We have the fun summer clay events, as much as I like Båstad, there aren't going to be any fan reports from this event, unlike Stuttgart, so I will get the Båstad info out of the way first.
Situated in the southwest of Sweden Båstad is the tenniscentre of Sweden. Lots of rich Stockholmers with summer houses, plenty of parties and a good amount of tourists enjoy the place and the town is at its liveliest when this event is on.
The players get looked after, plenty of good looking women and not quite like the Dnepr Challenger in Ukraine which is famous and not for the natural scenery of the building kind.
Vinciguerra makes it back to the main tour. The qualie draw is seriously weak there, but good that the adopted Swede Luczak, Gimeno-Traver, Cañas and Starace made the main draw.
Onto Stuttgart, this is where we get fan reports and that is the best part, no propaganda here. They took their time in releasing the main draw, but when Koubek is the special wildcard, then this is understandable, as we all know Koubek is the man and not just for the yellow shorts either. Also in Stuttgart, there is Tomas Berdych coming back from a successful Davis Cup adventure in Ostrava. Then our reporter gets to drool over Santoro and it will be one of the last times to see the wily old fox play.
Acasuso will be happy to be on the clay, though the memories in Stuttgart are still there 2 sets to 1 and leading 5-1 in the final before losing it are still there, has a tough one against another ballbasher in Chardy. Lurch Hanescu won his his first rounder, he is an atypical Romanian, very introverted and a gentle giant, but he did the world a favour in taking Simon out of RG.
Best of all and most importantly his majesty Oscar Hernandez is there in Stuttgart, so all the lovers of spätzle, one of the best ever foods can appreciate the genius and flair of Hernandez, even if he doesn't win here, he wins at life.
13 comments:
The King is playing against Janko - so he won't win:) And Choupi - have a blast and give my love to Stuttgart - I have fond memories of the place.
Excellent Vinciguerra winning in Båstad, if he makes the quarter finals even better and has a good chance to do so. The qualies have good hopes of winning matches.
Hope the reporter is having a ball.
The reporter is definitely having a ball in Stuttgart. Believe me...
Today was the beginning of serious things with the main draw. Well, when I checked the oop, I knew I would spend most of my day on training courts, as I wasn´t too much interested in watching the players scheduled today. Among others on training courts, I saw his majesty himself with Garcia-Lopez. Chardy with Davydenko. El Che-Vassallo Arguello who widely smiled when I asked him to sign on the famous Argentine flag, among a lot of his countrymen autographs...I also saw Hanescu, Junqueira, whose gf looks kie a teenager. Maybe she is...Anyway, a good day along training courts.
The weather´s been nice today, a bit hot but not as much as Rose and me knew some years ago. Only a few raindrops, but no match interrupted.
Well, I saw the doubles match between Chardy-Mathieu and Marach-Kubot. Not a good day for Jeremy, as he lost serve straight at the beginning, giving a 1st set 3-6. Then, he lost it again middle of the 2nd one, and even offered the match with a double fault. Wrong result for me, but those 2 had fun, that´s at least something.
Then, I arrived for the 2nd set of Berrer vs Koubek. Bqgel for local guy Berrer in the 1st set. The crowd was in shock. Poor them. But Berrer fought and broke Koubi. Just got broken back when serving for the set. At least, he took it at the tiebreak. That´s when I left, tired and with some headache. Sorry, but that´s all for today.
Koubek, what are you doing losing to this clown Berrer. Hahaha at Junqueira's girlfriend looking like a teenager, is she taller than him though.
Georgie will be happy with the King and Vinciguerra winning, looking forward to more reports.
I will be gracious, and say congrats to the King and good luck to him in the rest of the tournament. I was wrong and I am VERY MAD with Janko!
First of all, Junqueira´s gf is his size, which must be helping Diego a lot....
Well, it was like yesterday, I didn´t attend many matches. Only the ones I really wanted to.
Sidorenko, the lucky loser, vs another qualifier, Munoz de la Nava. 1st set began with 2 breaks, 1 for each player, and then, they both held serve till tiebreak. Alex played the important points very intelligently, and took the tiebreak. But after that, he lost focus ans Munoz had his pride to save. 2nd set ended with 6-1 for Munoz. I was starting to worry about Alex because I didn´t feel him like a great fighter during the qualies. But he made me wrong and fought to end up breaking at 2-2, highly encouraged by daddy...and around 20 spectators, as this match has almost been entirely played under the rain. Alex held his serve and took the match. He´ll play the King and, sorry blogger, I will cheer for Alex...
After that, I wandered around the training courts. Saw Youzhny, Mathieu, Davydenko, Junqueira, El Che. Must admit that Vassallo Arguello is training very hard and is always asking the player who´s reserved the court after him to play with him. He better be fit for his 1st rd match.
My priority in Stuttgart was attending santoro´s match. So I was there, and I don´t regret anything, apart the result. Fab is a magician and gave tennis lesson to Fognini for almost 2 sets. He literally drove him nuts with his special tricks. But he most of all made the show, playing with the crowd and that was a great experience. Rain interrupted play in the 2nd set at 3-2 for Fab. Seems Fognini recovered because he broke back and led Fab to a tiebreak. Fab started to get tired and lsot the 2nd set. That was the end of it. He ended up 1-6 in the 3rd set. The head and the heart were working but the body didn´t answer anymore. It was his last match in Stuttgart, and he received the tribute he deserved...Merci pour tout
That was all for today. Sorry for my typing mistakes.
Rose, I didn´t attend the king´s match but I took some pics of Janko....
This was my last day at the Stuttgart event for this year, and I have to say everything went perfect. All my faves have won in every match I´ve seen.
The day had begun under heavy rain, again. The schedule of the day has been postponed of about 1 hour. Courts were more looking like swimmimg pools actually.
I started the day with El Che vs Golubev. Had never seen Golubev play before and I have to say his forehand is very powerfull. 1st set, Martin was under the level of his opponent. Not that it was a bad day, but the conditions were still very humid. Logically, the 1st set went to Golubev. But Martin isn´t the kind to give it up. He fought and the passingshots down the line that did hurt in the previous set weren´t so harmfull anymore, and Martin took the 2nd set. In the 3rd, Golubev called for the doctor. He didn´t seem to be 100% fit but not dying. Anyway, easy 3rd set for Martin and a bright smile on his face, with greetings to his fans, leaving the court.
Then, I went on Center Court, where Mathieu and Youzhny had been battling hard. Arrived when Paulo won the 1st set after the tiebreak. I was expecting a tight match with a great battle from the baseline. I haven´t been proven wrong. But today Paulo´s been stronger than Misha. And he certainly was very that his parents were there, as Strasbourg isn´t that far from Stuttgart.
After that I needed to cool down a bit as I had been melting under the sun. Had something to eat and then, went back on center court to watch Sidorenko vs the king. I knew this wouldn´t be an easy match for Alex. But it was a chance to take. Nothing to lose. I arrived when he was 1-4 in the 1st set. He had that attitude of the loser, with his head down...obviously outplayed by Hernandez. I was angry at him. But he slowly changed his attitude and after losing harsly the 1st set, he ended up taking the 2nd. Even if he was still shouting at his coach when he was losing a point, "I quit. Nothing I can do" I hate it when he´s that way....but in the 3rd set, the king called for the trainer, got massaged on his left thigh, but it didn´t look to be serious. He just needed a break. His dropshots weren´t affecting Alex anymore and the blogger´s fave lost that match in 3. Sorry.
I ended that great time in Stuttgart with a doubles match, Vassallo-Arguello/Chucho vs Schuttler/Petzchner. I was a bit lonely there as my faves were playing crowd´s faves. 1st set has been easily won by the Argentine pair. They had been leading in the 2nd, but the crowd pushed and pushed....and obtained a tiebreak, won by the national heroes. Blah. I was hoping Elche and Chucho would still win the super tiebreak....and they did. Finally not such an easy match as I thought at the beginning. But a win is a win, and as usual, Martin thanked his fans when leaving the court.
So folks, that was all. Hope you´ve appreciated the reports
Thank you very much for all your reports and glad you had fun at the tournament, got more signatures on the flag.
Not cheering for the King, lucky you aren't family, cause that would mean trouble, hehe.
I really enjoyed reading your reports, Choupi.
Alex Sidorenko has impressed you a lot, I see. Saw him in Athens last April, a nice guy indeed... Although I have to confess that the "thing" that impressed me most about Alex was his close buddy... Denis Istomin is his name, yeah.
Well, Bastad tourned up to be a very fine event, with a great SF's line-up( with some exceptions, of course lol )As long as the final is Pico-Vinci I don't care who wins :angel:
And Haide Victor :rocker2:
Söderling finally won a clay event, it was a good event there in Båstad. Thanks for all the reports, these are always the best way to read about the various experiences, in their own style.
Choupi, those reports are quality stuff again hehe!!
So good you had a great time again and that you found a new young fav to cheer for ;-)
Can't wait to see your pictures now :p
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