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Brian Swartz · 11-07-2017, 10:00 PM

April

World Team Cup, Round Three

The once-mightly Czech Republic was our foe for the final round of group play. It was on hardcourt, and with Tomas Niklas well over the hill and their top player, Milos Schmucker, a near-zero on the surface, they didn't pose much threat. We didn't drop a single set en route to a 5-0 skunking, claiming the Group 4 top spot. Only Spain sported a better record in the early rounds.

Gillo Fangio and Italy await when the quarterfinals roll around.

Monte Carlo

Mehul/Kroese were seeded 7th here, and got through the early rounds unscathed. Aspelin/Cordasic got a bit of revenge for the upset in Miami in the quarterfinals though. Took them to a super TB where they won 10-6. After a tough struggle the #1s would go on to claim another title here. Shyam Senepathy qualified here, but lost to Boller 6-3, 6-4 in the main draw first round. Ritwik Dudwadkar needed rest and took this tournament off.

Espinoza and Ruben Piazzola were the big names out on the first day. Piazzola lost to another strong clay player, Argentine Andres Varas. Once ranked 17th in the world, Varas has been good but not great for a while. Best days behind him but still no pushover as he showed here. In the second round, more would fall as often happens on clay. Juan de los Santos showed his age, while #2 Dircx was stunned by Beno Duhr, 6-4, 7-5. A few others in the lower seeds also failed to advance.

In the third round, Teng, Fangio, and Rosenberg were all pushed to the limit before taking care of business. (4)Martin Zarco however was eliminated by a blast from the past, Luc Janin, in a deciding tiebreaker. Not the kind of clay start the Spaniard had in mind. Janin and the unseeded Duhr crashed the quarterfinal party, with everyone else familiar. Janin got himself thumped hard by Hsuang-tsung Teng, winning just three games. The Austrian however pulled off another upset, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 over Prakash Mooljee. Mooljee had the opportunities but didn't capitalize, and a chance at a fine result here went away. Sigmund Kronecker took a set from the mighty Kaspar before crumbling in the third, and Valentin Rosenberg played well but not as well as Fangio in the other match.

Mateo Kaspar was back in form in the semis, easily beating Gillo Fangio for the 11th straight time. Teng handled his upstart opponent 6-2, 7-6(5) on the bottom half. He gave one competitive set, but lost the final and Kaspar's run continues, 6-2, 7-6(3).

Anil Mehul snatched another futures title in Portugal a couple weeks later, continuing to alternate between singles and doubles events. As for Sushant Chiba, his final amateur event was in Sam Remo, same week as Monte Carlo. He won there and graduated to futures play. It became clear that it was time to slow down, as his first event a few weeks later saw him barely qualify, and after another narrow win he lost in the QF round. Now at the 'semi-pro' stage, he needs to get some work in before progressing further.

11-07-2017, 10:00 PM	#698
Brian Swartz Grizzled Veteran Join Date: May 2006	April World Team Cup, Round Three The once-mightly Czech Republic was our foe for the final round of group play. It was on hardcourt, and with Tomas Niklas well over the hill and their top player, Milos Schmucker, a near-zero on the surface, they didn't pose much threat. We didn't drop a single set en route to a 5-0 skunking, claiming the Group 4 top spot. Only Spain sported a better record in the early rounds. Gillo Fangio and Italy await when the quarterfinals roll around. Monte Carlo Mehul/Kroese were seeded 7th here, and got through the early rounds unscathed. Aspelin/Cordasic got a bit of revenge for the upset in Miami in the quarterfinals though. Took them to a super TB where they won 10-6. After a tough struggle the #1s would go on to claim another title here. Shyam Senepathy qualified here, but lost to Boller 6-3, 6-4 in the main draw first round. Ritwik Dudwadkar needed rest and took this tournament off. Espinoza and Ruben Piazzola were the big names out on the first day. Piazzola lost to another strong clay player, Argentine Andres Varas. Once ranked 17th in the world, Varas has been good but not great for a while. Best days behind him but still no pushover as he showed here. In the second round, more would fall as often happens on clay. Juan de los Santos showed his age, while #2 Dircx was stunned by Beno Duhr, 6-4, 7-5. A few others in the lower seeds also failed to advance. In the third round, Teng, Fangio, and Rosenberg were all pushed to the limit before taking care of business. (4)Martin Zarco however was eliminated by a blast from the past, Luc Janin, in a deciding tiebreaker. Not the kind of clay start the Spaniard had in mind. Janin and the unseeded Duhr crashed the quarterfinal party, with everyone else familiar. Janin got himself thumped hard by Hsuang-tsung Teng, winning just three games. The Austrian however pulled off another upset, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 over Prakash Mooljee. Mooljee had the opportunities but didn't capitalize, and a chance at a fine result here went away. Sigmund Kronecker took a set from the mighty Kaspar before crumbling in the third, and Valentin Rosenberg played well but not as well as Fangio in the other match. Mateo Kaspar was back in form in the semis, easily beating Gillo Fangio for the 11th straight time. Teng handled his upstart opponent 6-2, 7-6(5) on the bottom half. He gave one competitive set, but lost the final and Kaspar's run continues, 6-2, 7-6(3). Anil Mehul snatched another futures title in Portugal a couple weeks later, continuing to alternate between singles and doubles events. As for Sushant Chiba, his final amateur event was in Sam Remo, same week as Monte Carlo. He won there and graduated to futures play. It became clear that it was time to slow down, as his first event a few weeks later saw him barely qualify, and after another narrow win he lost in the QF round. Now at the 'semi-pro' stage, he needs to get some work in before progressing further.