Challenging Times on the Challenger Tour

Yes, it has been a while since I’ve written something. More due to a bit of laziness but also not having regular computer access and typing a report from a phone that is worse than Pippo Volandri’s serve isn’t ideal. Normally I’d have gone to the Burnie Challenger in the north of my former home Tasmania, but since I’ve moved away which has caused the inactivity.

It was a surprise announcement that Sydney had a Challenger, came out of nowhere in reality to replace the Singapore event, so they only had 3 weeks to prepare. Considering the lack of preparation they have done an excellent job. It’s been held at the Olympic tennis complex where the ATP Sydney is located. Since it wasn’t a +H event which should be compulsory at Challenger level and with the Soundwave music festival on it was difficult finding accommodation, but there was no need for sleeping bags in the park.

Challengers are a very important of the tennis circus. It’s the breeding ground for players to win in the varied and tough conditions to prepare them for the main tour especially for players who either don’t have a powerful federation, have a huge agency backing them like IMG, Octagon or Ion Tiriac Mafia Enterprises to get wildcards into these events.


Paolo Lorenzi Challenger Tour veteran

As the game becomes more physical, which means there is a greater emphasis on speed endurance which comes with time. The breakthroughs for players are coming at more advanced ages an example the lion hearted Paolo Lorenzi finally makes the top 50 at 31, he has been battling on the Challenger tour for years to make it now. The next problem is what is the ATP solution to keep cutting Challenger events, normally I don’t approve of subsidies but in this case the ATP should doing a lot more to ensure that they don’t lose players who have the potential to do well, but can’t afford it as they are worried about losing money. It’s very hard to focus on your tennis, if it comes down to worrying about finances instead of focusing and improving your game.

So far the event has been impacted by the weather. Sydney has had a lot of rain this month and when it hasn’t rained this week apart from one day it has been very humid which provides specific challenges in relation to the speed and bounce. Naturally when it’s humid the ball isn’t going to bounce very high or go through the air quickly due to the heavy air.

The tennis
Adam Feeney really shouldn’t have played at all. He was so lame if he was a horse, he would have gone to the glue factory, not to Findus lasagne or IKEA meatballs. This is thing while it’s only a 50K Challenger, it was practical decision to play. One, it’s his home city and two the cheque would pay for the physio which he’ll need as he should take some time off, Another side of the tour which isn’t spoken about very often.


Matthew Barton

Best performance of the week was easily Matthew Barton’s match against John Millman. This section was loaded with Millman who won Burnie, Barton who won Adelaide and Stephane Robert the Frenchman rebuilding his ranking was the finalist in Burnie, lost to Barton in Adelaide and won the Futures in Melbourne. This was the day when it was warm and not humid, which played into Barton’s hands. He was serving out of a tree, didn’t face a break point all match. As he was so comfortable on serve putting pressure on Millman, he was swinging freely and slapping forehand winners for fun getting a lot of purchase off the court. It was one of those days where everything went perfectly and Millman was just outplayed.

As per usual after a big performance Barton couldn’t back that up against Robert. It was very humid and Barton wasn’t serving out of a tree, as Robert got more chances off the second serve he was able to put pressure on Barton with the returns and expose his movement around the court to win this match comfortably. On that performance Robert should win this tournament, since he came through the form section of the draw.

Scheduling for these events is never easy and this time Greg Jones was the guy who copped the short straw. After Sitak defeated Mitchell, since Sitak was a qualifier and hadn’t had a day off he was given one. Jones played a tough 3 setter against Peter Polansky which he won, came back and tanked doubles which was last match. Yet, he was expected to play first match against Kyrgios and it was a very close match in fact Kyrgios only had 2 break points and was able to take it winning in 3 sets.

Random

Millman finally has a coach travelling with him called Ben Mathias. This was done since Millman was asking for some help with a coach when he was overseas and TA didn’t want to know. The funniest is Todd Woodbridge talking him up during Brisbane, but said nothing before about him in a positive way. Besides Millman, there is a group with Sam Groth, Matt Reid and JP Smith they’re working together with Mathias. It’s a good deal as they can push each other. Reid has a massive forehand, he still needs to mature as for big Grothy well he has that serve but can’t move that well. JP is having some hamstring problems at the moment, but lacks a weapon,


John Millman

Klein and Kyrgios matches are fun, since there is a lot of verbal stuff going on. Klein has form and Kyrgios doesn’t mind talking to his opponent either. Klein called him a “gorilla” and also after Kyrgios missed a shot then Klein says to him “that’s what you get for cheating on your girlfriend”. There were plenty of attempts to hit the player at the net, all good entertainment for those who like that stuff.

Millman after he lost to Barton. He was asked by Big Ed who is the coolest Challenger supervisor about the umpire’s performance. In classic Millman “she was a poor umpire when I was 18 and she hasn’t improved”. Barton is going to be off the tour doing some physical work for a month, well he needs to get faster, fitter and more durable this will take time.

Stephane Robert is an interesting character, never been a fan of his game but is a pleasant individual which is a good thing. His ranking dropped last year due to a fibia problem and was playing on clay for last year. In the off season he was hitting with Hanescu, Serena Williams, Chardy and Putinsteva in Mauritius on the hardcourts.

He played Noumea and Melbourne qualies his body was able to hold up, so he decided to stay in Australia. It was good for him he could get into the events, find some form and in his own words it’s cold and miserable in Europe why not stay here. Started the year at 280, now is around 180 and if he wins the event, then move further up the rankings, his spot in the Roland Garros qualies is assured.

Surprisingly he is a big AS Monaco fan he loved the days of when Georgie Weah was tearing it up and it’s always good to talk to tennis players about other sports they like, since they’re sick of tennis talk for the most part. His assessment of Deschamps he is good for the national team as manager as he isn’t around the players day in, day out as he’d drive them crazy with the work, work. Robert is French, so naturally Deschamps is as artistic as a block of wood.


Stephane Robert

It was lucky for him, he had good people around him since he needed money to attempt the comeback and he wasn’t doing well financially. This time in Australia he has stayed in backpacker hostels to save on money, too many people think that tennis players have it easy. The very few have a great concentration of the wealth, the majority don’t, but Robert isn’t bitter about it.

Knowing he only has a couple of years left playing he is thinking about the future. He and his coach are looking at a Club Med style academy where they cater to all levels. It’s a way of staying involved in the sport.

Tomorrow hope the showers pass over as Reid, Groth, Duckworth and Sitak, two of these guys will be doing double duty tomorrow. Will file a report on the last 2 days of this event, as bad as the money is in Challengers, it does make for a more relaxed atmosphere off the courts even though they’re playing for a lot more than points.

Times like this I wish I was back in Europe watching these events like I used to, but at the same time the same girls you like or pick up at 18 aren’t the same ones when you’re 40.