Harsh Mankad thread...

[nata]

Harsh is in main draw of Granby and is playing a qualifier in his first round.

Would that be Mustafa, who is playing qualies there today?!

Rajeev Ram is also in main draw.

All the best for all of you guys!

[BSharma]

Harsh has had some awful luck with internal flights in the US. Some new equipment (shoes, wristbands, caps, etc.) was stolen from his bags on a flight from NY to Minneapolis, and then his entire kit bag failed to turn up when he arrived in LAX. I hope at least the latter is retrieved by the airline concerned. The US is way behind the rest of the world on some matters -- airline baggage handling being one.

It is a shame that items are stolen from the luggage of airline passengers. NYC airports have a lot of problem with luggage handlers pilfering stuff from the baggages.

What is the opinion of forum members about using locks approved by the US airport security officials? Have anyone of you had personal experience using these locks? I am sure that these luggage handlers have access to the keys of these locks.

Perhaps we can inform our players to invest in these locks if they help reduce thefts.

[sameerph]

Is Harsh playing in Masters series qualies at Montreal / Cincinnati ?

[PKBasu]

That was certainly part of his original plan. But I think he will assess the situation and decide next week, based on how he does at the Vancouver Challenger.

[jayakris]

The entry cut for the masters series Montreal was way up. They have reduced the draw size from what it used to be (it used to close way down below 400 and all that earlier - I remember Fazal and Srinath making it in one year). So he decided to play Binghamton challenger instead. So, it will be Vancouver and then Binghamton .. east-to-west-to-east-to-west-to-east .. That is how the travel is!

Jay

[Sandeep]

Binghamton

[jayakris]

Yep. Montreal qualifying cut is #116 ... Is that ridiculous or what? .. Just a 32-draw for 8 spots (the main draw cut is about 50!) .. I just cannot understand why they keep on reducing the qualifying draw sizes... The whole thing is a way to create as much roadblocks as possible for hardworking players to come up.

Jay

[Sandeep]

Yep. Montreal qualifying cut is #116 ... Is that ridiculous or what? .. Just a 32-draw for 8 spots (the main draw cut is about 50!) .. I just cannot understand why they keep on reducing the qualifying draw sizes... The whole thing is a way to create as much roadblocks as possible for hardworking players to come up.

This is ridiculous. I guess right from French open, Harsh has been out of quite few tournaments because of this reduction in draw size!

[PKBasu]

Actually, it may be a blessing in disguise. Harsh has no points to defend, and so could pick up a few more points and raise his ranking through his performances in Vancouver and Binghampton. I always like the step-by-step progression, although playing a tour event leaves scope for big surprises that could give a sudden spurt to one's ranking. But it is of course a higher risk (and potentially higher gain, but lower mathematical expectation) approach to play a Masters event qualifier.

[jaydeep]

Agree with PKB's view ... Its definetly blessing in disguise ... Harsh is getting chance of go up in the ranking so with challengers he will definetly took this opportunity ... And sooner than later we r going to see him in top 200 ... Good luck Harsh.

Jaydeep.

[jayakris]

Though 6 points fell off this week for HM, he only dropped from 249 to 259 with 137 points. This will be his lowest rank till January.

I think he has a pretty good chance for being with striking distance of the US Open cut. Almost surely not more than 20 spots out, and could be within 10 or 15 too. We will know within 2-3 days.

By the way, for just one week, Harsh loses the #1 spot, as Prakash with 140 points is ahead. As HM will pick up at least 1 this week and PA loses 6 next sunday, HM will be back as the Indian #1 next week though.

Jay

[kaps]

Harsh's schedule is pretty much clear till the Open, but what's up for him afterwards? How are his chances to pick up enough points (approx. 40-50) to break into the top 200! Now, that's something I look forward to.

[PKBasu]

Great win over Marcus Sarstrand, a Swede who has almost always been ranked ahead of Harsh (consistently in the 200-240 range) but is slightly below him this week. And the 2 and 3 scoreline was especially impressive. Now go beat Andrew Murray, the great new British hope!

[jayakris]

Harsh will be on his way to New York Friday to play qualies at the Bronx challenger .. 3.5 hour bus ride, and he wil get there by late afternoon.

OK, which of you New Yawkers expect to be there at Bronx on Saturday for the qualies?

It is a crime that the Cincinnati qualifying cut is still at #115 .. Amazing. It is a worse crime that USTA can only offer a $50K challenger in the US, with no other place for the players to play at, the week before the USO qualies. So players ranked as high as #225 may end up in the qualies of a paltry $50K challenger. The absolute worse crime is that everybody is forced to go to Bronx, because USTA would like to spread tennis to the innercities or whatever.

Jay

[jaydeep]

So Bronx challenger would be very tough one ... Harsh face very high rank players in qualifying as he is not seeded ... But in a way its good that Harsh will measure up them to go deep in this Bronx challenger.

Jay first time I saw u using this puke sign and thats also for USTA ...

Jaydeep.