ITST - International Top Spin Tour

Men's Singles SIM - I.Maturano Escapes Hole, Clips San99 in Britain

Cro Morgan (ITST - International Top Spin Tour) — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 20:01:16 +0100

After being outplayed in the opening set, I.Maturano regrouped, rallying to dispose of a stunned San99 in the title match of the British Sim challenger, 5-7, 6-0, 6-2.

Sensing that his game was not good enough, I.Maturano threw a wrench into the proceedings by changing his strategy at the beginning of the second set. The maneuver worked like a charm as the Brazilian won 12 of the next 14 games to claim his first Sim championship.

The victory left I.Maturano with a match record of 10-3 while San99 returned to Germany with a season mark of 3-3.

WHAT THE PLAYERS SAID

I.Maturano: “First title in sim tour. Very difficult match. San99 is a great talent, very good in baseline and finish your points on a net. In second set I change my style play and started to be more aggressive.”

Men's Singles - I.Maturano Dodges iBullet91, Wins Battle of Britain

Cro Morgan (ITST - International Top Spin Tour) — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 20:00:36 +0100

In two convincing sets, I.Maturano collected his first career title, overwhelming iBullet91 in the championship match of the Great Britain challenger, 6-1, 6-1.

While the match was closer than the score would lead you to believe, there was never any doubt as to who was the best player on the court. I.Maturano.

Ranked 9th globally, I.Maturano’s future appears very bright as the native of Brazil improved to 13-4 with the win.

With the loss, iBullet91, the World No. 147, slipped to 6-5. The Brit is still in search of his first career crown.

WHAT THE PLAYERS SAID

I.Maturano: “Good match, good championship. My first title in ITST and I hope I can win more. Tough match against a very good player ibullet91, every game was disputed but I think I was better in finish games.”

Men's Singles - bEN Masters Tsonga in Brisbane and Apia

Cro Morgan (ITST - International Top Spin Tour) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 16:38:33 +0100

If Tsonga is to win his first career title he’ll have to find a way to solve the game of bEN as the puzzled Romanian fell to his nemesis in two ITST 250 finals.

bEN, ranked No. 1 globally, proved to be better than his rival Tsonga on two separate occasions, dropping a bagel on the World No. 22 in the final of the Brisbane International, 7-5, 6-0. In the title match of the Apia International Sydney, bEN would again prove victorious, dispatching Tsonga in straight sets, 6-2, 6-4.

For the season, bEN is now a perfect 8-0; for is career, 88-41. The seemingly unbeatable Estonian now has 11 ITST trophies resting on his mantel.

Men's Singles - �The Baker� Steamrolls Gotenkssan, Collects Second Title in New Zealand

Cro Morgan (ITST - International Top Spin Tour) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 15:45:25 +0100

Nicknamed “The Baker” after serving a bagel to Zguen in the final of the Brisbane International, ILuvBillVal didn’t disappoint in his second final of 2012. In the title match of the Heineken Open, the American World No. 23 served another crusty ring-shaped treat to his wide-eyed opponent, clubbing Gotenkssan in straight sets, 6-1, 6-0.

With a record of 7-1 entering the ITST 250 contest, Gotenkssan was expected to give The Baker a run for his money. It wasn’t to be. When the dust settled, Gotenkssan was running toward the exit and ILuvBillVal held most of the money, improving to 10-0 in the new year; 23-8 for his career.

In defeat, Gotenkssan, the World No. 49, was unable to wrap his arms around what would have been his second career crown.

WHAT THE PLAYERS SAID

ILuvBillVal: “Going into this match I had a pretty good idea I was going to be up against a tough opponent. I didn't know much about about Gotenkssan but his record this season tells a lot of different stories. He, much like myself has made huge transitions in his game and with a 7-1 start was clearly one of the more fierce players on the MS tour. I was expecting a big German power game and I was not disappointed. He played with Gallo coaching against my Milango and his strokes were fierce and precise. He moved quite well also which made it difficult for me to finish points quickly. The only game I lost was ironically the first game of the match in which I was broken. After that I just toughened up and put a lot more pressure on Gotenkssan. Great fighter though, thank you for a great match my friend.”

Women's Singles - Golden-boy-atp Survives bout with Murmeltier88, Wins Apia

Cro Morgan (ITST - International Top Spin Tour) — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 00:18:13 +0100

In two blistering sets, Golden-boy-atp lay claim to his first tour title, escaping the grasp of Murmeltier88 in the championship match of the Apia International, 7-5, 6-4.

With the hard-earned victory, Golden-boy-atp saw his match record sail to 5-1. Murmeltier88 departed Syndey with his WS confidence leaking, his once perfect match record now soiled at 10-1.

Men's Singles - Fabada7 -Thumps I_Zooloo_I, Wins Heineken

Cro Morgan (ITST - International Top Spin Tour) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 23:45:23 +0100

Fabada7 bolted out of the gate and never looked back, derailing a dazed I_Zooloo_I in the title match of the Heineken Open, 6-1, 6-4.

With the resounding ITST 250 hard court victory, Fabada7 remained perfect with a match record of 7-0. In defeat, I_Zooloo_I was denied what would have been his 7th championship, his career record still shining brightly at 82-22.

Men's Singles - Federer_4ever Waives White Flag, Murmeltier88 Prevails in Sydney

Cro Morgan (ITST - International Top Spin Tour) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 23:34:17 +0100

In a very un-Federer like move, Federer_4ever bailed on his championship match against Murmeltier88, tapping out while trailing 2-6, 0-4 in the final of the Apia International.

By winning the ITST 250 hard court title, his first of the new year, Murmeltier88, the World No. 31, improved to 8-2 overall; 32-12 for his career. By walking off the court, Federer_4ever saw his 2012 match record tumble to 6-3.

Women's Singles - World No. 1 Eats Bagel as ILuvBillVal Rolls in Sydney

Cro Morgan (ITST - International Top Spin Tour) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:20:59 +0100

In two “ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!” sets, ILuvBillVal collected his second WS title, outclassing Bkristian, the reigning World No. 1, in the final of the Apia International, 6-3, 6-0.

The 10,000 tennis fans jammed into the Sydney Olympic Park Tennis Centre sat in stunned silence as Dr. ILuvBillVal dissected the best player on the planet. Dropping just three games during the ITST 250 contest, ILuvBillVal streaked to his 12th win of the 2012 season.

Ranked 38th globally, ILuvBillVal has yet to taste defeat in the new year.

With the loss, Bkristian slipped to 8-2 in 2012; 92-17 for his remarkable career.

WHAT THE PLAYERS SAID

ILuvBillVal: “Bkristian has been one of the greatest and most consistent players in WS over the last several years. Going into a match like that I know in my head that I need to play World class tennis to stay afloat. He had a lot of power and precision and it was a tough rhythm to adjust to. Eventually I settled in though and turned it in my favor. Great match for my opponent though, congrats.”

Bkristian: “The only thing I’m gonna say is that I have never ever seen someone play with such a normal or basic set up this well. It doesn't even matter if I’m playing with 92 on power, or 50, it seems that he can get winners out of nothing - and my shots all landed short and can get past him. I guess I better contact 2ksports cause I think there's a new glitch in town.”

Men's Singles - Australian Open Men's Single : Week One Review.

C4iLL (ITST - International Top Spin Tour) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 17:52:42 +0100

Here we look back on some of the marking results of the week and alert the fans about the next interesting games to watch !

The hierarchy was globally respected this week, with not a lot of though matches for the top seed players.
Almost all of them advance in the tournament except one : Norberto (seed 8).

The austrian player who is always playing his best on grand slam tournaments disappears surprisingly of the draw by loosing in 5 sets (3-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-5) against the promising french Tdbchess in what was surely the best match of the tournament until now.

Norberto looked logically disappointed by his defeat in the press room.
Extracts from his press conference.

You were the favourite today against a player who never played any grand slam in his career. What happenned today, did you play your best ? In what did you fail ? Have you trained sufficiently before ?

I think I did not play at my best today, my timing was a bit off, maybe I should have practiced a bit more. To be honest, I felt like my opponent was in advantage all over the match including set 1 and 2, I don't know how I won those first 2 sets, probably cause I was the one who was more efficient on his chances.

After he broke me for the first time in the 3rd set, it was pretty much over though. He was playing REALLY well afterwards, won the 4th set without any problems and broke me early in the 5th. I managed to come back, but then he broke me again at 5-5.

I also had a mental problem today because of the doping controversy. My opponent seemed to be extremely fast, and his shots very hard with a lot of depth, so all over the match I could not stop thinking about whether his performance is natural or not - that might have resulted in me playing worse than I would have under normal conditions.
Anyway, he is definitely a very good player, for sure top 10 potential. At the end, I'm quite sure, he's not the style of player which takes stuff to increase his performances, I was nothing but a paranoid idiot.

What are your objectives for the next months ?

I am not sure about my career on the tour. I did not plan to play the 2012 season, but after playing some exibitions with my old friend IluvBillVal, I decided to sign up for the Australian Open.
My problem at the moment is, I simply can't get my motivation back like I had it during the TS3 days, but I can't stop completely either, as I love the ITST Tour too much. We will see what the future brings...

Let's hope for the tour, and for his fans that his motivation will get back soon !

His opponent appeared on the contrary more discret during his press conference.

He only declared he had nothing to lose after the end of the second set and gave the best afterwards.
Very confident about his level, he also said he wants to win the tournament now ! Nothing less !

His next match against Dionl (seed 9) who confirmed he's in a good form by winning in straight against a good Polca (seed 19) will surely be as difficult and interesting to watch than the previous one against Norberto.

Apart from that, let's note the hard defeat of the seed 12, Lucagiaco, against the man in form ILuvBillVall (seed 18). The italian player doesn't have good results recently so that defeat was rather predictable. But on such a score (6-0, 6-0, 6-0) it's harsch for him... La Gazetta dello sport said he had eaten poisonned spaghettis before the game, maybe that explains the result ?

Anyway, the fans are very excited about a possible Bkristian - IluvBillVal opposition on the next round which promises a lot.

Other matches in the headline are the following for this week.

Fifa Tee vs Zguen : can the frenchman do something against the steamroller Fifa ?

ShwingerMongo vs I.Maturano : a close game here between an experienced german and a young brazilian, a 5 set game is possible !

wdob vs sepderooij : it will be their first match altogether, we can hope for a tight match with regards to their respective levels.

What are your pronostics ?!

Men's Singles - Australian Open 2012 - SIM Week 1 ROUND UP!

Baghdad OrgaSIM (ITST - International Top Spin Tour) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 22:57:16 +0100

The SIM 2012 season is alive and kicking and there is no better place to set the tour alight than in Melbourne Australia. I have been privliged to re-join the new team to bring you up to date coverage of the opening week at this special Grand Slam and there are some big name players set to make the deadlines here at AO'12 but who will reign vicotrious come Sunday 29th February...

The SIM 2011 season, albeit a short one, paved the way for a new generation of talent to carve there place in the maiden record books and that they did, with 3 special players emerging from stars. Lokisharpshooter, Sh0case & Khult gobbled up largely all the silverware that was put in front of them but press announcements soon rippled across the tour when Khult vanished with not even a fairwell wish or indication of ever returning. The tour took another blow when exhausted Loki "the sharpshooter" announced his retirement and break from the game which has created much anticipation of what is to come on the Plexicushion courts...

Week 1 - Round Up

Top Half of the Draw....

Sh0case - Seed 1 - Rank 1 - W/L record 46/4 - Titles 7

One of the surviving members of the 2011 "big three" and forerunner in the SIM tour, boasting a jaw dropping record and career highlights include the BNP Paribas Masters (1000) and Barclays season ending champion. In R32 he swept aside San99 with ease dropping only 1 game in a routine 3 set victory and enjoyed then a welcomed rest in R16 when RainingAmoeba79 retired through illness. A legend in the making however his reputation has been rained upon in recent weeks due to performance enhancing drugs reported in use wthin the family, including Fifa Tee, however innocent till proven guilty as the jury is still out on that one. A unseeded player awaits in QF (Zquen) with a mouth watering on the cards in the SF.

C4ill - Seed 4 - Rank 5 - W/L record 17/10 - Titles 0

The crowd love this guy, a gentleman who brings back the class of the 70's and 80's with his volley artist skills on display. Coach by Karl Komorowski he has enjoyed some solid results with including a finalist at the Swiss Indoors 500 Basel - despite losing to the late Khult in unconvincing style many argue tiredness of playing 3 straights matches to his opponents none made the difference. After a routine performance in R32 he came up against the junior talent that is I.Maturano in R16 and served his way to victory 6-4 6-4 7-5. His next opponent is what the audience is eagirly awaiting, the return of the former number 1, Lokisharpshooter and what a QF is could turn out to be!

LokiSharpShooter - Seed 5 - Rank 6 - W/L 22/4 - Titles 2

The loud mouthed player is like marmite some say, you either love him or you hate him. That said with a character as big as his abilities he has blessed the draw with a return to the game, more recently capping off a good start with a 6-1 6-1 6-1 polishing off of Didine17 in R16. His game appears to be coming on but the question is can he shake enough rust to make a serious impression in week 2 as C4ill and then the beast that is Sh0case is a different prospect all together.

*C4ill shows how to 'swing' that slice (left)

Bottom Half of the Draw....

Illuvbillval - Seed 3 - Rank 4 - W/L 27/10 - Titles 1

The Hall of Famer that is 'billval' is back and what an impact the legend is making. Capturing his maiden title in Brisbane, demolishing the JOKER 6-0 6-2 in the process, he has made a flying start this the 2012 season with his only loss coming at the hand of the world number 1 in the Apia International 3-6 4-6. Nevertheless in week 1 he lost a total of 3 games in 3 matches, putting SchwingerMongo in check and then bull dozing through the number 7 seed, Polca456321. Sat now with a big smile on his face he has the inform Fifa Tee in the SF and a win could see him reach the Grand Slam final and move one step closer to the big one....

Fifa Tee - Seed 2 - Rank 2 - W/L 22/8 - Titles 1

The other side of the Brit duo is "Mr Tee", who has muscled his way to the top of the rankings with a domination of the sport that equals the likes of the klitschko brothers. A title winner in St Petersburg and finalist of Masters 1000 and season ending championship he has all the game and has showed his class with 3 brutal victories including a QF strip down against in form wdob1985 who only a day earlier disposed of the number 6 seed Garghamell. His next bout is the legacy that is Iluvbillval and many are shaping this up to be the match of tournament.

Baghdad's Predications

SF 1 - Sh0Case vs C4ill

SF 2 - Fifa Tee vs Iluvbillval

Final - Sh0case vs Iluvbillval

Winner - Iluvbillval

Women's Singles - Murmeltier88 Too Good, KO�s Elgogrin7, Bags First Crown

Cro Morgan (ITST - International Top Spin Tour) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 16:46:20 +0100

With his on-court play improving with every swing of the racquet, Murmeltier88 took down Elgogrin7 in the final of the Brisbane International, capturing his first women’s title in two sets, 6-4, 6-2.

Murmeltier88, the World No. 24, improved to 5-1 with the win. In defeat, Elgogrin7, ranked 46th globally, lost for the first time, his 2012 record now 5-1.

WHAT THE PLAYERS SAID

Murmeltier88: “My first Women's title - can't believe it. Hope it's a good relief for the upcoming season. Congrats to Elgogrin, he is a great player and seems to have improved since last season.”

Men's Singles - In-Form Godzin Dispatches Ali-Iqb93 in Qatar

Cro Morgan (ITST - International Top Spin Tour) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 16:35:31 +0100

In two proficient sets, Godzin collected the fourth ITST crown of his career, denying Ali-Iqb93 in the final of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open, 6-4, 6-4.

The match was tight throughout, however it was Godzin who won the points that mattered, the Serbian's steel-nerved game never coming unhinged during the often tense ITST 250 hard court final.

Ranked 5th globally, Godzin improved to 5-0 with the win; his career mark now 56-17. In defeat, Ali-Iqb93 slipped to 7-2 (53-29 overall).

Men's Singles - Elgogrin7 Spanks R_LeeFly, Collects Second Title in Tennyson

Cro Morgan (ITST - International Top Spin Tour) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 16:16:04 +0100

In straight sets, Elgogrin7 lay claim to his first title of 2012 - the second of his career - rolling past R_LeeFly in the championship match of the Brisbane International, 6-4, 6-2.

The 5,500 tennis junkies jammed into Tennyson’s Queensland Tennis Centre were hoping for a tight match. What they received was a quick two set affair as Elgogrin7, the rising world No. 60, was not to be denied, the Peruvian’s 2012 record escalating to 7-1 with the convincing ITST 250 hard court win.

In defeat, R_LeeFly made the short trek to Melbourne with his confidence slightly tarnished, his match record now 7-2 for the season.

Men's Singles - Preview of the Australian Open 2012

C4iLL (ITST - International Top Spin Tour) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 05:06:59 +0100

Over a tense atmosphere, the first grand slam of the season gathers famous names and some new talents. Let's take a look to the strenghts in the presence !

The Favourites

Fifa Tee & Sh0case (seeds 5 & 7)

They have won a lot of titles during the last months and showed good performances during the australian tour. They surely have the level to win their first grand slam. A little advantage for the first one however, with regard to the very last results.

Lokisharpshooter (seed 2)

By winning he US Open, he proved he has a great mental. Even if he hasn't played any tournaments for a while, he's unbeaten in a 5 sets format and will be a danger for all his opponents.

Supermassy (seed 3)

He's experienced, has almost beat everybody on the tour : it's perhaps his turn to win his first big event in Australia.

But he has the same weakness Monfils has on the ATP Tour : he has not a good ratio in finals (5 finals played - 4 finals lost).

Bkristian (seed 6)

He has already won a title this year and seems to have the potential of a grand slam winner. But he looks unpredictable : he didn't pass through the group phase of the Barclays Final for instance.

IluvBillal (seed 18)

This experienced player began the season very well by earning his first title and beating some star players. As he's unbeaten in 2012, he's surely one of the player to watch during the competition.

The Outsiders

Avinash Patel (seed 7)

With his amazing serve, the finalist of the last US Open is a nightmare to play against. It will be difficult for everyone on his way.

Dionl1993 (seed 9)

This talented player has reached the final of the last M1000 at Paris after having beat the winner of Wimbledon. He has the experience of the big events, and can confirm his good potential during that tournament.

Norberto (seed 8)

The legendary player has prooved he likes the big event at Wimbledon (semi-final) and US Open (where he lost in 5 sets against LokiSharpshooter). He can therefore represent a danger if he's motivated enough.

on3touch (seed 17)

He reached the semi-finals of the last M1000 of the 2011 season after having beat 2 top seeds. If he has kept such a level, he can surely create the surprise against some favourites.

C4iLL (seed 10)

With his original style, he can raise problems to the best players.

Zguen (seed 25)

After having great results in the Challenger tour in 2011, he reached the final at Brisbane in 2012. He can therefore hope for a good Australian Open.

Surprising players ?

Because of their past or recent results, these players can also create some surprises during the tournament : wdob1985, RAE1980, Gotenkssan, Swifty512, Tdbchess, Polca, seppderooij, ShwingerMongo, Dude 979, I.Maturano, Ivan G Dj etc..

The Unknown

To conclude this preview, let's talk about Holla Itz Mike (seed 1) who has suscribed to the tournament without having played any tournaments since Roland Garros.

Some rumours say he's currently training hard to get a great level after months of inactivity. But are they true ? And would he get back to his past level ?

Or will it be another fake return ?

Don't forget he had previously suscribed to the Wimbledon & US Open to finally declare forfeit at the last minute...

If he plays with his past level anyway, it will be interesting to see what he can do on hard court against the new generation.

- Preview was written before the tournament began -

General - 2011 Men's Single Season Review

C4iLL (ITST - International Top Spin Tour) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 03:03:17 +0100

To definitely close this 2011 season, let's try to summarize the past results and the trends which characterized the year.

Different generations of players shone this season. A first one illustrated itself throughout the clay and grass season.

But with suspensions, injuries and retirements, a new generation emerged during the american tour.

Despite these trends, some players still had also some good results throughout the whole season.

First generation : Berson, Holla Itz Mike, Bagdad, Indiantonike.

This period was illustrated by the domination of two guys : Berson and Holla Itz Mike.

Mike did something that perhaps nobody will ever do again on the tour : 32 consecutive victories with only 5 sets lost.

He was a steamroller, that only Berson was able to stop (2 victories for Berson, and 1 for Mike for their head-to-head).

They logically reached the final of Roland Garros, won by Berson.

Just some days after his defeat in final, Mike announced his retirement from the tour.

Berson had at that moment a free way to the n°1 spot, and nobody looked able to contest his domination at Wimbledon.

Even if he failed in semi-final against a Davidou in God Mode who outmatched litterally everybody at Wimbledon, he's surely the player of the year with 7 titles and 2 finals.

Baghdad and Indiantonike, with several finals and titles during that period were the others top players during the first part of the season.

Second generation : LokiSharpshooter, Fifa Tee, Sh0case.

After Wimbledon, a new generation disrupted the hierarchy. Berson began to loose a little bit more and became nervous against that new concurrence.

Lokisharpshooter was the one who exploded the most during this period with 25 consecutive victories during the American tour and an US Open title as a climax.

With almost 4 titles in a row, he's surely the second best player of 2011, just before Mike.

After the US Open, Loki looked like a little bit exhausted, and guys like Fifa Tee and Sh0case dominated the end of the season with several titles and finals on important tournaments.

The timeless players : Dapery, Joker, Supermassy, Avinash Patel, Bkristian, Norberto...

After Mike, Berson, and Loki, Dapery is surely the player who had the best results this last year.

As Mike or Loki, he finished the season with 4 titles, 2 masters 1000 finals, and 2 grand Slams semi-finals. If he had played more tournaments during the season, he could have been a candidate for the n°1 spot.

Same thing with Joker who never played any M1000, but succeeded to qualify for the final of Wimbledon and win the Barclays Masters Finals.

In fact, they are two talented players who maybe lacked of motivation this last season for less important tournaments. But in Grand Slams, they shone, as Avinash Patel or Norberto.

Supermassy who reached 5 finals this year (but only won one, a Master 1000) was another player to watch this last season.

Bkristian as Joker or Dapery wasn't always present on every tournaments, but managed to win 1 master 1000 and 2 ATP500.

Matchs of the season :

Lokisharpshooter - Dapery (Semi-final @ US Open) = 6-7, 6-3, 1-6, 7-5, 7-6

Joker - Norberto (Semi-Final @ Wimbledon) = 6-4, 7-6, 6-7, 6-7, 6-4

Dapery - Supermassy (R32@ Roland Garros) = 7-6, 7-6, 6-7, 7-6