dBI Tennis Challenger, Binghamton, NY

gvhvhg · Post by **gvhvhg** » Fri Aug 12, 2005 7:17 am

Ouch another tough loss, but don't be so hard on yourself Harsh! You will get a major breakthrough very soon.

S_K_S · Post by **S_K_S** » Fri Aug 12, 2005 10:00 am

Harsh wrote:I Whatever it is that is coming in my way is going to have to go cause I'm going to overcome it.

But I can promise you all that I did India proud. Harsh

I cried out of sadness, smiled at your determination and cried again from being so proud of you.

We love you Harsh!

Kumar · Post by **Kumar** » Fri Aug 12, 2005 11:35 am

Harsh we are all solidly behind you!!! And we are sure this result will spur you in to the First GS appearance later this year (praying that u get into qualifying)!!!

Tintin · Post by **Tintin** » Fri Aug 12, 2005 12:34 pm

Tough loss Harsh, but take it easy....you can make it.

I've never seen Harsh play on telly or otherwise but this what I said a couple of months back "PKB, is it the same Murray who stretched Johansson last week at Queens Club. Its a pity that Harsh that doesn't have a God Father. I saw the highlights of the match between Murray & Johansson and I can tell you that Harsh can take him out in straight sets......"

I made that comment after reading all the match reports in this forum..., hey Harsh you came that close proving it....this one hurts badly bud....there is this thing in my throat....that I can't swallow now.....

arjun2761 · Post by **arjun2761** » Fri Aug 12, 2005 1:03 pm

http://biz.stny.com/tennischallenger/

By a "neutral" observer on the tournament website. The million dollar question of course is was Andy Murray simply having a poor day or did Harsh's play have something to do with it?

The rest of the description is mixed, it seems both hit some good shots with a fair share of UFE's and Andy Murray's coach gives credit to Harsh for playing well.

Post by **jayakris** » Fri Aug 12, 2005 1:48 pm

That article looks fair. Look, Murray was playing something like the 6th week on the circuit in a row. He is a legitimate top50 or top30 quality player when he puts all his game together. Harsh probably would not have been able to do as much if Murray was at the top of the game, and that is why I look at this as a top100 quality match and not a top50 match. A less-than perfect Murray is still a top-100 or at least top-150 player. This is the guy who beat Niemeyer 62 64, Levy 64 60, Reynolds 64 63 and Rajeev Ram 64 63 to win the Aptos title 4 weeks back.

Had Murray been hitting his aces and first serve more consistently in the first two sets, he would be playing his normal top-50 type tennis and HM would have had trouble doing a whole lot more than what Rajeev, Reynolds, Niemeyer etc did against him.

Harsh had his chances and made something like 5 or 6 errors to lose the second set (both while serving at 6-5 in the second and when he was up 5-1 in the tiebreaker). Harsh messsed this up, and he knew it. Very very tough to come back to it, especially as Murray took a break and focussed on the job. 6 aces in the 3rd set?? .. Man, that boy is good, to be able to focus down and turn this around against a player like Mankad, even at the end of so many weeks of playing. That is why he is about to go right to the top-25 or top-50 in a year or even sooner [But his coach Petchey needs to watch how much he is making him play - he needs a rest; I don't know about the coaching aspect ...]

Murray pulled a 67 63 64 on Cecil Mamiit last week at Vancouver and only lost to Baccanello 62 57 67(2) there. Lost to Fish 46 64 46 at the Indi ATP .. He seems like a player who does not easily give up - and that is great to see in a young guy.

The fact remains that Mankad still played a top-100 quality match and he knows he should have won the match. he knows he can win these matches and needs to stop beating himself. That's all.

Jay

Nate · Post by **Nate** » Fri Aug 12, 2005 2:09 pm

Great show by Harsh. He had Murray pissing in his pants literally to need a bathroom break

. Well done!

PKBasu · Post by **PKBasu** » Fri Aug 12, 2005 2:32 pm

I had an incredibly busy day at work in Kuala Lumpur (now at the KLIA, airport), but Harsh has been in my thoughts all day (helped by the fact that Samarth sent a couple of SMSs and Jay was writing some superb stuff in the forum). Harsh will be winning these very soon, and then he will rocket to top-200 and top-150. Go Harsh!!

suresh · Post by **suresh** » Fri Aug 12, 2005 4:37 pm

As I would tell my students in a Physics class, the vector is pointing
upwards for you Harsh. There is only one way for you to go, i.e., up in
the world rankings. Keep chugging along and things will come by your
way though it will be hard to predict the twists and turns along the
route.

kaps · Post by **kaps** » Fri Aug 12, 2005 5:36 pm

Well said Nate! lol

Keep your chin up, Harsh! You are getting there - Slowly AND Surely! These are the kind of matches that will always stay with you, and make it all worthwhile, never mind the result.

BSharma · Post by **BSharma** » Fri Aug 12, 2005 8:35 pm

Harsh wrote:

fought hard out there today and gave it everything. Unfortunately it didn't go my way. But I can promise you all that I did India proud. Binghampton has fans of Indian tennis and many people came up and requested me to come back next year.

The journey continues and we will keep moving forward.

You have made India proud many times, and your performance in New York yesterday was another example of it.

We believe in you, Harsh.

Post by **jayakris** » Sat Aug 13, 2005 8:37 pm

Murray beat 7th seed Bogomolov 64 64 and plays Baker in the semis later today. Jay

Post by **jayakris** » Sun Aug 14, 2005 3:49 am

Murray won the second match today, the semi against Brian Baker, 62 63, and is in the final against Alexander Falla ..

Jay

Post by **jayakris** » Mon Aug 15, 2005 1:11 am

Murray won the title at Binghamton, 76(3) 63 over Alexander Falla

(Falla was ranked #110 late last year before a 6 months injury layoff dropped his rank - he is probably a top-100 player, as his run this week as a qualifier to the final would show).

Murray only dropped one set all week - to Mankad.

The doubles title went to Montgomery-Phillipps who won their last three matches 62 63, 61 61 and 63 62 and dropped only one set in the event, which was in their 76(7) 46 75 first round win - over Mankad/Ghouse.

Man .. what a tough week for HM. Glad that he is taking a break to clear his mind after this.

Jay

PKBasu · Post by **PKBasu** » Mon Aug 15, 2005 1:55 am

It is an absolute dog-fight out there to make it in pro tennis. Harsh must take heart from the fact that he was the only one to have dominated Murray for even a set all week (and Harsh seemed to have done so for the first set and more than half the second). Harsh is ready to make a big breakthrough, and hopefully will benefit from the luck of the draw sometime soon.

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