CAMELOT FANTASIES

With both Mr. Murray, OBE's,  and Spartan Stan's departure, there are now only 2 Top 10 ranked players left in the draw before the quarter finals.  Roger Federer is through to the QF with an excellent straight set performance versus Tommy Haas who played fairly well in a losing effort, but couldn't win enough of the big points.  Novak Djokovic will be taking the court later with Marin Cilic, to whom he has never lost.

Andy lost a tough one, but Raonic played well in the final two sets to snatch it.  Milos was misfiring in the first set, especially on his normally reliable forehand wing, which might have made it a bit easier for Andy to win the set.  I still don't think Andy is quite right with his back, especially when stretching to his backhand side.  There was a point where he doubled over and clutched at his left hip where I thought he seemed in real pain. Hopefully it is nothing serious, but thereafter, I didn't see him trying as hard when going wide to his backhand.  Also, as the match went on, Andy's 1st serve weakened significantly, and we won't talk about the 2nd serve.  Milos, on the other hand looked stronger as the match went on, and in the final game produced aces with about 140 mph speeds, and he also shored up his forehand.  Raonic will face the streaky Dolgopolov, who blew away the Fog, in the top bracket of the quarterfinals.  I think Andy is capable of making a better showing in Miami, but as I said at the beginning of the year, I don't see him being near his best form until somewhere between the start of the grass season and the US Open hard court series, that is if he stays healthy. 

Spartan Stan lost a hard fought 1st set in a meek tiebreaker to Kevin Anderson, after late in the set appeared to suffer a mishap with his back.  He went off the court to have the trainer work on it, came back, was a bit tentative at first as the back seemed to be still affecting him, but later seemed to be feeling better, perhaps as some pain killers took hold and took the second set.  However, the effort seemed to be too much for him, and Anderson served very well in the 3rd set, while Stan just didn't have it, and Kevin took it easily.  His reward?  A meeting with Roger Federer in the quarterfinal.

The bottom half has seen Ernests Gubis defeat Bautista-Agut in 3 sets, John Isner beating Verdasco also in 3 sets, and the last Frenchman remaining in the draw, Julian Benneteau, straight setting the last Spaniard in the draw, Feliciano Lopez.  Bennetteau will play the winner of the Djokovic-Cilic match, while Isner will face Gulbis.

Which players do you see taking the men's single's quarterfinals?

Oh, by the way, Federer is one of the two last remaining single's player, along with Isner, also alive in the doubles as of now.  He and Stan are scheduled to play the #4 seeds, Paes and Stepanek in the doubles QF later on in this evening, but I'm not sure if Stan will be able to play.

Respectfully,
masterclass