Sam Groth, James Duckworth, Ben Mitchell, Luke Saville, James Lemke, and Brydan Klein all lost. Ouch. All Ozzed up, and no place to go. In fairness, Mitchell’s effort (some of which I saw) was superb, taking top seeded Blaz Kavcic to 4-6 in the third set. And Saville lost to a red hot Nicola Mahut. 

Benny Mitchell – Will He Escape From Full Screen Mode?

So I’m especially glad to have seen the rare instances of Aussome success in all their glory. And they were glorious indeed. If ever a match could be called “classic John Millman”, this match vs. Rieschick was the one. The Mailman seemed dogged by the conditions early, and easily distracted by “fans” with highly questionable etiquette. His shots were landing short in the court, and his opponent was taking those short balls and teeing off, making more than he missed.

Thus, the amiable Queenslander found himself down a set and a break, with the burly German serving for the match, when he was granted a rain-delay reprieve. After an hour or so break, Milkman came out raring to go, a noticeable spring in his step that was absent pre-precip. Maybe he enjoyed some caffeine during his break. I offer this as evidence for my hypothesis:

Meanwhile, Rieschick was nowhere to be found, and ambled out onto the court a good five minutes or so after John did. When play resumed, Mailman overcame match point, shoddy line calls, and dodgy inter-game spectator migrations to break twice and take the second set 7-5. Rieschick also could no longer find the court – that helped, too.

The third set opened with three straight breaks, Sebastian settled a bit more into his game after an extended walkabout during the previous frame’s conclusion.

Ebden Flowed – Powers Past Denis Istomin Into Brisbane QF’s

Hey guys?  Remember when I quoted Conor Niland in this post, the one with the terrific article about the Irish #1?  Well, allow me to do it once more, with feeling:

People just don’t understand the depth of talent out there. They see a guy ranked 100 and think ‘oh he can’t be very good. He must be a part-timer’. But there are guys in the 700s and they’re seriously good players. I’m not just saying that. It sounds a big number but there are hundreds of good tennis players. It’s a bottleneck. Everybody’s trying to beat each other. Everybody’s looking for the same thing.

- Conor Niland, Seriously Good Tennis Player

I believe his point has been proven once more, in the form of the talented and hard-working Australian Matt Ebden, 23, ranked #196 in the world.  Matty, you see, just took out the 8th seed (and world #40) Denis Istomin to advance to the quarterfinals of the Brisbane International ATP 250.

Check out the highlights here.  Some spectacular play from both men.  Keep in mind, though, that Mr. Ebden is ranked just inside the Top 200 as you watch:

Now, I confess: I think Ebden is currently ranked beneath where his true talent and potential will eventually take him.  But allow me to claim (t)his success in two ways: 1) yet another illustration that Challenger Tour players are seriously good. And ii) men’s players are peaking at much older ages than ever before.

When I made my Challenger Tennis Players To Watch series (which, btw, is still in progress and shall resume after this week’s challenger events are completed), one of my selection criteria was that a player had to be under 22 years of age.  So, while I think there are loads of Top 250 Aussies who have Top 100 potential (and went with John Millman, whom Ebden edged 4-6 6-2 6-4 in the 1st round), I was not allowed by my own arbitrary criterion to chose Matt as a PTW.  I know this sounds like opportunistic hindsight and/or Thursday morning quarterbacking on my part, but – I really wanted Ebden on my list, but he was “too old” at age 23 (and 4 months).

Well, the joke’s on me.  My feeling is, ATP players do not have to be in the Top 200 by age 22 in order to have Top 50 or Top 20 potential, even.  I’ve seen Ebden play a ton, and I know what he’s capable of.  And I also know that what you saw in that video above, you can see in Heilbronn, or Charlottesville, or Noumea, or wherever the challenger circuit may lead. 

Sorry if I’m sounding preachy.  Suffice it to say that Ebden’s win is a nice, concise symbol of everything I blather about so lengthily here. And of what Conor said above.  Don’t sleep on these guys in the Top 200.  In fact, go out to a Challenger or Futures event and see them for yourselves.

2011 Challenger Tennis Players To Watch: Part III

*sings* On the third day of Christmas, Challenger Tennis brought to you: *unsings*

Two players playing, of course! It’s what we’re bringing to you on all twelve days of Christmas, in case you haven’t caught on yet (you’re a bit slow, aren’t you?).  Today is the third installment of our two-a-day, daily profiles of Players To Watch in the upcoming year. Let’s dive right in to today’s feast, shall we? I’m all for avoiding the usual pre(r)amble…

Well, I must say, I wasn’t planning on profiling this particular gentleman until later in the series, but the recent announcement that he’s received a wildcard into the ATP 250 Brisbane International pushed John Millman right onto today’s “2011 Players To Watch” docket. Might as well learn about the player you’ll be seeing (I hope) soon, no?

Truth be told – scandalous confession time! – Millman (aka “The Mailman” or “The Milkman”), was unofficially on my “Players to Watch” list all last year as well. But I’ll be doing the environmentally responsible thing here by recycling him this year. His results and his position also justify such an act.  John first appeared on my radar at the ’09 WC Playoffs, when he made the semis and had a series of very entertaining guest commentator stints in the booth with Rob O’Gorman and friends. With his bubbly demeanor (and his love of crème brulee), my friends and I dubbed him “The Giggling Mailman” and fully embraced this player with the engaging personality.

But “The Giggling Mailman” is someone who achieved some serious results this year. The 21-year-old (and 5 months) Mr. Millman turned in a super 40/22 W/L season which saw him break into the Top 200 for the first time, to a career high of #179 in October. Most impressive of all was his torrid month-long span from mid-September to mid-October, during which he went 14-1, winning the Australia F6 Futures as well as the Sacramento Challenger. In his run to the Sacramento title, John beat Julian Reister in R2 and straight-setted Robert Kendrick in the final, providing evidence that top-hundred talent may lurk just beneath his affable exterior.  He lost his last two matches in the States in October, however, undercut by a revenge-minded Reister (the worst kind of Reister) in Tiburon and the deadly combination of Lester Cook and shin splints in Calabasas.

I was lucky enough to see Millman play against another of my 2010 Players to Watch, Peter Polansky, in the final qualifying round of the US Open this year (he had beaten Marinko Matosevic 2-6 6-1 7-5 in the previous round, which I was not lucky enough to watch in person or otherwise). Though John eventually petered out as the sun set on the National Tennis Center (losing 3-6 6-4 0-6), he picked himself up and went on a nine-match winning streak in Australia soon afterward. And during the Polansky match, John won the hearts of the many fans who had gathered at Court 12 to watch (as it was the last match of the entire qualifying session) with his determined fightback in the 2^nd set – and high fiving a ballkid at the net after running down a drop shot was a nice touch, too.

Millman currently occupies the #204 spot in the ATP World Rankings list, which is 102 spots higher than the one he occupied at the start of this year. Though he had a less-than-impressive result at the AO Wildcard Playoff, losing to James Duckworth 4-6 6-7(1) in R2, that hasn’t dampened my enthusiasm for the extremely likeable Queenslander’s 2011 prospects. As Tennis Hall of Famer and Tennis Australia national selector Todd Woodbridge said yesterday, John “has a phenomenal attitude and commitment to the game of tennis.” I look forward to seeing what The Mailman can deliver in 2011.

For now, though, you should look at the following two videos. This first one is the only I could find of John actually hitting a tennis ball. Sorry about that. I scoured the internet, too – visited the very scariest corners of YouTube and lived to tell the tale. But next time I see him I should take some video, as I had no idea footage was such a scarce commodity. Jeesh.

And even though there is not a single tennis ball hit in the next vid, I urge you to make it through to his superb off-the-cuff analysis of the entire AO Wildcard draw as it unfolded (including some great Sam Groth and Bernard Tomic burns):

Conclusion: it’s just impossible not to support this guy. Go ahead and try.

Oh, and speaking of the scary corners of YouTube – look what I found! That’s right: bonus Andrey Kuznetsov footage (which is tagged “Andrey Kuznetcov”, thus banishing it to the dirty backstreets of YouTubetown).  The racquet toss at :52 is the funniest I have ever seen:

Good stuff!

The next selection from my Players To Watch menu may surprise you, as he’s English. And no one group of tennis players has taken more guff or come under more negative scrutiny than the English boys have. But even though I’m often roundly mocked for doing so, I have not given up in the Search for Great Britain’s Next Top Tim. To surprise (and/or tease) (and/or frustrate) you even more, my pick isn’t even British #2 James Ward. He would be on my list, but J.Ward doesn’t fit my strict “under 23 years old” criteria; poor James missed it by 10 months or so – do give him my condolences if you see him, and tell him that I still believe in him. Thanks.

Give Me Now My Daily Thread: Wednesday’s AO Wildcard Playoff Preview

Lock up your gardens, Melburnians!  Today’s the first day the seeds are on the prowl in Melbourne Park (on the men’s side, anyway). Let’s have a close look at your Wednesday wildcard playoff matchups, shall we?  (hint: we shall.)

Jared Easton vs. James Lemke [9] – After a 7-5 6-4 victory over Mark Verryth yesterday, 20 year-old Jared Easton is back at it bright and early today, this time against the newly-christened 9th-seed (due to Bernard Tomic’s withdrawal) James Lemke. The Gold Coaster, who once made the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open boys doubles with Devin Britton and achieved a junior combined world ranking of #15, will have his work cut out for him against the born-and-raised Melburnian Lemke, who is ranked 412 spots higher at #318 in the ATP rankings and sports a staggering – from a sheer matches played perspective – 59/37 win/loss record on the year. Easton, who sports a comparatively paltry 9/20 record in 2010, can take some measure of hope from the fact that Lemke has only won 6 of his matches on a hard court. But I’d still expect the 9^th seed to come through in this one.

Peter Luczak [1] vs. Luke Saville – This should be a fun one – the top seed against the rising hope. On paper, it would appear that the #2-ranked Aussie won’t have to reach deep into his ‘zac of Luc (work with me here, people) to pull out a victory over his plucky 16 y/o opponent, who is 15 years his junior. But the matches aren’t played on paper, of course; they’re played on Plexicushion, which really sucks to write on. And though the South Australian from Adelaide can boast a higher current ranking at #115 than the #137 held by his self-professed “idol”, sadly for Luke that’s just his junior ranking, which won’t carry too much clout on the big boys tour. Still, he’s improving in leaps and bounds, and his 6-1 7-6(3) win over Joel Lindner in the first round shows that he’s come ready to play. An enormous ask for Saville, though, and the fun in this match will be in seeing how many games he’s able to get against his top-seeded, more-seasoned opponent.

Matthew Ebden [4] vs. Benjamin Mitchell – I love this matchup. Kinda sad it’s not on a streamed court, but hey, you can’t have everything (where would you put it?). Anyway, even though the the 4^th seed from Perth is five years senior and 413 ATP ranking places higher than his 18 year-old opponent, Ben Mitchell – much like Luke Saville – is quickly on the rise. The #2 Aussie junior finished the year 9-3 on the pro tour, including his 6-4 6-3 first round victory over Maverick Banes. Most notably, the Gold Coaster reached the finals of the Australia F13 event in Bendigo, losing a tight match to Sam Groth, and his ranking has shot up almost 200 places in the last month alone. Will all this improvement spell a victory against Ebden? Possibly. Though Ebden won their only previous meeting 6-1 6-3 last year, the 4^th seed did suffer an injury scare while training over the weekend; and though MRI readings indicated no fractures in his right hand, there is some bruising that might impede Ebden’s play. The man from Perth also hasn’t played a competitive match in over a month, while young Mitchell comes in firing on all cylinders. I’d give Ebden the edge in this one, but wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if Mitchell gets the upset either.

Dane Propoggia vs. Sam Groth [8] – Mr. Samuel Groth comes into this year’s WC Playoff as the hottest player in the event, having finished his year at a torrid 30/5 W/L clip, with three Futures titles under his belt, including the most recent pro event in Bendigo. Propoggia’s had a less-stellar 2010 campaign, going 19/22 for the year and only 9/15 since June. The 20 year old, ranked #616 in the world, can take heart from the fact that, while he lost both his previous meetings with Grothy, they both went the distance, so he’s played the big man close before on two occasions. Still, with the way Sam’s been hitting the ball of late, it’s very hard to imagine Proppogia managing a win here.

Greg Jones [7] vs. Sean Berman – Remember that thing I said about the paper and the plexicushion? Me neither, but the important thing to note here is that while Greg Jones is the seed and Berman the junior, I actually feel it’s 17 year old Melburnnesburgerican* who has the advantage here. Or, at the very least, it’s deuce. I mean, even. Let’s take a look at the evidence:  Berman, the 38^th ranked junior who’s still listed as “USA” in the ITF records (I admit, his nationality is a bit hard to keep up with), won the Optus 18′s last week defeating James Duckworth in the final, and entered the event with a head of stream. He did not slow down in the first round, barreling through poor Joey Swaysland 6-4 6-2. Jones, meanwhile, hasn’t played in 3 weeks, and went 12-22 to finish his season. Perhaps the gregarious, big-serving Sydney man has had enough rest to recover from an injury-riddled season and will come in refreshed and renewed. I hope he will. But I’m not confident about it.

Michael Look vs. Marinko Matosevic [2] – Look out, Mike! The boisterous-but-mellowing ((no) thanks to Teddy Woodbridge)) Matosevic has had a good season to date; the 25 year-old actually spent a portion of this year as the #2-ranked Australian, thanks to a 37/24 year that saw him win two Challenger titles, including the recent Calabasas tournament in late-October. But this is another one of them paper/plexicushion deals: the main reason Look finds himself 435 world ranking spots below his opponent is due to his being out from May until December of this year. Since coming back, the 23 year-old Queenslander from Redcliffe has gone 17/8, including his 1-6 6-4 6-3 win over the higher-ranked Matt Reid in the first round here. And Marinko hasn’t played in over a month. So I’d say Mike’s in it with a chance, despite the disparity on that pesky ol’ paper. Look out, Marinko?

Are you lookin’ at me? Mike Look after his 1st round victory. 

John Millman [5] vs. James Duckworth – Here’s another I wish were on a streamed court; hopefully we’ll get plenty of more-than-30-second look-ins on this one today.  The scrappy and affable 21 year-old “Mailman” has delivered a super 40/22 season that’s seen him break into the Top 200 for the first time.  The Queenslander had a torrid month-long span from mid-September to mid-October, during which we went 14-1 in winning the Australia F6 Futures as well as the Sacramento Challenger before petering out in his last two matches in the States in October.  The Mailman hasn’t played in a couple of months, but has been training hard with the NA-Brisbane team and should hit the court raring to go, despite the lack of recent match play.  Duckworth, meanwhile, came into the tournament with a hot hand, having had match points before going down to Sean Berman in the Optus 18′s final. In addition to being the top-ranked Aussie junior, Duckworth’s also gone 22-15 in first semi-full year on the pro tour, achieving an ATP ranking of 755. He struggled a bit in his 2-6 6-2 6-3 win over Matthew Barton in the first round, and he can’t afford such hiccups against Millman.  I’ll say the fifth seed gets the win here, but it’ll be a dogfight. Luckily for John, he’s at least one mailman who doesn’t mind fighting dogs.

Adam Feeney vs. Carsten Ball [3] – Once again, before you get caught up in that “seeded, much-higher ranked player has the advantage” trap, it pays to look at the devilish details: the 25 year-old Feeney has actually won both of his matches against the “American Australian” Carsten Ball. Like Greg Jones, Ball too has limped to the finish line this season, ending the year 6/11. The big-serving lefty, like Matosevic, also hasn’t played in a month. The 23 year-old Feeney, meanwhile, has had an OK 22/19 year but he has done his share of finish line limping as well, ending his season at an 8/10 clip. With the laid-back third seed, you never know what he’s going to bring to the court from day to day. One match he looks like a world beater, the next like a beaten man. I suspect that when all is said and done, Carsten will win here. But I wouldn’t trust my suspicions.

*Born: Johannesburg, Nationality: USA (per his ITF profile page), Residence: Melbourne

Edited to bring you this late-breaking news: Or just maybe, no play will happen at all, as we’ve been stuck for over an hour in a rain delay.

I feel how this kid looks.

BLAME IT ON THE RAAAAAAIIIIN!!!