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Darwin Blanch Results After Nadal Beatdown
13 Comments · Posted by Scoop Malinowski in Articles, Scoop
16 year old Darwin Blanch was mercilessly beaten as a wildcard in ATP 1000 Madrid by Rafa Nadal 60 61.
Since that devastating defeat, Blanch lost first round at his next two Challengers in Italy and Portugal, 16 36 to Adrian Andreev and 76 67 36 to Tristan Boyer, respectively,
After that the teenager then won three qualifying matches at an ITF $25k tournament in Cordoba but then lost in the first round of main draw 46 26 to Pedro Vives Marcos of Spain.
Two weeks later in early mid June Blanch lost first round in Blois, France Challenger 36 46 to Gabriel Debru.
Blanch has now lost first round in four straight tournament since the brutal loss to Nadal in Madrid.
Rafa art by Andres Bella
ATP · Darwin Blanch · Nike · Rafael Nadal
catherine · June 24, 2024 at 1:57 pm
Are you saying Nadal has destroyed Blanch’s career before it’s even begun ? Happened to others – defeat so bad you lose something irrevocable.
Think Genie Bouchard.
In other action Bianca thrashed in Eastbourne by Blinkova.
Packed stands watch Leylah Fernandez and Emma R practising
in the seaside sun.
Scoop Malinowski · June 24, 2024 at 2:15 pm
Catherine are you there live? No Rafa did not destroy his career but he inflicted severe wounds to the kid’s psyche. It was like some kind of a humiliation abuse ritual. Hopefully the kid was not traumatized by it and eventually comes back stronger some day. To endure that at 16 was extremely difficult and sad to see. I can’t think of another example of where the establishment threw a kid to the wolves like that. Usually when it happens, the great champion doesn’t go all out to brutalize the kid. Donald Young lost 0606 at age sixteen to Carlos Berloq and then the next day James Blake beat Berloq by the same score ) https://www.tennis-prose.com/bios/biofile-donald-young-interview/
catherine · June 25, 2024 at 4:53 am
Scoop- no, I’m following from afar which is why I placed Bianca’s loss in Eastbourne instead of Bad Homburg.
I used to go to Eastbourne every year – good place for pre-Wimbledon stories. Next year the WTA event moves to Queens.
Scoop Malinowski · June 25, 2024 at 7:56 am
Why is it leaving Eastbourne? That is a historic tournament. Will Queens be a combined event next year or separate weeks?
catherine · June 26, 2024 at 9:13 am
Lots of controversy over this. Queens Club is involved. Not sure why the event’s being moved – maybe WTA wish for a higher profile pre-W tournament. Eastbourne’s a bit out of the way.
Two separate weeks.
Scoop Malinowski · June 26, 2024 at 11:13 am
Will the grass survive two weeks, looks pretty ragged after just one week of ATP. How far is Eastbourne from London?
catherine · June 26, 2024 at 12:27 pm
Women don’t churn up the grass like men so that might not be an issue. From what I hear it’s far from a done deal.
By road to Eastbourne from London around 2hrs 40 mins. By rail from Victoria approx 2 hrs.
Scoop Malinowski · June 26, 2024 at 12:53 pm
That’s fairly close, like New Haven to US Open. Emma beats Pegula, I called it. Her confidence quotes before the tournament indicated she will do big things this week and at Wimbledon.
catherine · June 26, 2024 at 1:38 pm
You’ve taken the words out of her mouth 🙂
I saw some of the match and was impressed by Emma’s speed and tactical nous on important points. But I’m cautious about predicting.
Scoop Malinowski · June 26, 2024 at 9:01 pm
Catherine, it’s astounding to see this big run by Emma as she’s done nothing for three years. Tennis needs her at the top and her starpower.
catherine · June 27, 2024 at 10:11 am
Scoop – hard for Emma to achieve much on court with injuries and other ups and downs to do with growing up. But it’s clear she’s done a lot of thinking. And that’s something she’s exceptionally good at.
‘Starpower’ is right – not a vacant seat for this match and very vocal. Emma thanked them.
Dasha next. Another thinking player.
Scoop Malinowski · June 27, 2024 at 11:24 am
Emma to the finals, no doubt. Finals of wimbledon also. Confidence.
catherine · June 27, 2024 at 1:19 pm
Hmmm….not to the finals of Eastbourne. Dasha did some thinking here.
Emma reminds me of Evonne Cawley. Same vulnerabilities.
Longish but worth a read:
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/article/2024/jun/27/the-loneliness-of-the-low-ranking-tennis-player