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2010 Wednesday news

AEGON International | Eastbourne

Details will appear on 16 June 2010

2009 Wednesday results

Eastbournetennis.net | 17 June

D. Tursunov defeated A. Bogdanovic || 6-7, 6-4, 7-6                         
D. Istomin d. S. Querrey || 3-6, 7-6, 6-4                            
F. Dancevic d. J. Ward || 7-6, 6-4                           
L. Mayer d. J. Benneteau || 6-4, 6-4    

2009 Wednesday news

Eastbournetennis.net | 17 June

With hundreds of disgruntled fans furious at the initial Centre Court line-up featuring two British stars, those who saw the contests were served up with close encounters.

Having seen seeds scatted since Sunday's start, there was a genuine chance for Brits' Alex Bogdanovic and Jamie Ward to make the third round of a very weak main draw. But neither edged through despite the vocal support from local fans on less than half full Centre Court.

Bogdanovic - known as 'Bog' for short - came perilously close to causing the largest upset of the inaugural AEGON International, only to taste defeat in a third set tiebreak to Dmitry Tursanov. The Russian had moved into the position of being top seed after Igor Andreev's poor opening round defeat but did not see Bog roll away and edged a 6-7(2) 6-4 7-6(5) triumph.

Surprisingly, the world no27 was very self assured after the contest and claimed: “It was definitely tough and I thought I played well, I played a good tiebreaker in the final set. I definitely think he [Bogdanovic] should be ranked much higher than he is because he’s got all the tools, he just needs to put everything together.”

Middlesex-based Bogdanovic, 25-year-old, admitted: “It could have been anybody’s match. In the second set I missed a lot of first serves, he attacked my second serves which gave him the break. You have to serve pretty well against players like that because as soon as your serve dips a bit he’s going to jump on it."

And Ward, the British no4, failed to make further progress at Devonshire Park. He fell in straight sets to Canada’s Frank Dancevic, who had delivered the knockout blow to top seed Andreev less than 24 hours prior to this showdown.

With the Centre Court pretty empty as the big names in the strong ladies draw attracted massive crowds on no1 and no2 courts, Ward did not have the same sort of support that compatriot Bogdanovic has experienced.

Yet Ward's comments surprised virutally everyone except his avid fans and entourage when he remarked: “It was frustrating because it was a winnable match. I felt like I was the better player out there in the first set and my level dropped a bit in the second set.”

The exit of Sam Querrey, the no6 seed, further weakened an already tame men's draw after the American was beaten in a dreary no1 court contest by Denis Istomin 3-6, 7-6, 6-4. With Leo Mayer breezing past Julian Benneteau 6-4, 6-4.

2009 tennis videos 

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