By Glenys Furness
- Alastair Gray claimed the ITF title in Spain
- The Brit was fourth seed
MADRID, SPAIN – Alastair Gray entered the ITF event and was the fourth seed. The Brit defeated the second seed in the final to claim his first title of 2023.
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Brit of the Week
Alastair Gray entered the ITF event in Madrid and was the fourth seed. The Brit drew Luka Talan Lopatick, a qualifier, in the first round. Gray dominated from the outset of the first set. The seed barely put a foot wrong and eased through the first set, dropping only one game. The second set saw Gray dominate again and although the Slovakian managed to hold serve more, the Brit took the match in straight sets 6-1, 6-2.
In the second round the Brit was against Argentine Julio Cesar Porras. The seed again dominated the first set, as Porras struggled to hold serve. Gray was soon in the lead. The second set saw the Argentine try to mount a fight back. Porras found his game and stayed with the Brit, forcing a tiebreak. The breaker started off close, before Gray obtained the break and took the match 6-1, 7-6(4).
The quarter-final saw the Brit against sixth seed Dali Blanch. The American struggled in the first set as Gray dominated and took the lead. The second set was only slightly closer. The sixth seed tried to fight back, but it was the Brit who moved through into the next round in straight sets 6-1, 6-2.
In the semi-final the Brit was against unseeded Fin Eero Vasa. The first set saw Gray again dominate as the Fin struggled to get anything on the seeds game. The Brit eased through the first set and into the lead. The second set was closer. Vasa managed to hold serve more and was trying to stay with Gray. Eventually, the seed broke serve and moved through 6-2, 6-4.
The final saw the Brit against the second seed Hazeem Naw. Gray dominated the Syrian in the first set, easing through to take the lead. The second seed fought back in the second set, forcing a tiebreak. In the breaker Naw edged through and levelled up the match. The final set saw Gray re-group and dominate to lift his first title of the 2023 season 6-1, 6-7(5), 6-2.
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Challenger & ITF Round Up
Luke Simkiss was defeated by Eero Vasa in the first round in Madrid 6-1, 6-1.
Hamish Stewart was defeated by George Houghton in the second round in Madrid 2-6, 6-4, 7-6(5).
George Houghton was defeated by Nazeem Naw in the quarter-final in Madrid 6-1, 6-1.
Sarah Tatu was defeated by Mina Hodzic in the first round in Valencia 6-0, 7-5.
Anton Matusevich was defeated by Matteo Martineau in the quarter-final in Maia 6-2, 6-2.
Ewan Moore was defeated by Jakub Nicod in the first round in Heraklion 5-7, 6-0, 6-2.
Max Benaim was defeated by Marek Gengel in the second round in Heraklion 6-1, 6-2.
Nicolas Philibert was defeated by Adit Sinha in the first round in Monastir 7-6(6), 6-3.
Danielle Daly was defeated by Ana Candiotto in the first round in Monastir 6-2, 6-2.
Paul Jubb was defeated by Oscar Otte in the first round in Monastir 4-6, 7-6(4), 6-4.
Emilie Hudd was defeated by Thomas Fancutt in the second round in Gold Coast 6-3, 6-4.
Katy Dunne was defeated by Leonie Kung in the first round in Limassol 6-4, 6-3.
Joshua Goodger was defeated by Demetris Azoides in the second round in Limassol 6-3, 6-1.
Millen Hurrion was defeated by Lorenzo Bocchi in the final in Limassol 4-6, 7-5, 6-4.
Ranah Stoiber was defeated by Anastasia Zakharova in the quarter-final in Limassol 6-2, 6-1.
Ali Habib was defeated by Zura Tkemaladze in the second round in Zahra 6-1, 6-0.
Alexis Canter was defeated by Elgin Khoeblal in the second round in Zahra 6-3, 6-1.
Giles Hussey was defeated by Sidane Pontjodikromo in the semi-final in Zahra 2-6, 6-4, 7-5.
Ben Jones was defeated by Evgeny Philippov in the first round in Sharm-El-Sheikh 7-6(13), 6-4.
Fabio Nestola was defeated by Meng Cing-Yang in the first round in Sharm-El-Sheikh 6-2, 6-4.
Heather Watson was defeated by Erika Andreeva in the semi-final in Andorra 6-7(6), 7-5, 6-0.
Sarah Beth Grey was defeated by Mona Barthel in the second round in Trnava 6-2, 4-6, 6-2.
Yuriko Lily Miyazaki was defeated by Wei Sijia in the quarter-final in Yokohama 6-3, 6-3.
Emma Wilson was defeated by Vlada Ekshibarova in the first round in Lousada 6-1, 7-6(6).
Ella McDonald was defeated by Fanni Stoller in the first round in Lousada 4-6, 6-2, 6-1.
Holly Hutchinson was defeated by Katie Swan in the first round in Lousada 6-2, 6-3.
Matilda Mutavdzic was defeated by Margaux Rouvroy in the second round in Lousada 6-1, 6-3.
Katie Swan was defeated by Amandine Monnot in the second round in Lousada 3-6, 4-3(RET).
Amarni Banks was defeated by Julie Struplova in the quarter-final in Selva Gardena 7-5, 5-7, 6-1.
Next Week Brits play in Tunisia, Spain, Kuwait, Egypt, Turkey & United Arab Emirates.
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