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Dubai ATP 500
Top Seeds:
1. Djokovic 2. Murray 3. Simon 4. Ferrer 5. Cilic 6. Andreev 7. Karlovic 8. Safin
My Pick: Djokovic - if he doesn't hurt his little toe
Underdog Pick: Fabrice "The Magician" Santoro
Champion: Novak Djokovic
Runner Up: David Ferrer
Djokovic d. Ferrer 7-5 6-3
Semi Finals:
Djokovic d. Simon 3-6 7-5 7-5
Ferrer d. Gasquet 6-2 6-2
With this win Djokovic keeps his ranking of top 4 somewhat secure for another few months and gains some much needed confidence. Of course had Nadal and Federer both been in this tournament the result would have been different... but you can't fault Novak for taking advantage of a great situation here.
Now the question is: Is his game back together for the year or is he still going to have some shaky results like he did at the start of the year? Time will tell, though not only is this a good tournament win, but he did so with convincing wins over Ferrer and Cilic.
OH and one final note... Gasquet, great fight against Ferrer. I'm sure he faught and clawed like a dog to win those 4 games. (he's known for such amazing effort)
posted by Jason C at
 Acapulco ATP 500
Top Seeds:
1. Nalbandian <- is anyone suprised?
2. Monfils
3. Robredo
4. Almagro
5. Acasuso
6. Montanes
7. Granollers
8. Moya
My pick: Tommy "en fuego" Robredo
Underdog Pick: Everyone other than Robredo... but if I had to pick I'd go Bellucci
Results:
Almagro d. Vassallo-Arguello 6-4 6-4
Acasuso d. Robredo 7-5 6-2 <-- suprising result, well done Acasuso
To take out the guy who has won the last two consecutive clay court ATP events in straight sets 5 and 2 is quite a feat. Credit where it is due, Acasuso should get some sort of knock out bounty bonus to his pay check this week! Monfils d. Acasuso 6-3 6-4
Finals:
Monfils vs. Almagro
Going to be an interesting final. I'd have to pick Almagro but he has a little bit of underachieving in him. Monfils leads the head-to-head series 2-1 and won the last two meetings BUT both were on hard courts and there is a massive difference in the way these guys play on clay and hard... and I'm going to take what I deam to be an underdog pick in Almagro to win.
Should be a great match to watch, enjoy!
For the main draw men's singles click here
posted by Jason C at
Delray Beach, FL ATP 250
1. Fish
2. Querrey 3. Gulbis 4. Kunitsyn 5. Darcis 6. Serra 7. Chardy (pictured) 8. Lu
My Pick: Querrey
Underdog Pick: Hewitt
Like I've said all week, this is the weak sister of the ATP's and its showing in full force. Fish vs. Chardy and Korolev vs. Rochus sound more like first round matchups than ATP 250 Semi final matchups! The funny part about that rather blunt statement is that Fish and Chardy are both seeded!
To give due respect, Chardy and Fish both won 7-6 7-6 against capable opponents. I don't think either of these guys could ask for a better matchup this late in the tournament. These two have never played each other, so with the pressure and a relatively unknown opponent this should actually be an interesting matchup. I'll admit I've only seen Chardy play twice, however much like 95% of the matches Fish plays... its on him! Flip a coin and we'll have the result.
Rochus and Korolev, ranked 60 and 105 respectively, are more than likely having trouble believing they are playing such a weak opponent this late in the tournament! Wake up guys, its a massive opportunity!
With the talent pool left the clear bet is Fish... but I just can't do it. Betting on someone that's that streaky is just asking for trouble and should be avoided.
Semifinal box scores:
Fish d. Serra 7-6(2) 7-6(4)
Chardy d. Baghdatis 7-6(7) 7-6(3)
Korolev d. Garcia-Lopez 6-2 6-2
Rochus d. Koubek 6-3 7-6(6)
posted by Jason C at
Dubai ATP 500
Top Seeds:
1. Djokovic
2. Murray
3. Simon
4. Ferrer
5. Cilic
6. Andreev
7. Karlovic
8. Safin
My Pick: Djokovic - if he doesn't hurt his little toe
Underdog Pick: Fabrice "The Magician" Santoro
I'll start by saying Santoro isn't really a great underdog pick but I love the guy and the way he plays... So why not, With his draw he really should make it to the quarters!
Finally, a tournament where the expected is happening. The collective ranking of the 4 players left in the semi's is 51. That could potentially have been about 23 spots lower if Murray wasn't a wimp.
Interesting results of the tournament so far:
Murray d. Clement 6-2 6-3
Gasquet d. Murray - walkover
Obviously we see here that the brutally difficult match against Clement was just too much for Murray, who faught like a valiant warrior to get there in the first place. Ha, ha, ha. Again perhaps I'm too hard on Murray but I'm willing to bet that last week I stubbed my toe on my kitchen table and it hurt more than his "ankle sprain". Not only that but he's playing a guy in Gasquet who while loaded with talent has an inate ability to lose AND just played two 3 setters in a row!
Ferrer d. Andreev 7-5 6-1
Simon d. Santoro 7-6 (3) 6-1
Good tournament Fabrice, keep making the quarters of ATP's the way you do.. your a legend!
Djokovic d. Cilic 6-3 6-4
This is an extremely good result for Novak beating up on an extremely strong Cilic who has titles already this year in Chennai and Zagreb. Djokovic NEEDS this title.
Both of the semifinals should be extremely good. If i had to make picks I'd take Djoker over Simon and Ferrer over Gasquet... but it really could go either way. Great stuff to watch!
posted by Jason C at
Acapulco ATP 500
Top Seeds:
1. Nalbandian <- is anyone suprised?
2. Monfils
3. Robredo
4. Almagro
5. Acasuso
6. Montanes
7. Granollers
8. Moya
My pick: Tommy "en fuego" Robredo
Underdog Pick: Everyone other than Robredo... but if I had to pick I'd go Bellucci
Interesting first and second round results:
Koellerer d. Nalbandian 1-6 6-3 6-4
If you've been reading my blogs for a few weeks than this is no suprise... if you're someone who puts huge stock in rankings however, I imagine it is. Suffice it to say betting on Davydenko and Nalbandian to do well is almost always a losing proposition (though we all know people love to bet on Davydenko...)
Vassallo-Arguello d. Granollers 6-4 6-3
Almagro d. Starace 7-6(1) 6-7(5) 6-3
Battle here, clearly... but did it take too much out of Almagro? We know Almagro is a clay courter and there for MUST be fit, but you have to wonder with his talent why he hasn't gone too far in many tournaments yet. Far be it for me to question fitness, but in watching his game I'd pick him to be one of the top 5 claycourters in the world and he's only won 4 ATP titles in over 4 years. Perhaps I'm too critical. It'd be a massive upset if he doesn't get the job done next round against his opponent Gimeno-Traver who is currently ranked #89.
Mayer d. Moya 6-4 7-5
Hate to see you go Carlos, keep fighting the good fight
Monfils d. Bellucci 7-6(4) 6-7(5) 6-1
Bellucci was my underdog pick and he certainly gave the #2 seed Monfils a good run. A small and safe prediction here... Monfils will take out Mayer in the next round and get beat by the Robredo steamroller after that.
Match to watch:
Robredo vs. Acasuso
Both of these guys are wishing they were on the top half of the draw instead of playing each other. Robredo leads 5-3 lifetime, and has won 3 out of 4 matches they've played on clay including the last two meetings in straight sets. Given Robredo has won his last two ATP events, you have to pick him to win this.
If either of these two win this tournament they earned it, with what has now shown to be pretty clearly the toughest draws in the tournament.
If you like claycourt tennis and smart play... Watch Tommy Robredo
posted by Jason C at
 Delray Beach, FL ATP 250
1. Fish
2. Querrey
3. Gulbis
4. Kunitsyn
5. Darcis
6. Serra
7. Chardy
8. Lu
My Pick: Querrey
Underdog Pick: Hewitt
The interesting results from 1st and 2nd round:
C. Rochus d. Querrey 6-4 6-1
Koubek d. Lu 6-4 6-3
Korolev d. Kendrick (American) 3-6 6-3 7-5
Chardy d. Haas 7-6(7) 6-3
Baghdatis d. Gulbis 7-5 6-2
Fish d. Dancevic 7-5 6-3
Some fairly interesting matches for the weak sister that this tournament is. This is an absolutely incredible opportunity win an ATP event for every player left in the draw. You can say Fish is the favorite if you want, but I just bet a friend of mine on 4:1 odds that he won't get it done... so that leaves a slew of players ranked worse than 50 in the world to win an ATP event with half of the second round still to finish!
Lets just say for an ATP event in the USA, that is VERY rare. It's a shame really that one of the young guns like Gulbis or Querrey couldn't step up but looking at the draw it's almost impossible to pick a winner, so I challenge YOU to do it. Leave a comment if you like and see if you're more professional savvy than I am (my pick, Querrey, is already out).
Matches to watch: Baghdatis vs. Sela:
Sela has had good results recently and is the largest mover in terms of points inside the top 100. Needless to say we all know Baghdatis has it in him, but his results lately have been shakey at best. Now would be a good time to get back to top (or somewhere near top) form and win this tournament.
Fish vs. Spadea:
American battle. Fish leads lifetime 3-1... The only loss being 6 years ago, however every match since has been a third setter, and we all know Fish is MORE than capable of throwing in a horrific day, it's just a matter of time. I'd bet Fish makes it past this one, but you never know with him.
As far as top level tennis goes look to the other 500 level events this week, however if you like to see who can step up and take advantage of the situation with the same frequency of Haley's comet, check this one out.
For the singles main draw, click here
posted by Jason C at
 Dubai ATP 500 Top Seeds:
1. Djokovic 2. Murray 3. Simon 4. Ferrer 5. Cilic 6. Andreev 7. Karlovic 8. Safin
My Pick: Djokovic - if he doesn't hurt his little toe
Underdog Pick: Fabrice "The Magician" Santoro
I'll start by saying Santoro isn't really a great underdog pick but I love the guy and the way he plays... So why not, With his draw he really should make it to the quarters!
Interesting first round results:
Djokovic and Andreev win.
Murray d. Stakhovsky 6-7(3) 6-3 5-3 ret'd
Both players hurt their ankles in this match, and certainly not to the point of not being able to walk. Way to quit Stakhovsky, as I watched you WALK off the court it was clear that you were so badly injuered you couldn't have stood out there for four more points... way to be a man.
Clement d. Schuettler 1-6 6-3 6-3
Clement is also one of my favorite players to watch due to his unusual shot selections so it's nice to see him grab a round win. Now he plays Murray who is complaining about a sore ankle so I'd love to see Clement take down Murray in the next round... and It's possible.
Gasquet d. Safin 6-3 5-7 6-3
Ferrer d. Ljubicic 3-6 6-2 6-1
Ferrer has a truckload of game, it'd be nice to see him get things going again after a slump at the end of '08 and start of this year.
Chiudinelli d. Karlovic 7-6(4) 4-6 7-6(7)
Cilic d. Tipsarevic 2-6 7-6(3) 6-4
Fabrice "The Magician" Santoro d. Hanescu 6-4 6-2
Simon d. Ghareeb 5-7 6-4 6-4
Matches to watch:
Cilic vs. Benneteau - Battle, thats all, battle
Andreev vs. Tursunov - they are ranked 24 and 28. Andreev has won 5 of their 6 contests... but 4 out of 6 were in 3 sets.
Clement vs. Murray - Go Clement! Murray has a "hurt ankle" but who really knows what that means, and certainly who knows whats coming from Arnaud! This would be a very entertaining one to watch.
I think it's easy to see that this is the Big Boys tournament of the week, the seed cut is twice as high as Acapulco and nearly three times higher than Delray Beach. If you want great tennis, look here.
posted by Jason C at
Acapulco ATP 500
Top Seeds: 1. Nalbandian 2. Monfils 3. Robredo 4. Almagro 5. Acasuso 6. Montanes 7. Granollers 8. Moya
My pick: Tommy "en fuego" Robredo
Underdog Pick: Everyone other than Robredo... but if I had to pick I'd go Bellucci
the only interesting early round result:
(6) Montanes d. Echagaray 6-1 6-4 - This may not look like much of an interesting result but it actually is the first match Montanes has won this entire year. To be realistic it isn't much of a result though beating a guy currently ranked #358 so lets see how next round goes.
Matches to watch:
Fognini vs. Granollers - two guys up that are up and coming, look for a battle here
Moya vs. Andujar - Moya has been struggling like crazy. On paper this looks like an easy win, and it should be... Lets go Carlos!
Some high level clay court tennis incoming in the 2nd round and beyond as this 500 level tourny has attracted a significantly higher level field than the 250 in Delray
posted by Jason C at
Delray Beach, FL ATP 250
1. Fish 2. Querrey 3. Gulbis 4. Kunitsyn 5. Darcis 6. Serra 7. Chardy 8. Lu
My Pick: Querrey
Underdog Pick: Hewitt
Theres been a few first round results in so far with the rest of the relatively boresome first round finishing up today. (5) Darcis lost to Garcia-Lopez which on paper is a huge suprise but almost all of Darcis' points were from around this time last year in Memphis, and he'll soon be falling about 60 spots potentially out of the top 100.
Kendrick, Querrey and Rochus all advanced.
Matches to watch:
Baghdatis vs. Gulbis - Baghdatis got piss pounded last week which is the main reason I'm giving Gulbis the edge here... in about a year my guess is Gulbis be a huge favorite though.
Fish vs. Dancevic - You could look at this and say "#1 seed with TONS of game playing... a Canadian... no brainer". But if you take a real quick atptennis.com review of Fish's career (and last week loss to Rochus) you'll see that he's MORE than capable of losing at any point in time. If he wins this tournament despite being the #1 seed I'd be more suprised than a burglar unknowingly breaking into Chuck Norris' house.
Not a lot of other great stuff here until a few rounds later in the tournament. This is the only 250 event this week and with the new way the ATP is working as far as requirements on 500's are going... this isn't the most desireable tournament. Definitely good stuff to watch here but it'll be around the quarters.
posted by Jason C at
Buenos Aires ATP
The Champ, Again.
I can't say I'm suprised by this in the least.. But congrats again to Tommy Robredo. If any of you reading this are thinking of playing a clay court tournament in the near future, I suggest you get on the other half of the draw from this guy! (unless Nadal is there).
Robredo d. Monaco 7-5 2-6 7-6(5)
Now the question is can Robredo go for a triple crown and win the 500 in Mexico this week. His potential matchups would be Acasuso again, Simon, and then who knows in the finals... but I don't think Nalbandian. Well, why not? I'd say its ballsy to pick a person to win 3 ATP's in a row due to fatigue etc... especially when all three are on clay... but if your going to and his name isn't Rafael, then Robredo looks like the man to bet on.
Top Players:
1. David Nalbandian
2. Nicolas Almagro
3. Tommy Robredo 4. Carlos Moya 5. Jose Acasuso
6. Alberto Montanes
7. Marcel Granollers
8. Eduardo Schwank
Underdog Pick: Nicolas Massu
My pick: Tommy Robredo
Memphis ATP
Top Players:  1. Roddick
2. Del Potro
3. Blake
4. Soderling
5. Stepanek
6. Andreev
7. Fish
8. Querrey
Underdog Pick: Querrey
Roddick d. Stepanek 7-5 7-5
Roddick really should have won the last two ATP events, but at least he gets the job done here. He stepped up his training this year, has a new coach, and is getting back to what made him great in the first place... a massive forehand. I won't put a lot of stock in his clay court game just yet (though his improved fitness will clearly help) but on hard courts Andy Roddick is one of the top 5 players in the world right now. There, I said it.
Good effort by Stepanek as well as the last two weeks of results for him certainly are impressive. I guess for someone as "unique" looking as him to date Martina Hingis among others on the WTA... I shouldn't be suprised by any results he has! Marseilles ATP Top Players:
1. Djokovic
2. Simon
3. Monfils
4. Tsonga
5. Berdych
6. Safin
7. Lopez
Underdog Pick: Safin
Tsonga d. Llodra 7-5 7-6(3)
I don't have a lot to say here, this was predictable. That being said how about a recap of Tsonga's year so far:
Marseille - Champion
Rotterdam - Lost to Nadal in the quarters in a VERY tight 3 sets
Johannesburg - Champion
Aussie Open - Quarters loss to Verdasco
(injured before that)
I'm not going to sit on this blog and say that everyone that wins an ATP title is one of the top 5 guys right now, and I just said Roddick was above. But the proverbial cream is rising to the top over and over again so far this year... We really aren't getting a lot of variation in Champions aside from the fact that it isn't Federer or Nadal!
That being said when the Slams come around the usual suspects will be back in force... and probably meeting in the finals yet again.
Completed Singles Draws
Buenos Aires - For the Main Draw click Here
Marseille - For the Singles main draw, click here
Memphis - For the main singles draw, click here
posted by Jason C at
 Memphis ATP Feb. 22 Top Players: Roddick Del Potro Blake Soderling Stepanek Andreev Fish Querrey Underdog Pick: Querrey
Semifinal Results: Roddick d. Hewitt 2-6 7-6(4) 6-4 Stepanek d. Sela 6-3 6-1 Other interesting results from earlier rounds: Querrey d. Baghdatis 6-1 6-2 (OUCH) Roddick d. Querrey 6-4 3-6 6-3 Stepanek d. Del Potro 7-6(7) 6-4 Well it took a couple tournaments longer than I was guessing but Hewitt is getting there. For a guy that I know tries as hard as he can ALL of the time, it's hard to see how Baghdatis got waxed so badly by Querrey... anyone see that match that can fill me in? C. Rochus d. Fish 6-2 6-4. If you read my blog last week about the streakiness of Mardy Fish during the SAP Open and thought to yourself "Mardy's talented as heck and playing great, why doesn't this guy believe?!!?" This is why. He comes off one of his best results in ages to lose to Christophe Rochus in the second round 2 and 4! To say that Rochus, the 31 year old 5'7" Belgian who has never been ranked above 38 and is currently 72 is a bad loss for Fish on hard courts would be an understatement... and this wasn't a loss, it was a massicre. My guess for Fish next week is that he either loses to my Grandma 2 and 4 or beats Nadal 2 and 4. If you like to bet on Fish to win a match, you should also check out Roulette... but I think Roulette may be more predictable. I digress The Final: This should be some great tennis. We all know Stepanek beat Roddick in a very close 3 sets in San Jose last week, but I'd be suprise (and impressed) if he could do it again here. Whether you like Roddick or not he is a very intense competitor and losing twice in a row at this point in the year to anyone other than Federer isn't going to happen. That being said we know Stepanek, or "the Worm", is one intense mofo and would love nothing more than to do his stupid worm dance after winning the tournament for the second time in two weeks! Think you'll be seeing this again? I don't. (pictured below)
posted by Jason C at
Marseilles ATP Feb. 22
Top Players: Djokovic Simon Monfils Tsonga Berdych Safin Lopez
Underdog Pick: Safin
Semi's Results:
Tsonga d. Djokovic 6-4 7-6(1)
Llodra d. Simon 7-6(5) 6-2
Other notable results that weren't posted yesterday because I'm a slacker:
Llodra d. Youzhny 7-6(4) 7-6(3)
Tsonga d. Lopez 6-2 6-7(1) 6-4
First things first... Good fight Lopez. I tend to be a bit rough on him because he never seems to live up to his talent, but obviously that Tsonga match was a battle and if he can truely play at that level consistently It'd be a bit relieving to me.
Djokovic: For being someone so terribly concerned that Murray was thought of being near your "elite group"... you've had a bit of a rough start to the year.
Lets review '09 so far shall we?
Brisbane - Lost to Gulbis in the first round
Sydney - Lost to Nieminen in the Semi's
Aussie Open - QUIT against Roddick in the Quarters (I hate quitters but thats beside the point)
Marseille - Lost to Tsonga in the Semi's
It could potentially be hard to back up your arguement that your one of the top 3 and Murray isn't at this point in the year, better pick up your game or stop with the trash talking... one of the two.
That being said, I don't think Murray OR Djokovic deserve to be thought of on the same level as Nadal and Federer yet, they both still have a LOT to prove.
The Final: Tsonga vs. Llodra has never happened before so we have no history to drive a guess.. However I think theres a fairly clear edge I have to give to Tsonga on this. The current #12 in the world (Tsonga) is going to take down #50 in straight sets, and capture his second ATP title of the very young year.
posted by Jason C at
 Buenos Aires ATP Feb. 19
Top Players:
1. David Nalbandian
2. Nicolas Almagro
3. Tommy Robredo
4. Carlos Moya
5. Jose Acasuso
6. Alberto Montanes
7. Marcel Granollers
8. Eduardo Schwank
Underdog Pick: Nicolas Massu
My pick: Tommy Robredo
Semifinal results: (3)Robredo d.(5) Acasuso 6-4, 7-6(3) Monaco d. (1) Nalbandian 2-6 7-5 7-6(2) Nalbandian just doesn't impress me. For a guy who won 3 titles last year including a Masters Series... he just doesn't do it for me. When you look at his draw you've got an up and comer who is completely unproven in Granollers, as well as Moya who is one of my favorite players but... old. I guess you also have to mention Montanes as a notably solid player but in the 4 previous meetings they have had Nalbandian has absolutely berated the aging Spaniard. How does he not at least make the finals? I'm not going to say that he is almost assured to beat Robredo... because Tommy is on fire and has a much more respectable 2-4 lifetime against David... but you've GOT to make the finals Nalbandian. Suffice it to say I won't be placing any bets on David any time soon. On the other hand, Robredo is on fire. He won last week, and I'd be shocked if he doesn't win this week... and I'll be riding that horse into next week as my pick to win as well. Having seen him play countless times over the last 8-10 years I can say with confidence I have never seen him play better than he is right now. If he keeps this play up, I strongly suggest that you take a serious look at him to go deep into the French... In fact I'll be so bold as to say he might be a favorite against anyone in the world (on clay) aside from Nadal! I have a lot of respect for Monaco as a clay court player and he is career 1-1 against Robredo... but Tommy won in '08 in straights and I'm looking for the same result here. For the Main Draw click Here
posted by Jason C at
Memphis ATP Feb. 15
Top Players: Roddick, Del Potro, Blake, Soderling, Stepanek, Andreev, Fish, Querrey
Underdog Pick: Querrey
Roddick wins easy and plays Genepri next round. Roddick is 8-1 lifetime against Robby and cannot lose this match... For the kind of push he is trying to make, it'd kill his confidence to lose to a guy like that.
Querrey d. Haas 7-6(4) 6-4
Hewitt d. Blake 3-6 6-1 6-4
Rochus d. Young 6-3 6-4 (Glad to see Young waste another wildcard, for the 503rd time... keep dumping our US wildcards on that guy, please...)
Kunitsyn d. (6)Andreev 1-6 6-4 6-3
Stepanek d. Kim 6-4 6-2
Gulbis d. Dent 6-4 3-6 6-2
Del Potro d. Canas 6-3 7-6(5)
Look out for the Gulbis / Del Potro match... I've said it before and I'll say it again, Gulbis is coming sooner or later.
Stepanek is on fire lately, beating Roddick last week and rolling early here... if Del Potro gets past both Gulbis and Stepanek I'll be impressed (and suprised).
Hewitt over Blake is certainly no shock to anyone and now he plays a fellow countrymen Guccione who he is almost assured to beat.
Querrey and Baghdatis is going to be a barn burner. I'll actually take Querrey to win this one, but ya gotta like watching Baggy play and it wouldn't be much of an upset if he pulls it out.
For the Singles main draw, click here
posted by Jason C at
Marseilles ATP Feb. 16
Top Players: Djokovic, Simon, Monfils, Tsonga, Berdych, Safin, Lopez
Underdog Pick: Safin - doneski
Youhzny d. Berdych 6-4 6-7(2) 6-1 and Seppi 7-6(2) 6-3
Mathieu d. Monfils 4-6 6-4 7-5
Benneteau d. Santoro 4-6 6-4 6-2
Lopez d. Ljubicic 3-6 6-4 7-5 and Tursunov 7-6(4) 7-6(1)
Clement d. Safin 4-6 6-3 6-2
Well done Clement, your the man (and darn entertaining to watch).
No real suprise that Youhzny took down Berdych and Seppi, though it was an underdog pick. I'd even look for him to get past his next round of Llodra or Mathieu.
Lopez clearly (in my mind) has the toughest draw of the tournament and moves past two VERY capable players... He's got the talent but never seems to put it together for long. It'd be nice to see him have a break through and take out Tsonga in the next round, but I don't see it happening.
Djokovic on the other hand should have a cake walk into the semi's.
For the Singles main draw, click here
posted by Jason C at
Buenos Aires ATP Feb. 19
Top Players:
1. David Nalbandian
2. Nicolas Almagro 3. Tommy Robredo 4. Carlos Moya 5. Jose Acasuso 6. Alberto Montanes 7. Marcel Granollers 8. Eduardo Schwank
(cut: Brian Dabul - 100)
Underdog Pick: Nicolas Massu
My pick: Tommy Robredo
Notable first and second round match results:
Nalbandian d. -------- his first two rounds of no-namers fairly easily
Ferrero d. (7)Granollers 6-7(7) 6-0 6-3
M. Gonzalaz d. (4)Moya 6-4 6-4
Vassallo-Arguello d. (6)Montanes 6-2 6-3
(3)Robredo d. Storace and Chela both in 3 sets
Hernandez d. (2)Almagro 6-2 1-6 6-3
Cuevas knocked out (8)Schwank
Junqueira d. Massu 3-6 6-4 6-4
Clearly being a seed in this tournament isn't meaning much. Only 3 seeds standing and not even all of the second round results are in. My boy Robredo is still standing but after winning Brasil last week and a couple tough 3 setters to start here I'm wondering if he can keep it up physically.
Very disappointing start to the year for Moya, bounced by Maximo (not Fernando) Gonzalez this tournament is just another rough result on top of a very rocky start to '09. Sooner or later it's time to stop seeding him, though I hate to say it.
Needless to say Ferrero over Granollers isn't much of an upset, as you all know JC Ferrero and probably don't know Marcel Granollers. Interestingly Marcel took about 5 years to travel from unranked into the top 50, which for him was a long but steady trek. Often if players have the capabilities to get top 50 they are there within a couple years... not 6. Well done Marcel on fighting the good fight for so long and making it!
posted by Jason C at
 This has been a problem that has burnt me for a while now, and I fail to understand it. In professional sports your body is a major player in your outcome, especially tennis where you are the ONLY option to win. Your mind however is a significantly bigger factor, and while your body may suffer or fatigue... your mind should not. I'll stop sugar coating it now. TOUGHEN UPI am an avid fan of most sports, but right now lets take a look at hockey, specifically the Detroit Red Wings versus the Pittsburg Penguins in last seasons Stanley Cup finals. In game 5 of the series Ryan Malone for the Penguins took a slapshot to the face, essentially obliterating his nose and all the bones in and around it. He got skated off the ice, put some blood absorbing sponge gauze and some stabilizing foam pads in his nose, and continued to play his shifts. Keep in mind he had an entire team that could have continued playing without him and had a chance to win(In tennis if you quit, its over) The next day he had his face reconstructed, and played in game 6 the following day... taking the obvious risks involved. Why? To give his team the extra rest time of having him playing shifts... to boost the morale of the team and lead them via perseverence to winning game 5 and giving their team a better chance at the title. Obviously it didn't give them a much bigger chance, but still more of a chance. Well done Mr. Malone. (On a side note, go Red Wings!)Bare with me as I promise to get back to tennis here. Serena Williams vs. Victoria Azarenka in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open. It's Azarenka's best result of her life to be here, and she wins the first set 6-3! Early at the start of the second set Serena takes a medical timeout for an injury to her ankle... which essentially means she is playing badly and needs a break. No problem, good play Serena. At around 2-2 in the second set however Azarenka starts to feel the effects of the blazing hot sun down under. After a long service game Azarenka gets broken and sits down on the change over. She then stands up and loses 4 points quickly on Serena's serve, and retires. WHAT?!? retires. You have trained your entire life to get in this position, leading Serena Williams and potentially making it to the semi-finals of a Major and you retire while ahead because of the heat? Unacceptable. Here are some options Ms. Azarenka should have looked into. Stand at the baseline while Serena serves 4 times (at 2-3)... you know your hurting so start thinking long term instead of next point! You get 25 seconds between every single point, use every second of it to stand in the shade at the back of hte court and recover. Your service game comes around, by now you've taken another 3 minutes without doing any sort of exertion and essentially standing in the shade the whole time. On your serve you hit the ball in the net (after your 25 seconds are up of course) and take your time before hitting your next serve into the net. Rinse/repeat, another 4 minutes have been burnt. You are now down 5-2 and get 120 seconds to sit in the shade and eat/drink all the replenishing materials that you can before standing up and burning another 3 minutes on Serenas service game. Congrats! Now the score is TIED at 1 set each, and you get a 10 minute break between sets due to the excessive heat rule that was in effect there in Australia. If you still don't feel well after the 10 minute break, you take an injury timeout for cramping etc. They get 3 minutes to asses your injury and 5 minutes to treat it and of course you take all 8 minutes. You've now been sitting in the shade and recovering for a total of 28 minutes. Perhaps she doesn't recover in that time, but MAYBE she does. How do you not give yourself that chance? It certainly isn't every day you find yourself in the quarters of a Grand Slam and Azarenka clearly needs the points! If you have a menial 5% chance to make it to the semi's, wouldn't you take it? No, apparently "professionals" throw in the towel. Novak Djokovic: Novak is playing Andy Roddick in the quarters of the Aussie Open this year with the score of 7-6(3) 4-6 2-6 1-2 when he quits. We all watched the match and clearly the heat was bothering the Djoker while Roddick was unaffected. What I don't understand is why Novak can't finish out the match. Sure the chances of him winning at that point are miniscule, but if you're on the court you have a chance! Maybe Roddick gets hurt running for a ball. I think we've all sprained our ankles before right? You're on the court anyway, why not take your 1% chance of moving on... and if you get beat without winning another game what is the difference? So Novak spends another 15 minutes on the court instead of sitting in a chair, does that effect him? Clearly not, but it could buy him a 1% chance to win which seems like more than enough insentive to me. Incidentally Novak has quit in a Grand Slam 4 times now, and has only been playing them for 5 years. If you do the quick math here that means 20% of the Grand Slam events that he enters, he quits! He throws in the towel so often its getting worn and ragged. Andy Murray: Mental quitter. I'll give some props as he is improving this late  ly, however for the last 4 years it has sickened me to watch him simply give up in matches over and over. Credit to him that he stays on the court rather than pulling a Djokovic, but since your out there why not try? I have watched him live tank 3 matches, the first of which was to Arnaud Clement in New York in '05. They played a fantastic first four sets and then Murray just slapped balls around and stopped trying, pouting the entire 5th set. These are harder than retirements to point out, but take a look at his playing activity and check out how many times he's beaten in the final set 6-0 or 6-1. Sure that happens to everyone, but not with the frequency that it happens to him... and keep in mind he's one of the top 4 players in the world! All I want is 100% effort, is it that hard? All tennis players at the professional level are constantly injured and sore. Nobody in the world can convince me that Novak and Murray just happen to have more problems than others. To think that Nadal and Federer win because they are always 100% healthy and everything is going right is not only a pipe dream, but a strong a slap in the face to their mental and physical toughness.
Rafael Nadal: The mentality every tennis player should have. Rafa just lost to Andy Murray in Rotterdam 6-3 4-6 6-0. I'm going to give you the quick version here, feel free to check out some other articles for more info. Rafa has chronic knee problems, he plays through it just like every professional player plays through some sort of nagging injury. In the first game of the second set he fell and injured it further, and after a medical timeout had his movement reduced to about 70%. At first he was able to still hit serves around 85%, but as the match wore on that dropped to a staggeringly low MPH due to inability to push off on his leg. Rafa knowing his knee wasn't going to simply improve during the match started going for broke. With his insane talent he was able to break Murray several times in the 2nd set and somehow pull it out. What were the chances of Nadal winning that second set? Terrible... but he did it. What were the chances of him winning the third set on a deteriorating knee? Terrible... but he tried it! He tried 100% within his physical boundaries and put 100% of his mind into the match until the very last point had ended, despite the impending outcome. He rolled his dice on the off chance something happened to Murray or that he could come up with God like all or nothing winners and it didn't happen... but he took his loss like a professional and yes, gave himself a chance!
You may be thinking that I'm a bit too harsh but lets just take a look at how often the greatest tennis players of all time have retired or quit, and I challenge you to prove me wrong on any of these.
Pete Sampras: If you don't remember him throwing up in the 5th set at the US Open in 1996 vs. Alex Corretja and winning the match, check it out. During the entire 14 year career we were all lucky enough to watch, he never retired in a Grand Slam and while I didn't do my homework I would guess not more than 1 retirement in any ATP event either.
Roger Federer: Here are Federer's comments about Djokovic which I think ring true for FAR more players than just him. "It's happened before, He's not the guy who's never given up in his career. That's kind of disappointing to see when you got two top guys playing each other and you give up. Andy probably would have run away anyway with the match. I mean he (Djokovic) gave up against me in Monaco last year because of a sore throat. Those are the kind of things you wonder about. I've only given up basically once in my career," Federer added. "...In Paris against (James) Blake when I couldn't move because of my back." I'm picking on Djokovic and Murray because those two players are in the spotlight, they are players you know... but if you really keep track of professional tennis its embarassing how much of this you see, on both the men's and women's side. There are injuries and illnesses that warrent retiring from matches (i.e. Tommy Haas rolling his ankle to the point of it being the size of a volleyball during serving warm-up at Wimby) but you had better not be stepping onto the court in the next couple days or winning a tournament the week after it. If your hurting so badly that you cannot phsyically stand on the court and give yourself a chance you probably don't fly half way across the world two days later and win a few rounds in an ATP event. Tennis is a sport that requires incredible mental toughness and physical durability, but it appears that these days it's more widely accepted to quit when things head south rather than to dig deep and find a way.  There is a reason that the "greats" are great, and it is their MENTALITY more so than their physical abilities. The Greats find a way to win when their bodies aren't at 100% and things aren't going exactly their way. Look for Federer to keep winning, look for Nadal to keep winning. Don't expect Murray or Djokovic to take over the 1 and 2 spots any time soon (if ever) with the mental jello they display so often.
posted by Jason C at
 Memphis ATP Feb. 15 Top Players: Roddick, Del Potro, Blake, Soderling, Stepanek Underdog Pick: Querrey First round matches to watch: Haas vs. Querrey: I picked Querrey as my underdog pick here, but Haas is 3-0 lifetime against him. That being said, all were in '07 when Querrey was 20 years old. Now Haas is now 31... So I think the tables will have turned. Blake vs. Hewitt: Blake is the 3 seed, but has more swings in his level of tennis than a bipolar monkey. Hewitt on the other hand is solid pretty much always. Blake had a pretty decent week last week so who knows, but I certainly wouldn't be shocked to watch Hewitt walk away with this one. Going to be some great tennis as usual here in the second and third rounds... However this is another tournament where I have to say Roddick is a pretty clear favorite. Extremely disappointing loss for him last week to Stepanek, I'm guessing he bounces back and gets it done here. For the Singles main draw, click here
posted by Jason C at
Marseilles ATP Feb. 16 Top Players: Djokovic, Simon, Monfils, Tsonga, Berdych, Safin, Lopez Underdog Pick: Safin (I know he's the 7 seed, but he hasn't won anything... not even a single ATP title in 4 years) My Pick: Tsonga Tsonga has had a hot start to the year winning Johannesburg two weeks ago and losing to Nadal 4-6 7-6(5) 6-4 in Brazil last week. That being said he has a tricky draw with the always underachieving Lopez and then Djoker on his half. First round matches to watch: Santoro vs. Benneteau: Both Frenchmen, 1-1 career records against each other splitting sets each time. If you haven't had the chance to watch Santoro before he retires here shortly, do it! He is a rare breeed with a bunch of unique shots that you don't get to see every day. Fabrice Forever! Mathieu vs. Monfils: Tough draw for Monfils. Although most of you probably are more away of Monfils due to his achievements as of late, Mathieu is a solid player in his own right, and leads their head to head matchups 1-0. Not to mention they are countrymen with a 4 year age gap... Mathieu has to have a slight mental edge here even though I feel Monfils is the better player. I call Mathieu in 3. Berdych vs. Youzhny: Head to head 4:2 in favor of Youzhny... who I think is going to send the 5 seed packing after a first round upset. Lopez vs. Ljubicic: Lopez leads 3-2 head to head... winning the last two in a row with relative ease, however I'm going on a small limb here and calling a Ljubicic upset.. its hard to count a guy with 8 career ATP titles out, especially against an underachiving character with only 1! Some good matches to come in the future rounds so keep an eye on this tournament (and not necessarily on the weak sister Buenos Aires) For the Singles main draw, click here
posted by Jason C at
Buenos Aires ATP Feb. 16 Top Players: 1. David Nalbandian
2. Nicolas Almagro
3. Tommy Robredo
4. Carlos Moya
5. Jose Acasuso
(cut: Brian Dabul - 100) Underdog Pick: Nicolas Massu My pick: Tommy Robredo Just coming off his win at the Brazil Open last week either Robredo feels red hot and marches through a relatively easy field or is tired... I'm hoping this early in the season he isn't tired! Early matches to watch: None. If you're looking to watch some early round ATP action head on over to Memphis or Marseille... stuff could get fired up here but not until the third round. This tournament is the ATP weak sister of the week and I'll be SHOCKED if Nalbandian can actually live up to his #1 seed. For the Main Draw click Here
posted by Jason C at
 Brasil Open Feb. 15 Champion: Tommy Robredo Finalist: Thomaz Bellucci Robredo d. Bellucci 6-3 3-6 6-4
Tommy Robredo claims his 8th career singles ATP title with a hard faught victory. Bellucci is a Brazilian so to say Robredo was the underdog could be a bit of an understatement. Thomaz claims to have recovered from his very nervous and slow start with the help of an entire country... however it just wasn't enough. The last man Brazil was able to successfully cheer onto a hometown title... the great Gustavo Kuerten.
That being said Bellucci is a young 6'2" lefty that brings a lot of game. Look for him to be a threat some time in the next couple years... but probably never be as well loved as Guga! Is it bad that I want to post a picture of Guga instead of Robredo on this thread? Fine... fine.. ill give the champ the face time he deserves.
Top Players: Nicolas Almagro(1) , Tommy Robredo, Albert Montanes, Jose Acasuso
Underdog Pick: Fabio Fognini Out of the tournament
For the Men's Singles Main draw click HereLabels: Brasil Open, Champion, Thomaz Bellucci, Tommy Robredo
posted by Jason C at
Rotterdam Feb 15 Tournament Champion: Andy Murray Finalist: Rafa Nadal Andy Murray d. Rafael Nadal 6-3 4-6 6-0 Now, before all you Andy Murray fans jump up and down claiming he's the new coming of ... Federer... sit down. Murray won the first set outright, however in the second set in the first game Rafa injured his knee. He struggled to serve for the rest of the set and started just going for broke. It was enough to beat Murray in the second set with Andy commenting after that Rafa was so good he almost beat him on one leg. However in the third set the Blake style tennis that Nadal had to adopt just wasn't good enough, and the usual blazing speed was reduced to a crawl. I would have preferred Rafa won, but either way hate the match to be decided by an injury...especially one that will likely linger on to hinder Rafa for the rest of his career. Even Federer would hate to see Rafa go down to cronic injuries... so lets hope he gets back to form soon and keeps playing the way we all know and respect! Semi Final results Murray d. Ancic 6-2 6-1 Nadal d. Monfils 6-4 6-4 Top Players: Nadal, Murray, Davydenko, Ferrer. Underdog pick: Tsonga For the Men's singles Main draw, click Here This is a really annoying "new" draw style they have. Clicking on english on the website before looking around will make your life a LOT easier! Labels: Andy Murray, Champion, injury, Rafa Nadal, Rotterdam
posted by Jason C at
SAP Open daily results Feb. 15
Top Players in the tourny: Roddick, Del Potro, Blake, Stepanek
Underdog Pick: Hewitt: Out of the tournament
Stepanek d. Roddick 3-6 7-6(5) 6-4 Stepanek over Roddick... did you call that? Obviously a well contested matchbut a pretty disappointing one to lose for Mr. Roddick. In trying to re-establish himself as a top 5 player, it'd be nice to clean up a wide open tournament like this. I'm not trying to say that Radek who is currently ranked 21 and has been as high as 8 is a slouch... but he should have been a speed bump in the race to an ATP title. Keep in mind that Stepanek in just the last round was on the ropes losing the first set against the #270 ranked American Todd Widom, that is until Widom flat lined. Fish d. Blake 6-3 6-2 Pretty boring recap here. We have two players who play all or nothing tennis... given those two options it appears Blake came up with nothing. James is a great player and talented athlete, and I hope he can somehow pull off a miracle against the Fed later on this month in Davis Cup... but how can you win a tournament playing that style? Well he doesn't... at least not last year. (To be fair, in '06 he won 5 ATP titles and a pair in '07) Fish has the same mentality in the body of a serve and vollier, and I just can't bet on that holding for 5 matches in a row, so I am changing my pick in this tournament from Roddick to Radek. For the Men's Singles Draw click Here
posted by Jason C at
Brasil Open feb. 14th To say this tournament has had some unusual results is an understatement.
Robredo d. Acasuso 6-2 6-1
What... the.... These players have played 6 times, 4 of which split sets and the other two weren't exactly blow outs. Did Acasuso try to play with his left hand on this one? I know Robredo is solid and all, but this was a thrashing.
I think its still worth mentioning that Gil took out Almagro in the round prior to this...
Bellucci d. Gil 7-6(3) 7-6(4)
The weight of a nation is on Gil to continue these results, and Portugal has been waiting... and waiting... and waiting. Those cork growers over there love their tennis and have a couple decent guys coming down the pipe... but to have Gil starting to play at this level has to be pretty exciting! (Don't forget his result last week in Johannesburg making the Semi's before losing to a blazing hot Tsonga)
The finals matchup:
#2 seed Tommy Robredo 26 year old veteran Spaniard ranked 19 in the world with 7 career ATP titles
VS.
Thomaz Bellucci 22 year old brazilian ranked 84 with no carrer titles in his first career ATP final
I'm not going to go too crazy on this one, Robredo wins... Bellucci is still happy to have made a final and has a nice stepping stone here.
Top Players: Nicolas Almagro(1) , Tommy Robredo, Albert Montanes, Jose Acasuso
Underdog Pick: Fabio Fognini Out of the tournament For the Men's Singles Main draw click Here
posted by Jason C at
Rotterdam feb. 14th And we're coming down the home stretch now... so lets review
Nadal d. Tsonga 6-4 6-7(5) 6-4
You can go ahead and say I'm behind the times on this one.. but I'm starting to come around on Tsonga. Since he first started making a splash I thought he had some serious potential but didn't know how far he'd take it... and judging by this result (despite the loss) it appears he's taking it far. Tsonga won the Johannesburg ATP last week, but had a cake draw. That being said, he rolled over all of his opponents like he should, and now this tight with the world #1... its impressive.
Monfils d. Benneteau 7-6(4) 6-1
Good job Monfils, but I think your going to run into a guy in the next round in Mr. Nadal that does what you do, better... and more consistently. Monfils is going to have to really step up the forehand and flatten her out a bit more than normal and hope he pulls off a pretty enormous upset... but hey if Gil can beat Almagro, it could happen right? I take Nadal in straights.
Murray d. Gicquel 7-6(2) 2-6 3-0 ret.
I don't know what happened, but I hate retirements. I won't go into that in depth right now but it's something that I have never done in all my years of competing, nor will I ever. Anyway, Murray moves on.
Ancic d. Youzhny 6-4 6-2
The result isn't to suprising but the score disparity is. I like Ancic and would prefer he beats Murray but I don't see it happening. I'll pick Murray in straights in the next round.
Top Players: Nadal, Murray, Davydenko, Ferrer.
Underdog pick: Tsonga (still alive... for now..) For the Men's singles Main draw, click Here
This is a really annoying "new" draw style they have. Clicking on english on the website before looking around will make your life a LOT easier!
posted by Jason C at
SAP Open daily results Feb. 14
Top Players in the tourny: Roddick, Del Potro, Blake, Stepanek
Underdog Pick: Hewitt: Out of the tournament
Roddick d. Haas 7-5 6-4
Can anyone in this tournament beat Roddick? Maybe thats a foolish question as I know Blake/Fish have the games to take him down... but can they now? Lets take a closer look. Roddick vs. Stepanek: Lifetime Roddick is up 4-0. All were relatively close... but losing 4 times in a row to somebody tends to build up a mental block. Roddick has really stepped up his conditioning lately and I can't see the one time in his life Stepanek beats him being now... I just can't see it. Roddick vs. Blake: Lifetime Roddick is up 6-2, however Blake won the last two in pretty tight matches. I like James, but i can't stand his game... its too off and on. If Blake is on he could win but if Blake is off Roddick wins without trying. I'd say Roddick has a 75% chance or better here. Roddick vs. Fish: 9-1 in favor of Roddick lifetime. The 1 loss is from 2003 in Delray when Roddick retired on an ankle sprain on serve in the second set. 6 of the 8 Roddick wins after that he cruised to victory. I'm giving my grandma better odds to beat Roddick in the finals of the tournament (she's a crafty lefty!). Other Quarterfinal results: Stepanek d. Widom 5-7 6-0 6-0 Blake d. Querrey 7-6(9) 6-3 Fish d. Del Potro 6-3 6-4 A few quick notes: Grats to Fish for having another positively streaking day... can the coin land on heads again? Grats to Blake on having another positively streaking day... can the coin land on heads again? I had a feeling that Widom would be tired and although again I didn't see the match I'm feeling pretty confident we can assume he hit a wall. Good overall result though. Roddick says "thank you Blake for knocking out Querrey... who was the best chance I lose this tournament" For those of you wondering, thats a less than official quote...
posted by Jason C at
Brasil Open ATP
Gil (pictured) over Almagro. I'll say it again, Frederico Gil the #86 ranked man from Portugal Over one of the best clay courters in the world Nicolas Almagro by a score of 7-6(5)7-6(4). I would gladly pay to see this match. I've had the opportunity to see Gil play several times and always thought he was tough... but never would have called this one. I haven't seen Gil play lately but he must really be stepping it up. WELL DONE SIR
Bellucci d. Ferrero 7-6(5) 1-6 6-3
Acasuso(4) d. Schwank(6) 6-4 6-3
Robredo(2) d. Martin 6-2 6-2
If you like long rallies and hard physical work... watch the Robredo vs. Acasuso match coming up tomorrow. It's a coin flip in my opinion but I'd be pretty suprised if its not two and a half hours or more and three sets.
With no disrespect to Bellucci and the man of the hour, Gil, whoever wins between Robredo and Acasuso wins the tournament... and they both know it. This will be a battle.
Top Players: Nicolas Almagro(1) , Tommy Robredo, Albert Montanes, Jose Acasuso
Underdog Pick: Fabio Fognini Out of the tournament!
For the Men's Singles Main draw click Here
posted by Jason C at
 Rotterdam Feb 13th results Nadal d. Dimitrov 7-5 3-6 6-2. Ok we'll start at the top of the mountain. Well done Dimitrov taking a set off this man. I'm guessing it's the only set Nadal will drop on his way to cruising through this tournament. Not that it's an easy tournament, but more so that Nadal is just in a league of his own right now. Tsonga d. Tursunov 7-6(6) 6-2 Murray d. Seppi 7-6(4) 7-5 The only two men with a chance at Nadal advance keeping some interest in this tournament. Up Next: Nadal vs. Tsonga - I'll give Tsonga a 20% chance to win. I like his fight and effort, but is he ready to knock off Nadal? I don't think so. Murray vs. Gicquel - Murray is a massive favorite, but who knows he may just up and quit or hurt a pinky and retire... Ancic vs. Youzhny - I'm giving the edge to Ancic, I like the way their styles match up... I think this would be a great match to watch, and I think Ancic comes out on top in a battle. Benneteau vs. Monfils - Everybody thinks and expects Monfils to be joining the elite very soon. To do that, matches like this in the quarters against #50 in the world have to be automatic. I pick Monfils, but I'm not really convinced he's taken that next step yet. If you simply add Federer into this draw the quarter finals have the same quality tennis as any of the majors. Great stuff here! Top Players: Nadal, Murray, Davydenko, Ferrer. Underdog pick: Tsonga (still alive... for now..) For the Men's singles Main draw, click Here This is a really annoying "new" draw style they have. Clicking on english on the website before looking around will make your life a LOT easier!
posted by Jason C at
 SAP Open daily results Feb. 13
Top Players in the tourny: Roddick, Del Potro, Blake, Stepanek
Underdog Pick: Hewitt: Out of the tournament
Second Round updates
We'll I don't mean to be head heavy here but I think I was right... some battles on the court yesterday!
Roddick d. Gulbis 6-3 7-6(3)
Props to both players, Gulbis is only 21... and while I realize Roddick's return game isn't the most impressive thing on earth, Gulbis is always pushing the top players, and soon will be one. Roddick takes on Haas next, and although I've always liked Haas it just seems like he can't find a way to win a big match. I'm guessing Roddick wins in straights.
Widom d. Dent 6-7(5) 6-3 6-2
To put it as bluntly as possible, this IS Widom's career highlight. Unfortunately I think he's going to get mowed down in the next round against Stepanek but it's nice to see this result out of a guy who has been floating for a while. I'll take Stepanek to win in straights, as Widom has to be satisfied and tired sometime here...
Fish d. Isner 6-2 6-7 (4) 7-5
Knew this would be a great match and it showed. I'm a little disappointed as I was cheering for Big John (who is several inches taller than the listed 6'9" btw) But I'm impressed Mardy was able to keep it together on this one, it seems like his mental game is finally coming along... which is scary. He plays Del Potro next and while I think DP is a much better player, Fish has the capabilities to take him down if he has the day for it. I'm going to give the edge to DP and see if Mardy can prove me wrong twice in a row!
Other second round results:
Del Potro d. Nishikori 6-2 6-2
Blake d. Serra 6-4, 6-3
Querrey d. Gremelmayr 6-3 6-2
Stepanek d. Guccione 6-2 7-6(1)
Haas d. C. Rochus 6-2 7-5
Upset watch: Querrey(6) vs. Blake(3) I realize picking a 6 seed over a 3 seed isn't exactly the most bold of upset picks... but I think we have a case of a rising star in Sam and Blake is just too hot and cold for my taste.
For the Men's Singles Draw click Here
posted by Jason C at
Brasil Open ATPTop Players: Nicolas Almagro(1) (pictured) , Tommy Robredo, Albert Montanes, Jose Acasuso Underdog Pick: Fabio Fognini Out of the tournament! Ok, I'll admit that picking an Italian as the underdog in a red clay tournament full of claycourters was a bit bold, and it got me. I won't make that mistake again! Obviously Almagro was the pick to win (and a good one) Next time I'll play to the surface a bit better than that.
Second round results: Almagro d. Vassallo Arguello 6-4 6-4
Gil d. Granollers(5) 7-5 3-6 6-3
Ferrero d. Dabul 6-1 6-2
Bellucci d. Kubot 5-7 6-4 6-4
Schwank(6) d. 2-6 7-6(4) 7-6(6)
Martin d. Devilder(7) 6-2 7-6(4)
Robredo d. Fognini 6-2 6-2 I look for Almagro to defend this title. As long as its on clay and Nadal isn't around, Almagro is hard to pick against.
Some interesting matches starting to pop up as always later on in tournaments... Very little suprise that all are "claycourters" now so there should be some serious baseline grinding going on. Extremely tough call on the bottom as to who is going to try to take out my pick of Almagro in the finals but I think I'll go with Acasuso. For the Men's Singles Main draw click Here Labels: almagro, atp, Brasil Open, fognini, robredo, tennis
posted by Jason C at
Rotterdam ATP
Second Round Results: (Nadal, Murray and Tsonga still to play) Benneteau d. Davydenko 6-3, 6-2
Monfils d. Llodra 6-4 6-4
Youzhny d. Ferrer 6-2 3-6 6-2
Ancic d. Simon 6-4 3-6 6-3
Gicquel d. Mathieu 6-4 6-3 Alright, to make a bit of a bad pun here... I have never seen Davydenko as the player to bet on. He's solid as a rock, fit, smart... but just doesn't win. Obviously he has results to keep his ranking up, but it seems like every time he has the draw to go deep he lets me down. Ferrer.... come on man. Youzhny is solid, and I didn't see the match so I have very little ground to comment, however it's a very disappointing result. I guess people are getting used to his backboard style? My favorite result of the tournament so far is clearly Ancic over Simon. I have no problems with Simon but you have to love Ancic, fights hard and is one of the smartest guys on the tour on and off the court. If your in to watching tennis for more than the basics of the sport he's an awesome guy to have on the tv... so keep rollin Ancic! I'd love to see him knock off Murray in the Semi's! Top Players: Nadal, Murray, Davydenko, Ferrer. Underdog pick: Tsonga (pictured)
For the Men's singles Main draw, click Here This is a really annoying "new" draw style they have. Clicking on english on the website before looking around will make your life a LOT easier!
posted by Jason C at
2009 SAP Open Daily Results Feb. 12th
Order of Play Doubles Draw Singles Draw
Men's Singles - Second Round (lots still to play today)
Haas d. Rochus 6-2 7-5
Stepanek(4) d. Guccione 6-2 7-6(1)
Most interesting tournament going on! There's no question in my mind as far as second round matchups go this tournament is THE place to be. Roddick Vs. Gulbis = BATTLE. You all remember the late night tv battle between the two at the US Open in 08 which was an extremely high quality match with roddick winning 3-6 7-5 6-2 7-5. I'm looking for Roddick to win this, but in a pretty well contested 3 sets.
Dent Vs. Widom = interesting matchup here. Dent was ranked as high as 21 four years ago has been plagued with injury the past few years and is currently ranked 662 (and rising fast) Big serve and volley with a lot of talent, but I'm not convinved he's back into shape yet to go deep into a draw. Widom is an American journeyman who has floated between 200 and 300 for a while now and has an amazing opportunity to pull off one of his best results ever this tournament. Incidentally Widom took out one o fmy favorite players in Somdev Devvarman on his way through the qualies and has played 5 tough matches already this week... I look for Dent to win, but who knows!
Fish Vs. Isner = We all know Fish has loads of talent, but it's hard for me to bet on a guy like him or Blake who are soo hit and miss! Big John Isner on the otherhand IS going to be dropping bombs and holding service games. If you like massive serving and risky shotmaking, this is the match of the month for you! This match is totally dependant upon which Mardy Fish shows up to the court and I see that as a coin toss so here it goes: heads Fish, tails Isner. AND my prediction is... (drum roll please) Isner wins. Top Players in the tourny: Roddick, Del Potro, Blake, Stepanek
Underdog Pick: Hewitt: Out of the tournament Alright Hewitt... i like fish as much as the next guy, and I know he has a lot of talent and can hit a massive ball when he's on... but this is a guy you just have to beat. I unfortunately didn't see the match, but props to Mardy the win.. I did not see that coming. For the Men's Singles Draw click Here
posted by Jason C at
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