CAMELOT FANTASIES
Camelot Tennis Universe => General Pro Player Discussions => Topic started by: masterclass on March 14, 2014, 11:27:20 am
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Ok everyone, here is the lineup for the seeded players and some other players of interest in the 2015 US Open 1st round (Day 3).
Just bold the matches (underdog according to SEEDING/RANKING) where you think there could be a potential upset, even if it might be one of your favorites
Don't worry if your picks might fall through, they aren't expected to win anyway. So pick away and good luck!
On Day 5, I'm going to go with Paire to continue his run and upset Robredo and Agut to upset Goffin on these courts. Out of the top guys, I think Cilic - Kukushkin might be close. Ferrer has a one sided H2H with Chardy, 7-1, but is he still rusty, or is he ready and fresh? Anything can happen with Fognini and Nadal, as these days we can't be sure which Nadal will show up, not to mention Fognini who has always been in that category. I'd be surprised it Seppi took more than 8 games against Novak.
Day 5 Schedule
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[1] Novak Djokovic (SRB) vs. [25] Andreas Seppi (ITA)
[7] David Ferrer (ESP) vs. [27] Jeremy Chardy (FRA)
[8] Rafael Nadal (ESP) vs. [32] Fabio Fognini (ITA)
[9] Marin Cilic (CRO) vs. Mikhail Kukushkin (KAZ)
[10] Milos Raonic (CAN) vs. [18] Feliciano Lopez (ESP)
[14] David Goffin (BEL) vs. [23] Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP)
[19] Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) vs. Sergiy Stakhovsky (UKR)
[26] Tommy Robredo (ESP) vs. Benoit Paire (FRA)
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Day 4 Summary: A mix of everything yesterday, some coasting, some near big upsets, but Murray came back in 5, and Wawrinka made it in 3 tiebreakers, but there were 2 upsets, with Vesely defeating Karlovic in the decider tiebreaker, and the unfortunate retirement of Jack Sock to Bemelmans with Sock ahead 2 sets to 1
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[2] Roger Federer (SUI) vs. Steve Darcis (BEL) | Federer 61 62 61
[3] Andy Murray (GBR) vs. Adrian Mannarino (FRA) | Murray 57 46 61 63 61
[5] Stan Wawrinka (SUI) vs. Hyeon Chung (KOR) | Wawrinka 76(2) 76(4) 76(6)
[6] Tomas Berdych (CZE) vs. Jurgen Melzer (AUT) | Berdych 76(2) 61 63
[12] Richard Gasquet (FRA) vs. Robin Haase (NED) | Gasquet 46 63 76(4) 64
[13] John Isner (USA) vs. Mikhail Youzhny (RUS) | Isner 63 64 64
[15] Kevin Anderson (RSA) vs. Austin Krajicek (USA) | Anderson 63 64 62
[20] Dominic Thiem (AUT) vs. Denis Istomin (UZB) | Theim 64 64 10 ret.
[21] Ivo Karlovic (CRO) vs. Jiri Vesely (CZE) | Vesely 76(3) 36 36 62 76(4)
[22] Viktor Troicki (SRB) vs. Rajeev Ram (USA) | Troicki 76(10) 64 36 63
[24] Bernard Tomic (AUS) vs. Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) | Tomic 63 62 36 57 75
[28] Jack Sock (USA) vs. Ruben Bemelmans (BEL) | Bemelmans 46 46 63 21 ret.
[29] Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) vs. Lukas Rosol (CZE) | Kohlschreiber 76(4) 62 62
[30] Thomaz Bellucci (BRA) vs. Yoshihito Nishioka (JPN) | Bellucci 60 63 64
[31] Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (ESP) vs. Nicolas Mahut (FRA) | Garcia-Lopez 64 62 67(4) 61
Donald Young (USA) vs. Aljaz Bedene (GBR) | Young 36 64 64 62
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Day 3 Summary: The only upset of the day was Mikhail Kukushkin's big victory over Dimitrov.
Mardy Fish made a mighty effort to take it in 4 sets, needing only to serve out the set, but physically came up short and badly cramped. Best wishes Mardy. :hatoff:
Pablo Carreno-Busta also had a good effort against Bautista Agut, losing a tough one in the 5th set decider.
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[1] Novak Djokovic (SRB) vs. Andreas Haider-Maurer (AUT) | Djokovic 6-4, 6-1, 6-2
[7] David Ferrer (ESP) vs. Filip Krajinovic (SRB) | Ferrer 7-5, 7-5, 7-6(4)
[8] Rafael Nadal (ESP) vs. Diego Schwartzman (ARG) | Nadal 7-6(5), 6-3, 7-5
[9] Marin Cilic (CRO) vs. Evgeny Donskoy (RUS) | Cilic 6-2, 6-3, 7-5
[10] Milos Raonic (CAN) vs. Fernando Verdasco (ESP) | Raonic 6-2, 6-4, 6-7(5), 7-6(1)
[14] David Goffin (BEL) vs. Ricardas Berankis (LTU) | Goffin 6-4, 3-6, 6-2, 6-1
[17] Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) vs. Mikhail Kukushkin (KAZ) | Kukushkin 6-3, 7-6(5), 2-6, 4-6, 6-4
[18] Feliciano Lopez (ESP) vs. Mardy Fish (USA) | Lopez 2-6, 6-3, 1-6, 7-5, 6-3
[19] Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) vs. Marcel Granollers (ESP) | Tsonga 6-3, 6-4, 6-3
[23] Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP) vs. Pablo Carreno Busta (ESP) | Agut 4-6, 6-4, 6-0, 2-6, 6-4
[25] Andreas Seppi (ITA) vs.Teymuraz Gabashvili (RUS) | Seppi 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(3), 6-1
[26] Tommy Robredo (ESP) vs. Sam Groth (AUS) | Robredo 6-4, 7-6(3), 6-4
[27] Jeremy Chardy (FRA) vs. Martin Klizan (SVK) | Chardy 7-5, 6-4, 7-6(1)
[32] Fabio Fognini (ITA) vs. Pablo Cuevas (URU) | Fognini 6-3, 6-4, 6-4
Benoit Paire (FRA) vs. Marsel Ilhan (TUR) 6-3 3-6, 6-4, 6-3
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Day 2 Summary - Only 1 upset today, Donald Young came back from 2 sets down to beat Simon. Congrats to those who picked him.
Kokkinakis made a great effort, but was forced to retire. Youngsters Rublev and Zverev played well in defeat. See marooned out matches/scores below.
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Leonardo Mayer (ARG) vs. [2] Roger Federer (SUI) | Federer 6-1, 6-2, 6-2
Nick Kyrgios (AUS) vs. [3] Andy Murray (GBR) | Murray 7-5, 6-3, 4-6, 6-1
[5] Stan Wawrinka (SUI) vs. Albert Ramos-Vinolas (ESP) | Wawrinka 7-5, 6-4, 7-6(6)
[6] Tomas Berdych (CZE) vs. Bjorn Fratangelo (USA) | Berdych 6-3, 6-2, 6-4
Donald Young (USA) vs. [11] Gilles Simon (FRA) | Young 2-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4
Thanasi Kokkinakis (AUS) vs. [12] Richard Gasquet (FRA) Gasquet 4-6, 6-1, 4-6, 6-3, 2-0 ret.
[13] John Isner (USA) vs. Malek Jaziri (TUN) | Isner 6-2, 6-3, 6-4
[15] Kevin Anderson (RSA) vs. Andrey Rublev (RUS) | Anderson 7-6(1), 6-7(5), 7-5, 6-3
Daniel Gimeno-Traver (ESP) vs. [20] Dominic Thiem (AUT) | Thiem 7-5, 6-3, 7-5
Federico Delbonis (ARG) vs. [21] Ivo Karlovic (CRO) | Karlovic 6-3, 7-5, 7-5
[22] Viktor Troicki (SRB) vs. Frances Tiafoe (USA) | Troicki 7-5,6-4, 6-3
[24] Bernard Tomic (AUS) vs. Damir Dzumhur (BIH) | Tomic 5-7, 7-6(4), 6-4, 6-3
Victor Estrella Burgos (DOM) vs. [28] Jack Sock (USA) | Sock 6-2, 6-3, 6-2
[29] Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) vs. Alexander Zverev (GER) | Kohlschreiber 6-7(0), 6-2, 6-0, 2-6, 6-4
[30] Thomaz Bellucci (BRA) vs. James Ward (GBR) | Bellucci 6-1, 7-5. 6-3
Janko Tipsarevic (SRB) vs. [31] Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (ESP) | Garcia-Lopez 7-6(4), 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1
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Day 1 Summary: The upset of 4th seed Kei Nishikori by Benoit Paire was far and away Day 1's biggest. Congrats to those who picked Paire. Others like Tommy Haas, Steve Johnson, and Borna Coric made a valiant effort but it was not meant to be. See marooned out matches/scores below.
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Novak Djokovic (SRB) [1] vs. Joao Souza (BRA) | Djokovic 6-1, 6-1, 6-1
Borna Coric (CRO) vs. Rafael Nadal (ESP) [8]| Nadal 6-3, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4
Kei Nishikori (JPN) [4] vs. Benoit Paire (FRA) Paire| 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 7-6(6), 6-4
Marin Cilic (CRO) [9] vs. Guido Pella (ARG) | Cilic 6-3, 7-6(3), 7-6(3)
Radu Albot (MDA) vs. David Ferrer (ESP) [7] | Ferrer 4-6, 7-5, 6-1, 6-0
Milos Raonic (CAN) [10] vs. Tim Smyczek (USA) | Raonic 6-4, 7-6(8), 6-1
Fabio Fognini (ITA) [32] vs. Steve Johnson (USA) | Fognini 2-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6(2)
Simone Bolelli (ITA) vs. David Goffin (BEL) [14] | Goffin 6-4, 6-1, 6-2
Michael Berrer (GER) vs. Tommy Robredo (ESP) [26] | Robredo 6-2. 6-2, 6-4
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) [19] vs. Jarkko Nieminen (FIN) | Tsonga 6-3, 6-1, 6-1
Illya Marchenko (UKR) vs. Gael Monfils (FRA) [16] Marchenko 2-6, 6-4, 5-0 ret.
Jerzy Janowicz (POL) vs. Pablo Carreno Busta (ESP) Carreno 6-3, 4-6, 6-2, 6-4
Sam Groth (AUS) vs. Alexandr Dolgopolov (UKR) | Groth 4-6, 6-1, 7-5, ret.
Matthew Ebden (AUS) vs. Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) [17] | Dimitrov 6-4, 6-2, 6-4
Fernando Verdasco (ESP) vs. Tommy Haas (GER) | Verdasco 3-6, 6-1, 6-7(3), 6-3, 61
Tommy Paul (USA) vs. Andreas Seppi (ITA) [25] | Seppi 6-4, 6-0, 7-5
Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP) [23] vs. Pierre-Hugues Herbert (FRA) Agut - 6-3, 6-2, 7-6(7)
Jeremy Chardy (FRA) [27] vs. Ryan Shane (USA) Chardy 6-2, 6-1, 6-7(6), 6-2
Nikoloz Basilashvili (GEO) vs. Feliciano Lopez (ESP) [18] Lopez 7-6(5), 6-1, 6-3
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Respectfully,
masterclass
Day 5 Schedule
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[1] Novak Djokovic (SRB) vs. [25] Andreas Seppi (ITA) easy win for Novak
[7] David Ferrer (ESP) vs. [27] Jeremy Chardy (FRA) Upset picking Jeremy for the upset because Ferrer hasn’t been playing well.
[8] Rafael Nadal (ESP) vs. [32] Fabio Fognini (ITA) thinking Rafa will up his game since he and Fabio had beef the last time.
[9] Marin Cilic (CRO) vs. Mikhail Kukushkin (KAZ) expect Marin to get through
[10] Milos Raonic (CAN) vs. [18] Feliciano Lopez (ESP) Upset Feli is better at the net and more crafty I think Milos typically has problems with Feli
[14] David Goffin (BEL) vs. [23] Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP) thinking Goffin for some reason
[19] Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) vs. Sergiy Stakhovsky (UKR)Tsonga should be able to overpower Sergiy
[26] Tommy Robredo (ESP) vs. Benoit Paire (FRA)think the warrior Tommy will pull it out.
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US Open Upset picks updated for Day 5 in Reply #96 above.
Respectfully,
masterclass
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Ok everyone, here is the lineup for the seeded players and some other players of interest in the 2015 US Open 1st round (Day 3).
Just bold the matches (underdog according to SEEDING/RANKING) where you think there could be a potential upset, even if it might be one of your favorites
Don't worry if your picks might fall through, they aren't expected to win anyway. So pick away and good luck!
On Day 5, I'm going to go with Paire to continue his run and upset Robredo and Agut to upset Goffin on these courts. Out of the top guys, I think Cilic - Kukushkin might be close. Ferrer has a one sided H2H with Chardy, 7-1, but is he still rusty, or is he ready and fresh? Anything can happen with Fognini and Nadal, as these days we can't be sure which Nadal will show up, not to mention Fognini who has always been in that category. I'd be surprised it Seppi took more than 8 games against Novak.
Day 5 Schedule
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[1] Novak Djokovic (SRB) vs. [25] Andreas Seppi (ITA)
[7] David Ferrer (ESP) vs. [27] Jeremy Chardy (FRA)
[8] Rafael Nadal (ESP) vs. [32] Fabio Fognini (ITA)
[9] Marin Cilic (CRO) vs. Mikhail Kukushkin (KAZ)
[10] Milos Raonic (CAN) vs. [18] Feliciano Lopez (ESP)
[14] David Goffin (BEL) vs. [23] Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP)
[19] Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) vs. Sergiy Stakhovsky (UKR)
[26] Tommy Robredo (ESP) vs. Benoit Paire (FRA)
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Day 4 Summary: A mix of everything yesterday, some coasting, some near big upsets, but Murray came back in 5, and Wawrinka made it in 3 tiebreakers, but there were 2 upsets, with Vesely defeating Karlovic in the decider tiebreaker, and the unfortunate retirement of Jack Sock to Bemelmans with Sock ahead 2 sets to 1
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[2] Roger Federer (SUI) vs. Steve Darcis (BEL) | Federer 61 62 61
[3] Andy Murray (GBR) vs. Adrian Mannarino (FRA) | Murray 57 46 61 63 61
[5] Stan Wawrinka (SUI) vs. Hyeon Chung (KOR) | Wawrinka 76(2) 76(4) 76(6)
[6] Tomas Berdych (CZE) vs. Jurgen Melzer (AUT) | Berdych 76(2) 61 63
[12] Richard Gasquet (FRA) vs. Robin Haase (NED) | Gasquet 46 63 76(4) 64
[13] John Isner (USA) vs. Mikhail Youzhny (RUS) | Isner 63 64 64
[15] Kevin Anderson (RSA) vs. Austin Krajicek (USA) | Anderson 63 64 62
[20] Dominic Thiem (AUT) vs. Denis Istomin (UZB) | Theim 64 64 10 ret.
[21] Ivo Karlovic (CRO) vs. Jiri Vesely (CZE) | Vesely 76(3) 36 36 62 76(4)
[22] Viktor Troicki (SRB) vs. Rajeev Ram (USA) | Troicki 76(10) 64 36 63
[24] Bernard Tomic (AUS) vs. Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) | Tomic 63 62 36 57 75
[28] Jack Sock (USA) vs. Ruben Bemelmans (BEL) | Bemelmans 46 46 63 21 ret.
[29] Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) vs. Lukas Rosol (CZE) | Kohlschreiber 76(4) 62 62
[30] Thomaz Bellucci (BRA) vs. Yoshihito Nishioka (JPN) | Bellucci 60 63 64
[31] Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (ESP) vs. Nicolas Mahut (FRA) | Garcia-Lopez 64 62 67(4) 61
Donald Young (USA) vs. Aljaz Bedene (GBR) | Young 36 64 64 62
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Day 3 Summary: The only upset of the day was Mikhail Kukushkin's big victory over Dimitrov.
Mardy Fish made a mighty effort to take it in 4 sets, needing only to serve out the set, but physically came up short and badly cramped. Best wishes Mardy. :hatoff:
Pablo Carreno-Busta also had a good effort against Bautista Agut, losing a tough one in the 5th set decider.
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[1] Novak Djokovic (SRB) vs. Andreas Haider-Maurer (AUT) | Djokovic 6-4, 6-1, 6-2
[7] David Ferrer (ESP) vs. Filip Krajinovic (SRB) | Ferrer 7-5, 7-5, 7-6(4)
[8] Rafael Nadal (ESP) vs. Diego Schwartzman (ARG) | Nadal 7-6(5), 6-3, 7-5
[9] Marin Cilic (CRO) vs. Evgeny Donskoy (RUS) | Cilic 6-2, 6-3, 7-5
[10] Milos Raonic (CAN) vs. Fernando Verdasco (ESP) | Raonic 6-2, 6-4, 6-7(5), 7-6(1)
[14] David Goffin (BEL) vs. Ricardas Berankis (LTU) | Goffin 6-4, 3-6, 6-2, 6-1
[17] Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) vs. Mikhail Kukushkin (KAZ) | Kukushkin 6-3, 7-6(5), 2-6, 4-6, 6-4
[18] Feliciano Lopez (ESP) vs. Mardy Fish (USA) | Lopez 2-6, 6-3, 1-6, 7-5, 6-3
[19] Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) vs. Marcel Granollers (ESP) | Tsonga 6-3, 6-4, 6-3
[23] Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP) vs. Pablo Carreno Busta (ESP) | Agut 4-6, 6-4, 6-0, 2-6, 6-4
[25] Andreas Seppi (ITA) vs.Teymuraz Gabashvili (RUS) | Seppi 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(3), 6-1
[26] Tommy Robredo (ESP) vs. Sam Groth (AUS) | Robredo 6-4, 7-6(3), 6-4
[27] Jeremy Chardy (FRA) vs. Martin Klizan (SVK) | Chardy 7-5, 6-4, 7-6(1)
[32] Fabio Fognini (ITA) vs. Pablo Cuevas (URU) | Fognini 6-3, 6-4, 6-4
Benoit Paire (FRA) vs. Marsel Ilhan (TUR) 6-3 3-6, 6-4, 6-3
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Day 2 Summary - Only 1 upset today, Donald Young came back from 2 sets down to beat Simon. Congrats to those who picked him.
Kokkinakis made a great effort, but was forced to retire. Youngsters Rublev and Zverev played well in defeat. See marooned out matches/scores below.
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Leonardo Mayer (ARG) vs. [2] Roger Federer (SUI) | Federer 6-1, 6-2, 6-2
Nick Kyrgios (AUS) vs. [3] Andy Murray (GBR) | Murray 7-5, 6-3, 4-6, 6-1
[5] Stan Wawrinka (SUI) vs. Albert Ramos-Vinolas (ESP) | Wawrinka 7-5, 6-4, 7-6(6)
[6] Tomas Berdych (CZE) vs. Bjorn Fratangelo (USA) | Berdych 6-3, 6-2, 6-4
Donald Young (USA) vs. [11] Gilles Simon (FRA) | Young 2-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4
Thanasi Kokkinakis (AUS) vs. [12] Richard Gasquet (FRA) Gasquet 4-6, 6-1, 4-6, 6-3, 2-0 ret.
[13] John Isner (USA) vs. Malek Jaziri (TUN) | Isner 6-2, 6-3, 6-4
[15] Kevin Anderson (RSA) vs. Andrey Rublev (RUS) | Anderson 7-6(1), 6-7(5), 7-5, 6-3
Daniel Gimeno-Traver (ESP) vs. [20] Dominic Thiem (AUT) | Thiem 7-5, 6-3, 7-5
Federico Delbonis (ARG) vs. [21] Ivo Karlovic (CRO) | Karlovic 6-3, 7-5, 7-5
[22] Viktor Troicki (SRB) vs. Frances Tiafoe (USA) | Troicki 7-5,6-4, 6-3
[24] Bernard Tomic (AUS) vs. Damir Dzumhur (BIH) | Tomic 5-7, 7-6(4), 6-4, 6-3
Victor Estrella Burgos (DOM) vs. [28] Jack Sock (USA) | Sock 6-2, 6-3, 6-2
[29] Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) vs. Alexander Zverev (GER) | Kohlschreiber 6-7(0), 6-2, 6-0, 2-6, 6-4
[30] Thomaz Bellucci (BRA) vs. James Ward (GBR) | Bellucci 6-1, 7-5. 6-3
Janko Tipsarevic (SRB) vs. [31] Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (ESP) | Garcia-Lopez 7-6(4), 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1
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Day 1 Summary: The upset of 4th seed Kei Nishikori by Benoit Paire was far and away Day 1's biggest. Congrats to those who picked Paire. Others like Tommy Haas, Steve Johnson, and Borna Coric made a valiant effort but it was not meant to be. See marooned out matches/scores below.
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Novak Djokovic (SRB) [1] vs. Joao Souza (BRA) | Djokovic 6-1, 6-1, 6-1
Borna Coric (CRO) vs. Rafael Nadal (ESP) [8]| Nadal 6-3, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4
Kei Nishikori (JPN) [4] vs. Benoit Paire (FRA) Paire| 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 7-6(6), 6-4
Marin Cilic (CRO) [9] vs. Guido Pella (ARG) | Cilic 6-3, 7-6(3), 7-6(3)
Radu Albot (MDA) vs. David Ferrer (ESP) [7] | Ferrer 4-6, 7-5, 6-1, 6-0
Milos Raonic (CAN) [10] vs. Tim Smyczek (USA) | Raonic 6-4, 7-6(8), 6-1
Fabio Fognini (ITA) [32] vs. Steve Johnson (USA) | Fognini 2-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6(2)
Simone Bolelli (ITA) vs. David Goffin (BEL) [14] | Goffin 6-4, 6-1, 6-2
Michael Berrer (GER) vs. Tommy Robredo (ESP) [26] | Robredo 6-2. 6-2, 6-4
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) [19] vs. Jarkko Nieminen (FIN) | Tsonga 6-3, 6-1, 6-1
Illya Marchenko (UKR) vs. Gael Monfils (FRA) [16] Marchenko 2-6, 6-4, 5-0 ret.
Jerzy Janowicz (POL) vs. Pablo Carreno Busta (ESP) Carreno 6-3, 4-6, 6-2, 6-4
Sam Groth (AUS) vs. Alexandr Dolgopolov (UKR) | Groth 4-6, 6-1, 7-5, ret.
Matthew Ebden (AUS) vs. Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) [17] | Dimitrov 6-4, 6-2, 6-4
Fernando Verdasco (ESP) vs. Tommy Haas (GER) | Verdasco 3-6, 6-1, 6-7(3), 6-3, 61
Tommy Paul (USA) vs. Andreas Seppi (ITA) [25] | Seppi 6-4, 6-0, 7-5
Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP) [23] vs. Pierre-Hugues Herbert (FRA) Agut - 6-3, 6-2, 7-6(7)
Jeremy Chardy (FRA) [27] vs. Ryan Shane (USA) Chardy 6-2, 6-1, 6-7(6), 6-2
Nikoloz Basilashvili (GEO) vs. Feliciano Lopez (ESP) [18] Lopez 7-6(5), 6-1, 6-3
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Respectfully,
masterclass
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Well said general hercules. This was indeed an upset. I had forgotten about this thread. :)
Wawrinka used superior tactics to hit those big winners past Novak after set 1. In the first set, he was hitting hard almost all of the time, but a lot right at Novak, and Novak was absorbing the pace and using it to hit harder at Stan, and Stan was missing more when trying to go for a lot.
But after set 1, he varied the pace much better, playing possum type deep central shots without much sting or standard crosscourt back and forth. Then suddenly he would inject pace and blast winners down the line often surprising Djokovic.
The other key was that Novak's first serve was excellent in the first set - something like 78% of them in, and winning 76%, which made it difficult for Stan to break the first set. But his first serve deteriorated quite a bit in the next 3 sets and allowed Stan into the points to do his thing.
1st set: 78% in, winning 76% of those.
2nd set: 61% in, winning 57% of those.
3rd set: 62% in, winning 56% of those.
4th set: 59% in, winning 58% of those.
On the other hand, Stan's serve stats got better after set 1:
1st set: 61% in , winning 75% of those.
2nd set: 70% in , winning 67% of those.
3rd set: 72% in , winning 90% of those.
4th set: 65% in , winning 73% of those.
Respectfully,
masterclass
Wow, thanks for this. I had no idea what I was watching, LOL! Especially liked you explaining the tactics used.
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well said general masterclass.
stan also knew he had to be ultra aggressive. he went for his shots.
you don't blast 60 clean winners on clay against the fastest man alive by not being ultra aggressive.
I think stan is also one of those players who can do it all on any given day. he has the perfect slice and he can volley.
he has the 135 MPH serve. he can take it early off both wings which makes him dangerous off the ground.
djokovic has met his match. stan is not scared to engage him in battle.
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Well said general hercules. This was indeed an upset. I had forgotten about this thread. :)
Wawrinka used superior tactics to hit those big winners past Novak after set 1. In the first set, he was hitting hard almost all of the time, but a lot right at Novak, and Novak was absorbing the pace and using it to hit harder at Stan, and Stan was missing more when trying to go for a lot.
But after set 1, he varied the pace much better, playing possum type deep central shots without much sting or standard crosscourt back and forth. Then suddenly he would inject pace and blast winners down the line often surprising Djokovic.
The other key was that Novak's first serve was excellent in the first set - something like 78% of them in, and winning 76%, which made it difficult for Stan to break the first set. But his first serve deteriorated quite a bit in the next 3 sets and allowed Stan into the points to do his thing.
1st set: 78% in, winning 76% of those.
2nd set: 61% in, winning 57% of those.
3rd set: 62% in, winning 56% of those.
4th set: 59% in, winning 58% of those.
On the other hand, Stan's serve stats got better after set 1:
1st set: 61% in , winning 75% of those.
2nd set: 70% in , winning 67% of those.
3rd set: 72% in , winning 90% of those.
4th set: 65% in , winning 73% of those.
Respectfully,
masterclass
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I knew that stan was going to be in the final.
I was not too sure if he would pull it off in a fashion he did.
basically he coughed up the first set and then simply took the matters in his own hands.
you can say he spotted djokovic a set and proceeded to snatch the match anyway.
60 clean winners against the fastest man alive is a lot.
only borg, Federer, and nadal covered the court as well or better than djokovic in their primes.
djokovic doesn't just cover the court. he blankets it and engulfs it with his speed, quickness, and his movement.
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Time to revive the Upset Picks of the Day, like them or not! :D
Down to the final 16 in Toronto. Which players do you predict as best candidates for an upset?
Stadium
[3] Stan Wawrinka (SUI) v Kevin Anderson (RSA)
[1] Novak Djokovic (SRB) v [13] Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA)
[12] Richard Gasquet (FRA) v [8] Andy Murray (GBR)
[6] Milos Raonic (CAN) v Julien Benneteau (FRA)
[15] Marin Cilic (CRO) v [2] Roger Federer (SUI)
Grandstand
[17] Tommy Robredo (ESP) v [7] Grigor Dimitrov (BUL)
[5] David Ferrer (ESP) v Ivan Dodig (CRO)
Feliciano Lopez (ESP) v [4] Tomas Berdych (CZE)
Respectfully,
masterclass
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I didn't see the finish of the Murray match, but I saw that he snatched it. Congrats to him and his team, and condolences to Kohli and his team.
Federer was upset as I expected, going down in 5 to a hard striking Ernests Gulbis. After winning an up and down 1st set in a tiebreaker, Federer botched an easy chance for a 2 set to 0 lead when at 5-3 and 40-15, on a short lob smash, he went out of his way to twist his body to one side to hit it straight to Gulbis camped in the backhand corner, when the slam dunk to the forehand side was a much easier shot. Federer didn't look the same after that for quite awhile, while Gulbis got re-energized, and Ernie won the second set in a tiebreak and the 3rd set easily with some strong serving and hitting, especially on his backhand wing. Federer finally recovered a bit and took the 4th set eventually, but was delayed when Gulbis mysteriously went off the court with a MTO with Federer about to serve at 5-2. Gulbis finally came back after maybe 8 minutes, and played like a whirlwind, breaking Federer and getting it back to 5-4. Federer managed to seal the set 6-4, but then was broken early in the 5th, and that was all Gulbis needed as he served quite well and maintained the break advantage to the end.
Congrats to Gulbis and his fans, and commiserations to the Federer fans.
Gulbis will play Berdych, and Federer will prepare for the grass season start in Halle.
Respectfully,
masterclass
Strange match. I thought for sure Ernie would implode, but he remained calm throughout. I can't put my finger on what happened to Rog. It was like one minute he was fighting and the next minute he seemed resigned. Oh well, congrats to Ernie. Hope he can keep his mojo going.
And commiserations to the Federer fans, as well.
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this would be only the 3rd time in the past 40 majors that roger would not make the quarterfinals.
tough loss for him and for his fans.
he looks quite fit. could be a huge factor on grass.
roger struck 42 winners and 53 errors in this match.
gulbis would hit 53 winners and 53 errors. this is his first quarterfinal in 6 years.
he is 12-0 in france this year.
congrats to gulbis and his fans.
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roger got in a bit of a hole early on in the 3rd set and was not able to climb out of it.
gulbis played composed tennis in the business end of the last set. his big serve kept him out of trouble and he would hang on to his lead.
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I didn't see the finish of the Murray match, but I saw that he snatched it. Congrats to him and his team, and condolences to Kohli and his team.
Federer was upset as I expected, going down in 5 to a hard striking Ernests Gulbis. After winning an up and down 1st set in a tiebreaker, Federer botched an easy chance for a 2 set to 0 lead when at 5-3 and 40-15, on a short lob smash, he went out of his way to twist his body to one side to hit it straight to Gulbis camped in the backhand corner, when the slam dunk to the forehand side was a much easier shot. Federer didn't look the same after that for quite awhile, while Gulbis got re-energized, and Ernie won the second set in a tiebreak and the 3rd set easily with some strong serving and hitting, especially on his backhand wing. Federer finally recovered a bit and took the 4th set eventually, but was delayed when Gulbis mysteriously went off the court with a MTO with Federer about to serve at 5-2. Gulbis finally came back after maybe 8 minutes, and played like a whirlwind, breaking Federer and getting it back to 5-4. Federer managed to seal the set 6-4, but then was broken early in the 5th, and that was all Gulbis needed as he served quite well and maintained the break advantage to the end.
Congrats to Gulbis and his fans, and commiserations to the Federer fans.
Gulbis will play Berdych, and Federer will prepare for the grass season start in Halle.
Respectfully,
masterclass
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[13] Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) vs. [2] Novak Djokovic (SRB)
[18] Ernests Gulbis (LAT) vs. [4] Roger Federer (SUI)
[6] Tomas Berdych (CZE) vs. [10] John Isner (USA)
[8] Milos Raonic (CAN) vs. Marcel Granollers (ESP)
At this stage, any player can be upset. :)
I'm going to go out on a limb and give Gulbis the nod. Federer has looked good on serve, but his ground game has not been so good. If Federer's serve falters due to pressure on his ground game, then Gulbis has a shot. But he has to do well and not suffer any of his infamous implosions, so this is certainly not a big chance, but it's there. Let's see how interested Federer is in going further at Roland Garros, which has been said not to be a priority, or packing his grass bags for Halle and Wimbledon.
I'd like to see Tsonga overcome the pressure at his home slam and get the win over Djokovic after that sad loss he had a couple of years ago to him, when he really should have won it. But I don't know. Tsonga has only just recently started playing much better. I'm not sure he can contend with Novak over 5 sets. I think his biggest chance is to blitz Nole in 3 sets. The longer it goes, the worse for Tsonga.
Raonic keeps exceeding my expectations. Granollers has been playing well. He has a shot on clay.
Berdych hasn't lost to Isner on clay in their two meetings on the surface, and I don't think John's high bouncing second serve will bother the tall Czech player. I think Isner's best chance is to use his big wing span and go for the net. But he just doesn't do it enough to make me confident that he can succeed, and one can never be sure about Isner's fitness, especially as the rounds wear on in a major. But you never know. If Isner gets hot on serve, he can be damn difficult to break, and if you can't break, you can't win. So I still have to give him a chance for a minor upset.
Respectfully,
masterclass
Here's mine. I started on it last night, but yesterday I was too exhausted to post it.
I expected Verdasco to finish off Gasquet. For some reason Richie can't seem to put together two great back to back performances.
Day 8: Sunday, 1 June
Eugenie Bouchard (CAN)[18] vs. Angelique Kerber (GER)[8]2.
Ernests Gulbis (LAT)[18] vs. Roger Federer (SUI)[4]
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA)[13] vs. Novak Djokovic (SRB)[2]
Garbine Muguruza (ESP) vs. Pauline Parmentier (FRA)
Tomas Berdych (CZE)[6] vs. John Isner (USA)[10]
Ajla Tomljanovic (CRO) vs. Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP)[14]
Milos Raonic (CAN)[8] vs. Marcel Granollers (ESP)
Samantha Stosur (AUS)[19] vs. Maria Sharapova (RUS)[7]
Murray vs. Kohlschreiber
Verdasco vs. Gasquet
While I think Gulbis is a possible upset, I don't think he'll have the composure needed at this point of the tournament I think and I feel that Federer wants to make a statement.
I pegged Tsonga as a possible upset too, because he's playing well and this is the round where he'd still feel free enough to hit out. The closer he gets to the finish line, the more his chances diminish IMO, due to the home court pressure.
I woke up to Berdych finishing off Isner. For some reason my DVR decided to stop recording the tournament ;).
I think Raonic has the momentum, so I'm choosing him over Granollers, although Granollers surprised me in the last round.
Sam has nothing for Maria. She's too intimidated by her. If she played her game, she'd have a chance, but she always seems to freeze in Maria's presence.
Andy and Kohli are at 9-8 deuce, but I expect Andy to raise his level any minute and remove Kohli from the facilities.
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[13] Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) vs. [2] Novak Djokovic (SRB)
[18] Ernests Gulbis (LAT) vs. [4] Roger Federer (SUI)
[6] Tomas Berdych (CZE) vs. [10] John Isner (USA)
[8] Milos Raonic (CAN) vs. Marcel Granollers (ESP)
At this stage, any player can be upset. :)
I'm going to go out on a limb and give Gulbis the nod. Federer has looked good on serve, but his ground game has not been so good. If Federer's serve falters due to pressure on his ground game, then Gulbis has a shot. But he has to do well and not suffer any of his infamous implosions, so this is certainly not a big chance, but it's there. Let's see how interested Federer is in going further at Roland Garros, which has been said not to be a priority, or packing his grass bags for Halle and Wimbledon.
I'd like to see Tsonga overcome the pressure at his home slam and get the win over Djokovic after that sad loss he had a couple of years ago to him, when he really should have won it. But I don't know. Tsonga has only just recently started playing much better. I'm not sure he can contend with Novak over 5 sets. I think his biggest chance is to blitz Nole in 3 sets. The longer it goes, the worse for Tsonga.
Raonic keeps exceeding my expectations. Granollers has been playing well. He has a shot on clay.
Berdych hasn't lost to Isner on clay in their two meetings on the surface, and I don't think John's high bouncing second serve will bother the tall Czech player. I think Isner's best chance is to use his big wing span and go for the net. But he just doesn't do it enough to make me confident that he can succeed, and one can never be sure about Isner's fitness, especially as the rounds wear on in a major. But you never know. If Isner gets hot on serve, he can be damn difficult to break, and if you can't break, you can't win. So I still have to give him a chance for a minor upset.
Respectfully,
masterclass
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yep, no upsets on the men's side in the bottom half. Lady TT, you've got the woman's side going to I see, good work... :) Thought for sure Simon was going to do it when he went up 2 sets to 1. Maybe he thought the same and that was the problem. Give credit to Milos for hanging in and turning it around. Bautista-Agut was a stab in the dark searching for another upset. He got one set, but was outplayed for the most part by a fairly solid Berdych.
Let's see what happens to the top half tomorrow. Hey, when you pick upsets, you don't really expect them to win, you just think the potential is there, and sometimes some people pick them for the "jinx" effect. :)
Respectfully,
masterclass
Yeah, I watch the women too. But, I need to start checking out the H@Hs, although, like you I see predicting simply as possibilities and potential.
I didn't vote for Stosur to get through because she isn't as competitive as a Cibulkova, but come to find out Dominika has struggled with Sam, now five straight. I would've never guessed that. The same with Ivanovic, I had no idea that Lucie had her number to that extent, but they said this was the fifth time in a row that Lucie beat Ana. What's weird about that is that they don't seem to play very often so now that H2H I will remember.
That jinx thing? I didn't know that was real. I can't believe people will do something so silly.
I thought for sure Simon was going to win that match, especially with a 2 set lead, but credit to Raonic he is maximizing his potential and it's good to see. That's why I think he will probably strike first, but not necessarily be the breakout star of his generation. He's being very wise and prudent, while the other young guns don't appear to be viewing the present in terms of the long run.
I voted Berdych with my heart. I thought Agut had a good chance to win that match, but Tomas is pretty serious about his game too, and he hasn't been taking his career for granted. Remember how he used to go away all the time? Now, he actually thinks he can win a slam.
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here are the key battles for tomorrow.
who will be brave enough to pick a general masterclass upset of the day?
I might take a shot:
SUNDAY, 1 JUNE 2014
Singles - Fourth Round
[13] Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) vs. [2] Novak Djokovic (SRB)
[18] Ernests Gulbis (LAT) vs. [4] Roger Federer (SUI)
[6] Tomas Berdych (CZE) vs. [10] John Isner (USA)
[8] Milos Raonic (CAN) vs. Marcel Granollers (ESP)
Doubles - Third Round
[5] Michael Llodra (FRA)/[5] Nicolas Mahut (FRA) vs. [11] Julien Benneteau (FRA)/[11] Edouard Roger-Vasselin (FRA)
Jack Sock (USA)/Joao Sousa (POR) vs. Andrey Golubev (KAZ)/Samuel Groth (AUS)
Feliciano Lopez (ESP)/Jurgen Melzer (AUT) vs. Marin Draganja (CRO)/Florin Mergea (ROU)
I think Tsonga might have a shot at an upset if he can keep his head together and play smart tennis at key/clutch moments.
I say Tsonga in 4 tomorrow.
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;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
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General, Maybe because some people "fail" so often, they think they are a jinx? ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
Who was that sports reporter that almost always picked the opposite?
Simon something can't remember. :)
Respectfully,
masterclass
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there is no such thing as a jinx.
hard to believe so many people fall for the concept.
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yep, no upsets on the men's side in the bottom half. Lady TT, you've got the woman's side going to I see, good work... :) Thought for sure Simon was going to do it when he went up 2 sets to 1. Maybe he thought the same and that was the problem. Give credit to Milos for hanging in and turning it around. Bautista-Agut was a stab in the dark searching for another upset. He got one set, but was outplayed for the most part by a fairly solid Berdych.
Let's see what happens to the top half tomorrow. Hey, when you pick upsets, you don't really expect them to win, you just think the potential is there, and sometimes some people pick them for the "jinx" effect. :)
Respectfully,
masterclass
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Well as it turned out Lady TT, there were not too many upsets in the round of 64 or round 2, and everyone in the top 10 survived.
Two in the bottom half, Youhzny and Dolgopolov, and a minor one in the top half, Feli Lopez, succumbed to Donald Young, believe it or not.
So now we are in the Round of 32 players. It's starts getting tricky from now on for many of the top players, except for where the top half has been decimated of seeds. My upset picks are underline and in italics. I picked 1 upset from each quarter, though more are possible.
Top Half
Nadal QF
#1 seed Rafael Nadal should enjoy a clear run to the Quarter finals with no seeds left in that path. He plays #65 ranked Leonardo Mayer next, and if successful it gets even easier as he will play either #75 ranked Jack Sock (USA) or #83 ranked Dusan Layovic from Serbia. So I can't see any upsets there.
In the other part of the quarter, "Dr." Ivo Karlovic takes on #19 seed, Kevin Anderson in a match-up of big servers. Usually Anderson might be favored, but Karlovic is playing very well this tournament, and I'm going to take him in a mild upset.
Then it's #32 Andreas Seppi, who has had a good run so far, facing #5 David Ferrer. I think this is where Seppi's fortune stops. David is too quick and relentless for Seppi.
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Murray QF
1/4 of the seeds are gone in this quarter, but still some quality players remain
Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (GGL) has had a good tournament as expected and will face surprise 3rd round opponent in Donald Young. I think GGL will be too tough on clay for Donald, but we will see.
Next in what promises to be a very interesting match, #23 seed and popular Frenchman Gail Monfils will face #14 seed and popular Italian Fabio Fognini. Their play can be sublime or clown-like, within a single match, and you never know what's going to happen in a match with these players. Fognini holds a 2-1 edge on clay, 3-2 overall. The only time they played at Roland Garros, Fognini came from 2 sets down in a wild affair to win 9-7 in the decider. I'm not going to pick an upset here, but it could obviously happen. These players are evenly matched in more ways than one.
On the other side of Murray's quarter, another match with no clear favorite is #12 seed Richard Gasquet facing #24 Fernando Verdasco. Again, as most matches, it depends what these players bring on the day. Historically, Gasquet had an early H2H advantage, but Verdasco now edges it, 7-6. After Gasquet had a 3-0 lead on clay, Verdasco has taken the last 3 of 4 on clay. They've never met in a major. Gasquet has had an easier time this tournament, with Verdasco forced to 5 sets in his last match. I'm going to go with the fresher player, Gasquet here, but it could easily be the other way around if Verdasco recovers well.
Finally, in what promises to be the most anticipated match of the top half in the round of 32,#7 seed 2 time major winner Andy Murray, OBE, plays the talented German, #28 seed Philipp Kohlschreiber. In their only match, which was played on the 2010 Monte Carlo clay, Kohlschreiber dismissed Murray 6-2, 6-1. That's 4 years ago and a lot of water under the bridge since. Philipp has played well this tournament, his serve has been good, broken only 3 times in the two matches, and he his hitting the ball well. Andy looked much better in his second round with Matosevic, and his served improved. He still is not getting enough 1st serves in, which exposes his much weaker second serve. He has to put better than 60% first serves in to have a chance against Kohlschreiber, and so far he is 51% and 57%.
I'm going to have to pick Kohlschreiber as the "upset" winner here. He plays well on both of the natural surfaces when he is healthy, 3 of his titles have come on clay, and I don't think he'll be intimidated by Murray and is a very good middle round player. Murray has still yet to win a title on clay, but has generally improved his play on clay since their only match, so I think it will be closer than their previous match indicates, but I think Kohlschreiber matches up well with Murray, will overcome Murray's great defense, and will take it.
For Murray, I think he might just be about ready to be in good shape for the grass season. I had been concerned about his progress this season, recovering from his back surgery, but he looks to be getting there at last. I still think he needs a good win against a top 10 player to get his full confidence back, but I doubt that happens here at Roland Garros.
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Bottom Half
Federer QF
#6 seed Tomas Berdych is up against a good clay court player in #27 seed Roberto Bautista-Agut (RBA). RBA has looked solid so far in his two wins over Lorenzi and Benoit Paire. Berdych has not been as solid dropping a set to Nedovyesov. RBA is good enough on clay to upset Berdych if Tomas slips up, so this is one to watch.
#17 seed Spaniard Tommy Robredo faces #10 seed American John Isner. Isner has won their only match that was on hard court four years ago. Isner had a fairly tough one last out beating Kukushkin in 4 sets with 3 tiebreakers while Robredo sailed through his earlier rounds. If Isner has recovered from that, I pick him to win, but Robredo could certainly score the minor upset here, and I pick him if the match goes to 5.
I think 35 year old Radek Stepanek has gone as far as he could here, as he now faces #18 seed Ernests Gulbis. Gulbis in 3.
#31 seed Dmitry Tursunov faces #4 seed Roger Federer. Federer leads the H2H 4-0, but they've never played on clay and Tursunov gave Federer a close battle in their last match this year at Indian Wells, losing in 2 tiebreakers. Federer might drop a set here, but I believe he takes it.
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Djokovic QF
I think this quarter promises to have some interesting matches.
#8 seed Milos Raonic plays #29 seed Gilles Simon, but Simon looks to be playing better than that seeding. Raonic beat Simon on the Estoril clay in 2011 in 3 sets in their only meeting to date. Possible upset here. I think Ceee-mon is looking more hungry than usual. He needs to be fed. :)
#39 ranked Marcel Granollers, fresh off his upset of #20 Alex Dolgopolov in 5 sets, plays # 59 ranked Martin Klizan, who also needed 5 sets against Haase. I think Klizan might take it in this battle of the unseeded players, but who knows?
#13 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga will take on young #22 seed Jerzy Janowicz. Janowicz had been on a downward spiral prior to Roland Garros, dropping 9 straight matches, but has shown signs of life here and played quite well in his last match in straight sets vs. Nieminen. Tsonga also played well in his last match, straight sets against Melzer. Jerzy has won their only match, last year in straight sets on clay in Rome if you recall. I think this will be a tough match and won't be surprised to see it go to 5 sets if both players are at a good level. I have to give the edge to Tsonga based on his experience and the home crowd, but would not be surprised to see the Pole win it.
Finally we come down to #2 seed Novak Djokovic against #25 seed Marin Cilic. It seems hardly in doubt as Nole has dropped only 2 sets in 8 meetings, which were all on hard court. On clay today, Novak in 3.
Respectfully,
masterclass
We were pretty much in sync for the most part. The ones I got wrong are red and the ones I got right are green. I was shaking my head when I read your list. I had to make my choices quickly because I had an early morning doctor's appointment and it was pretty far away.
I was surprised that Aggie put in such a lackluster performance.
Stosur I voted against even though I like her, I just don't find her competitive enough and always want the more competitive person to go through. However, I didn't know Dominika had such a poor record against her.
Was really suprised that Raonic got past Simon. Milos is really letting his racket do the talking. I think he might breakthrough first, but the other young guns will surpass him.
I was convinced that Suarez-Navarro would take Townsend out because she is a dirt baller.
Picked and hoped Berdych would win because he's my favorite, but sad for Agut who I also like very much.
Now, I have to check the schedule of play for tomorrow and get my picks in earlier. It's been an extremely hectic week.
Day 6: Friday, 30 May
Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) [3] vs. Ajla Tomljanovic (CRO)
Dmitry Tursunov (RUS) [31] vs. Roger Federer (SUI) [4]
Paula Ormaechea (ARG) vs. Maria Sharapova (RUS) [7]
Milos Raonic (CAN) [8] vs. Gilles Simon (FRA) [29]
Dominika Cibulkova (SVK) [9] vs. Samantha Stosur (AUS) [19]
Marin Cilic (CRO) [25] vs. Novak Djokovic (SRB) [2]
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) [13] vs. Jerzy Janowicz (POL) [22]
Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) [31] vs. Angelique Kerber (GER) [8]
Radek Stepanek (CZE) vs. Ernests Gulbis (LAT) [18]
Taylor Townsend (USA) vs. Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP) [14]
Tommy Robredo (ESP) [17] vs. John Isner (USA) [10]
Pauline Parmentier (FRA) vs. Mona Barthel (GER)
Tomas Berdych (CZE) [6] vs. Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP) [27]
Johanna Larsson (SWE) vs. Eugenie Bouchard (CAN) [18]
Garbine Muguruza (ESP) vs. Anna Schmiedlova (SVK)
Marcel Granollers (ESP) vs. Martin Klizan (SVK)
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Well as it turned out Lady TT, there were not too many upsets in the round of 64 or round 2, and everyone in the top 10 survived.
Two in the bottom half, Youhzny and Dolgopolov, and a minor one in the top half, Feli Lopez, succumbed to Donald Young, believe it or not.
So now we are in the Round of 32 players. It's starts getting tricky from now on for many of the top players, except for where the top half has been decimated of seeds. My upset picks are underline and in italics. I picked 1 upset from each quarter, though more are possible.
Top Half
Nadal QF
#1 seed Rafael Nadal should enjoy a clear run to the Quarter finals with no seeds left in that path. He plays #65 ranked Leonardo Mayer next, and if successful it gets even easier as he will play either #75 ranked Jack Sock (USA) or #83 ranked Dusan Layovic from Serbia. So I can't see any upsets there.
In the other part of the quarter, "Dr." Ivo Karlovic takes on #19 seed, Kevin Anderson in a match-up of big servers. Usually Anderson might be favored, but Karlovic is playing very well this tournament, and I'm going to take him in a mild upset.
Then it's #32 Andreas Seppi, who has had a good run so far, facing #5 David Ferrer. I think this is where Seppi's fortune stops. David is too quick and relentless for Seppi.
----------------------------------------------------
Murray QF
1/4 of the seeds are gone in this quarter, but still some quality players remain
Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (GGL) has had a good tournament as expected and will face surprise 3rd round opponent in Donald Young. I think GGL will be too tough on clay for Donald, but we will see.
Next in what promises to be a very interesting match, #23 seed and popular Frenchman Gail Monfils will face #14 seed and popular Italian Fabio Fognini. Their play can be sublime or clown-like, within a single match, and you never know what's going to happen in a match with these players. Fognini holds a 2-1 edge on clay, 3-2 overall. The only time they played at Roland Garros, Fognini came from 2 sets down in a wild affair to win 9-7 in the decider. I'm not going to pick an upset here, but it could obviously happen. These players are evenly matched in more ways than one.
On the other side of Murray's quarter, another match with no clear favorite is #12 seed Richard Gasquet facing #24 Fernando Verdasco. Again, as most matches, it depends what these players bring on the day. Historically, Gasquet had an early H2H advantage, but Verdasco now edges it, 7-6. After Gasquet had a 3-0 lead on clay, Verdasco has taken the last 3 of 4 on clay. They've never met in a major. Gasquet has had an easier time this tournament, with Verdasco forced to 5 sets in his last match. I'm going to go with the fresher player, Gasquet here, but it could easily be the other way around if Verdasco recovers well.
Finally, in what promises to be the most anticipated match of the top half in the round of 32,#7 seed 2 time major winner Andy Murray, OBE, plays the talented German, #28 seed Philipp Kohlschreiber. In their only match, which was played on the 2010 Monte Carlo clay, Kohlschreiber dismissed Murray 6-2, 6-1. That's 4 years ago and a lot of water under the bridge since. Philipp has played well this tournament, his serve has been good, broken only 3 times in the two matches, and he his hitting the ball well. Andy looked much better in his second round with Matosevic, and his served improved. He still is not getting enough 1st serves in, which exposes his much weaker second serve. He has to put better than 60% first serves in to have a chance against Kohlschreiber, and so far he is 51% and 57%.
I'm going to have to pick Kohlschreiber as the "upset" winner here. He plays well on both of the natural surfaces when he is healthy, 3 of his titles have come on clay, and I don't think he'll be intimidated by Murray and is a very good middle round player. Murray has still yet to win a title on clay, but has generally improved his play on clay since their only match, so I think it will be closer than their previous match indicates, but I think Kohlschreiber matches up well with Murray, will overcome Murray's great defense, and will take it.
For Murray, I think he might just be about ready to be in good shape for the grass season. I had been concerned about his progress this season, recovering from his back surgery, but he looks to be getting there at last. I still think he needs a good win against a top 10 player to get his full confidence back, but I doubt that happens here at Roland Garros.
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Bottom Half
Federer QF
#6 seed Tomas Berdych is up against a good clay court player in #27 seed Roberto Bautista-Agut (RBA). RBA has looked solid so far in his two wins over Lorenzi and Benoit Paire. Berdych has not been as solid dropping a set to Nedovyesov. RBA is good enough on clay to upset Berdych if Tomas slips up, so this is one to watch.
#17 seed Spaniard Tommy Robredo faces #10 seed American John Isner. Isner has won their only match that was on hard court four years ago. Isner had a fairly tough one last out beating Kukushkin in 4 sets with 3 tiebreakers while Robredo sailed through his earlier rounds. If Isner has recovered from that, I pick him to win, but Robredo could certainly score the minor upset here, and I pick him if the match goes to 5.
I think 35 year old Radek Stepanek has gone as far as he could here, as he now faces #18 seed Ernests Gulbis. Gulbis in 3.
#31 seed Dmitry Tursunov faces #4 seed Roger Federer. Federer leads the H2H 4-0, but they've never played on clay and Tursunov gave Federer a close battle in their last match this year at Indian Wells, losing in 2 tiebreakers. Federer might drop a set here, but I believe he takes it.
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Djokovic QF
I think this quarter promises to have some interesting matches.
#8 seed Milos Raonic plays #29 seed Gilles Simon, but Simon looks to be playing better than that seeding. Raonic beat Simon on the Estoril clay in 2011 in 3 sets in their only meeting to date. Possible upset here. I think Ceee-mon is looking more hungry than usual. He needs to be fed. :)
#39 ranked Marcel Granollers, fresh off his upset of #20 Alex Dolgopolov in 5 sets, plays # 59 ranked Martin Klizan, who also needed 5 sets against Haase. I think Klizan might take it in this battle of the unseeded players, but who knows?
#13 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga will take on young #22 seed Jerzy Janowicz. Janowicz had been on a downward spiral prior to Roland Garros, dropping 9 straight matches, but has shown signs of life here and played quite well in his last match in straight sets vs. Nieminen. Tsonga also played well in his last match, straight sets against Melzer. Jerzy has won their only match, last year in straight sets on clay in Rome if you recall. I think this will be a tough match and won't be surprised to see it go to 5 sets if both players are at a good level. I have to give the edge to Tsonga based on his experience and the home crowd, but would not be surprised to see the Pole win it.
Finally we come down to #2 seed Novak Djokovic against #25 seed Marin Cilic. It seems hardly in doubt as Nole has dropped only 2 sets in 8 meetings, which were all on hard court. On clay today, Novak in 3.
Respectfully,
masterclass
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Ok. So now for the 2nd Round - or Round of 64 if you prefer.
Here is the list of matches, and those I see as likely or possible upsets. Make your own predictions without fear, nothing is certain here. :)
Top Half
(1) Rafael nadal vs Dominic Thiem - This Thiem can play very well and be a danger, or be nervous and be gone. Rafa must and probably will be ready.
Axel Michon vs (19) Kevin Anderson
(32)Andreas Seppi vs Juan Monaco - Monaco is a good clay courter when playing well, and if Seppi is off, then this upset can happen. But Seppi looked good against Giraldo, and got it done quickly, so I doubt this happens.
Simone Bolelli vs (5) David Ferrer
Donald Young vs (26) Feliciano Lopez
(23) Gael Monfils vs Jan Lennard Atruff - Monfils is almost always a possible upset candidate, but I think he'll move on here.
Thomaz Bellucci vs (14) Fabio Fognini
(12) Richard Gasquet vs Carlos Berlocq - I think this can happen. Berlocq took down a fair Hewitt in 4. and Gasquet is just returning from injury, only having to put away a poor Tomic. Berlocq to win in my upset pick of the day.
Pablo Cuevas vs (24) Fernando Verdasco - Curiously, Cuevas won their only previous match, but in 2008. A possibility, but not likely
(28) Philipp Kohlschreiber vs Denis Istomin - They split their only 2 previous clay matches this year. Not quite likely, but certainly very possible
Marinko Matosevic vs (7) Andy Murray
---------------------------------------------------------
Bottom Half
(6) Tomas Berdych vs Alexander Nedovyeseov
Benoit Paire vs (27) Roberto bautista agut
(17) Tommy Robredo vs Kenny De Schepper - The tall De Shepper will have to overpower Robredo to have a possibility of an upset.
Mikhail Kukushkin vs (10) John Isner - Kukushkin is not a bad player, so John mustn't slip up here.
(15) Mikhail Youzhny vs Radek Stepanek
Facundo Bagnis vs (18) Ernests Gulbis - Bagnis just had a monster of a match to beat Benneteau. If he can recover, he might have his chances against Gulbis, if Gulbis implodes, otherwise, no.
(31) Dmitry Tursunov vs Sam Querrey - 2-2 H2h all on hard. Should be a close match, Tursunov is a slightly better clutch player and should take it, but Querrey is certainly a possibility here.
Diego Schwartzman vs (4) Roger Federer - Diminutive 21 year old, all of 140 lbs, first time playing Roger. Time for school lessons.
(8) Milos Raonic vs Jiri Veseley
Alejandro Gonzalez vs (29) Gilles Simon
(20) Alexandr Dolgopolov vs Marcel Granollers - If Marcel can keep it close, he is a threat if the match goes longer.
(13) Jo Wilfried Tsonga vs Jurgen Melzer - When Melzer is on, he can beat good players. Jo has to watch himself here.
Jarko Nieminen vs (22) Jerzy Janowicz - Janowicz has not been good lately, just won his first match in the last 9. Nieminen is a steady journeyman. If Jerzy can't play calmly and smart, he won't win.
(25) Marin Cilic vs Tobias Kamke
Jeremey Chardy vs (2) Novak Djokovic - Nole has never dropped a set in 8 matches with Chardy. Don't see that changing here, unless Novak is extremely generous.
Respectfully,
masterclass
Very good. Those possibilities are dead on. It's the little things that turn one way or the other that determines many of these matches.
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these are the key matches for tomorrow.
what is the masterclass upset of the day for tomorrow:
KEY MATCHES - FRIDAY, 30 MAY 2014
Singles - Third Round
[25] Marin Cilic (CRO) vs. [2] Novak Djokovic (SRB)
[31] Dmitry Tursunov (RUS) vs. [4] Roger Federer (SUI)
[6]Tomas Berdych (CZE) vs. [27] Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP)
[8] Milos Raonic (CAN) vs. [29] Gilles Simon (FRA)
[17] Tommy Robredo (ESP) vs. [10] John Isner (USA)
[13] Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) vs. [22] Jerzy Janowicz (POL)
Radek Stepanek (CZE) vs. [18] Ernests Gulbis (LAT)
Doubles - Second Round
Andre Begemann (GER)/Robin Haase (NED) vs. Alexander Peya (AUT)[2]/Bruno Soares (BRA)[2]
Andrey Golubev (KAZ)/Samuel Groth (AUS) vs. David Marrero (ESP)[4]/Fernando Verdasco (ESP)[4]
Michael Llodra (FRA)[5]/Nicolas Mahut (FRA)[5] vs. Santiago Gonzalez (MEX)/Scott Lipsky (USA)
Mate Pavic (CRO)/Andre Sa (BRA) vs. Treat Huey (PHI)[7]/Dominic Inglot (GBR)[7]
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folks Tsonga can go far at RG.
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#20 Dolgopolov upset by Marcel Granollers much as I described in the earlier prediction post. Dolgopolov went up by 2 sets, but ran out of gas, and Granollers came from behind to win in 5 sets, including a bagel in the 4th. Of course, Dolgopolov is adversely affected by his medical condition, which is why it is likely he'll never do well in best of 5. So that's 2 upsets in the bottom half so far.
Tsonga comes through against Melzer in straight sets.
Respectfully,
masterclass
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Well now the RG Women's draw is in shambles. #1 Serena follows #2 Li Na off the premises. She was knocked out and convincingly, by an amazing 20 year old Spaniard (born in Venezuela, Spanish father) named Garbińe Muguruz known as Gabby, 6-2, 6-2. She'll now play 19 year old Slovakian Anna Schmiedlova, who beat the other Williams, Venus today. Gabby is 182 cm (6' 0"), and hits the ball hard and with accuracy. She played very solid and strong, put a lot of pressure on Williams, and Williams couldn't find the court today.
Respectfully,
masterclass
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First casualty of the day, and I didn't call it... :)
Elder Radek Stepanek still has some singles game in him. He beat #15 seed Mikhail Youzhny. Goodbye Colonel.
Radek refused to make many mistakes today. 40 winners and only 18 unforced errors. Congrats to Stepanek and his fans!
Court 3 looked fairly fast for a clay court and rather low bouncing.
Novak Djokovic and Jeremy Chardy getting ready to play on Chartrier as the sun comes out.
Respectfully,
masterclass
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Ok. So now for the 2nd Round - or Round of 64 if you prefer.
Here is the list of matches, and those I see as likely or possible upsets. Make your own predictions without fear, nothing is certain here. :)
Top Half
(1) Rafael nadal vs Dominic Thiem - This Thiem can play very well and be a danger, or be nervous and be gone. Rafa must and probably will be ready.
Axel Michon vs (19) Kevin Anderson
(32)Andreas Seppi vs Juan Monaco - Monaco is a good clay courter when playing well, and if Seppi is off, then this upset can happen. But Seppi looked good against Giraldo, and got it done quickly, so I doubt this happens.
Simone Bolelli vs (5) David Ferrer
Donald Young vs (26) Feliciano Lopez
(23) Gael Monfils vs Jan Lennard Atruff - Monfils is almost always a possible upset candidate, but I think he'll move on here.
Thomaz Bellucci vs (14) Fabio Fognini
(12) Richard Gasquet vs Carlos Berlocq - I think this can happen. Berlocq took down a fair Hewitt in 4. and Gasquet is just returning from injury, only having to put away a poor Tomic. Berlocq to win in my upset pick of the day.
Pablo Cuevas vs (24) Fernando Verdasco - Curiously, Cuevas won their only previous match, but in 2008. A possibility, but not likely
(28) Philipp Kohlschreiber vs Denis Istomin - They split their only 2 previous clay matches this year. Not quite likely, but certainly very possible
Marinko Matosevic vs (7) Andy Murray
---------------------------------------------------------
Bottom Half
(6) Tomas Berdych vs Alexander Nedovyeseov
Benoit Paire vs (27) Roberto bautista agut
(17) Tommy Robredo vs Kenny De Schepper - The tall De Shepper will have to overpower Robredo to have a possibility of an upset.
Mikhail Kukushkin vs (10) John Isner - Kukushkin is not a bad player, so John mustn't slip up here.
(15) Mikhail Youzhny vs Radek Stepanek
Facundo Bagnis vs (18) Ernests Gulbis - Bagnis just had a monster of a match to beat Benneteau. If he can recover, he might have his chances against Gulbis, if Gulbis implodes, otherwise, no.
(31) Dmitry Tursunov vs Sam Querrey - 2-2 H2h all on hard. Should be a close match, Tursunov is a slightly better clutch player and should take it, but Querrey is certainly a possibility here.
Diego Schwartzman vs (4) Roger Federer - Diminutive 21 year old, all of 140 lbs, first time playing Roger. Time for school lessons.
(8) Milos Raonic vs Jiri Veseley
Alejandro Gonzalez vs (29) Gilles Simon
(20) Alexandr Dolgopolov vs Marcel Granollers - If Marcel can keep it close, he is a threat if the match goes longer.
(13) Jo Wilfried Tsonga vs Jurgen Melzer - When Melzer is on, he can beat good players. Jo has to watch himself here.
Jarko Nieminen vs (22) Jerzy Janowicz - Janowicz has not been good lately, just won his first match in the last 9. Nieminen is a steady journeyman. If Jerzy can't play calmly and smart, he won't win.
(25) Marin Cilic vs Tobias Kamke
Jeremey Chardy vs (2) Novak Djokovic - Nole has never dropped a set in 8 matches with Chardy. Don't see that changing here, unless Novak is extremely generous.
Respectfully,
masterclass
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So Mr. Andy Murray, OBE, got it done. He clearly needs to serve better. Golubev was too kind to Murray today, almost no patience, going for it on almost any ball. It worked in the 4th set, as he put more in than out, and Murray was serving woefully, inviting breaks.
So let's take stock on the upsets in the 1st round of 128 from top seeds to lowest. Top half in Pink, bottom in Red
[3] Stan Wawrinka
[9] Kei Nishikori
[11] Grigor Dimitrov
[16] Tommy Haas
[21] Nicolas Almagro
[30] Vasek Pospisil
Interesting notes:
1. Every seed upset except for Kei Nishikori was from the top half. Top half upsets have left parts of it wide open.
2. Almost all players that Rafa has had trouble with this year were upset. Only Ferrer and Djokovic remain.
3. 2 Top 10 + 11th seed upset in 1st round
4. 2 upsets as a result of injury/retirement - Almagro and Haas couldn't complete even a set.
Respectfully,
masterclass
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Yes, almost unbelievable General. He does have a cannon for a serve. Doesn't hurt to be serving from the clouds either.
Memo to young Dynamitrov: Psst. You can't win if you can't break. You need to return better. Read it better, and when you get the chance, stop taking big cuts at a Karlovic serve. Short backswings and/or block it back with accuracy. It will go back fast enough, and if it's to the right location, Karlovic doesn't move well enough to track it down.
Example:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7tmJOATeoo (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7tmJOATeoo)
Respectfully,
masterclass
wow. what incredible returning general masterclass. those days roger was quicker than the quickest cats on the planet.
and he just knew when to take a cut and when to slice it back.
The Big Four know how to stay in the moment, recognize that a serve machine is on the other side, and wait patiently for their chances. Dmitrov still has to learn how to do this.
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And Dr. Ivo did indeed play lights out for 3 sets and has upset the young #11 seed Grigor Dimitrov.
Grigor slipped up and got broken a game in each of the 1st and 2nd sets, one mini-break in the final set tiebreaker, and that's all it took.
Karlovic was extremely solid on serve and also played some nice volleys and shots from the baseline.
One of the best matches I've seen from 35 years young Dr. Ivo.
Andreas Seppi has come through against strong clay courter Santiago Giraldo. Seppi bringing his Davis Cup form in this match, and Giraldo was a bit disappointing.
As well as the demise of #3 Stan Wawrinka to a very solid GGL, #30 Pospisil went out yesterday to Gabashvili as predicted.
Paris is definitely upset city this week. The rest of round 1 should be finished today unless rain comes.
Still to come, #7 Andrew Murray, OBE, vs. Andrey Golubev.
Respectfully,
masterclass
That was the best match I've ever seen Dr. Ivo play as well. His volleys were crisp and his shot selection was impeccable. He seemed to know exactly was Grigor was going to do, before he even did it. He also had a quiet confidence about him throughout. Once again Dmitrov loses due to his hot-dogging. I think he is trying too hard to live up to the lofty expectations than playing his game and mentally staying in the match. He seemed perturbed that what he was doing wasn't working and instead of buckling, staying in the moment, and making adjustments, he kind of came apart at the seams.
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Spartan Stan was 4-2 going into that match against GGL. he ran right over GGL in their last meeting in straights.
no telling what really happened. some say it was pressure and I am just wondering if he has lingering back issues.
that said, we have to give some credit to GGL. he did play a masterful match. it was controlled aggression and he kept his focus and his intensity for the full match.
GGL has been playing some pretty good tennis as of late.
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affirmative general.
that is just a monster performance by dr ivo.
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Yes sir.
And that footage was of course from their 2009 Wimbledon clash, and their 2012 Australian Open match, both of those won in straight sets by Federer. Of course, Federer most recently beat him this year in Miami, also in straight sets, 6-4, 7-6(4), extending his advantage over him to 11 wins and 1 defeat (Cincinnati 2008).
But Karlovic is certainly not easy. You really have to be focused, and try to zero in on reading his serve, or he'll just flatten you.
I think Dimitrov just needs more experience with servers like Karlovic, to know what to try and when, and it might also help if Karlovic isn't in the zone... 22 aces on clay today. 88% first serves won, 66% second serves won, 0 breaks, too good.
Respectfully,
masterclass
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Yes, almost unbelievable General. He does have a cannon for a serve. Doesn't hurt to be serving from the clouds either.
Memo to young Dynamitrov: Psst. You can't win if you can't break. You need to return better. Read it better, and when you get the chance, stop taking big cuts at a Karlovic serve. Short backswings and/or block it back with accuracy. It will go back fast enough, and if it's to the right location, Karlovic doesn't move well enough to track it down.
Example:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7tmJOATeoo (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7tmJOATeoo)
Respectfully,
masterclass
wow. what incredible returning general masterclass. those days roger was quicker than the quickest cats on the planet.
and he just knew when to take a cut and when to slice it back.
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Yes, almost unbelievable General. He does have a cannon for a serve. Doesn't hurt to be serving from the clouds either.
Memo to young Dynamitrov: Psst. You can't win if you can't break. You need to return better. Read it better, and when you get the chance, stop taking big cuts at a Karlovic serve. Short backswings and/or block it back with accuracy. It will go back fast enough, and if it's to the right location, Karlovic doesn't move well enough to track it down.
Example:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7tmJOATeoo (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7tmJOATeoo)
Respectfully,
masterclass
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the ageless and the incomparable dr ivo. it is just unbelievable what he is still able to do and achieve in modern tennis.
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And Dr. Ivo did indeed play lights out for 3 sets and has upset the young #11 seed Grigor Dimitrov.
Grigor slipped up and got broken a game in each of the 1st and 2nd sets, one mini-break in the final set tiebreaker, and that's all it took.
Karlovic was extremely solid on serve and also played some nice volleys and shots from the baseline.
One of the best matches I've seen from 35 years young Dr. Ivo.
Andreas Seppi has come through against strong clay courter Santiago Giraldo. Seppi bringing his Davis Cup form in this match, and Giraldo was a bit disappointing.
As well as the demise of #3 Stan Wawrinka to a very solid GGL, #30 Pospisil went out yesterday to Gabashvili as predicted.
Paris is definitely upset city this week. The rest of round 1 should be finished today unless rain comes.
Still to come, #7 Andrew Murray, OBE, vs. Andrey Golubev.
Respectfully,
masterclass
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GGL is up 5-0 in the 4th set.
wow.
GGL is a tough cookie. That was bad luck for Stan to get him in the first round.
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GGL is up 5-0 in the 4th set.
wow.
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holy smokes.
GGL leads 4-0 in the 4th set.
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My upset pick is Guillermo taking out Stan.
wow princess TT.
you are just amazing with this.
GGL leads 3-0 in the 4th set. he is almost there.
this will take a monumental effort from Stan now to turn it around.
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Ok. Grand Slam Upsets. 32 seeds to pick on, a wealth of potential upsets, no byes.
Bold are my likely upsets, Underline possibles
(1) Rafael Nadal - Robby Ginepri
Teimuraz Gabashvili - (30) Vasek Pospisil (Vasek not playing well lately, and Gabashvili did pretty well in Barca)
(21) Nicolas Almagro - Jack Sock
Jurgen Zopp - (16) Tommy Haas
(11)Grigor Dimitrov - Ivo Karlovic (Dimitrov needs to be focused, Karlovic can serve lights out, but it's hard to do it in best of 5)
Stephane Robert - (19) Kevin Anderson
(32) Andreas Seppi - Santiago Giraldo (Giraldo is a good clay court player, think Seppi could be in trouble here)
Igor Sijsling - (5) David Ferrer
(3) Stanislas Wawrinka - Guillermo Garcia Lopez (GGL can beat the better players when he is on, Stan can't slip up)
(26) Feliciano Lopez - Q
(23) Gael Monfils - Victor Hanescu
Q - (14) Fabio Fognini (Fognini hasn't been in a good place lately, still he should beat a qualifier)
(12) Richard Gasquet - Bernad Tomic ( Gasquet's been hurt, might not play. Tomic's coming back from injury/operation, who wants it less?)
Michael Llodra - (24) Fernando Verdasco
(28) Philipp Kohlschreiber - Pere Riba
Andrey Golubev - (7) Andy Murray (Golubev can be dangerous, but better on hard I think, but then so is Murray, he has to be careful here)
(6) Tomas Berdych - Q
Q - (27) Roberto Bautista Agut
(17) - Tommy Robredo - Q
Pierre Hugues Herbert - (10) John Isner
(15) Mikhail Youzhny - Pablo Carreno Busta
Lukasz Kubot -(18) Ernests Gulbis
(31)Dmitry Tursunov - Q
Roger Federer - Lukas Lacko
(8) Milos Raonic - Nick Kyrgios (Kyrgios practicing with Federer, Milos needs to be careful)
Q - (29) Gilles Simon
(20) Alexandr Dolgopolov - Albert Ramos
Martin Klizan - (9) - Kei Nishikori (is Nishikori fully recovered?)
(13) Jo Wilfried Tsonga - Edouard Roger Vasselin (Roger Vasselin can surprise once in a while)
Vicot Estrella Burgos - (22) Jerzy Janowicz (Janowicz really been in a bad spell for awhile)
(25) Marin cilic - Pablo Andujar (Andujar can be very good on the clay, remember Rio?)
(2) Novak Djokovic - Joao Sousa
good stuff here. upsets are hard to come by at slams at times. early on and on the average the lesser players are pitted against seasoned veterans.
still a fantastic thread.
I will start making some upset predictions also.
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So Nishikori is the first top 10 seed upset/eliminated.
Klizan played well, and I didn't think Nishikori was moving well. Probably should have skipped this. Nishikori was wearing a big ankle brace. Hard to win on clay if you can't move well.
Now it's raining again. Djokovic and Sousa suspended after Nole had gone up 4-0, and then Sousa broke him. So 1-4, Sousa to serve.
Respectfully,
masterclass
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My upset pick is Guillermo taking out Stan.
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I'm getting excited.
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Ok. Grand Slam Upsets. 32 seeds to pick on, a wealth of potential upsets, no byes.
Bold are my likely upsets, Underline possibles
(1) Rafael Nadal - Robby Ginepri
Teimuraz Gabashvili - (30) Vasek Pospisil (Vasek not playing well lately, and Gabashvili did pretty well in Barca)
(21) Nicolas Almagro - Jack Sock
Jurgen Zopp - (16) Tommy Haas
(11)Grigor Dimitrov - Ivo Karlovic (Dimitrov needs to be focused, Karlovic can serve lights out, but it's hard to do it in best of 5)
Stephane Robert - (19) Kevin Anderson
(32) Andreas Seppi - Santiago Giraldo (Giraldo is a good clay court player, think Seppi could be in trouble here)
Igor Sijsling - (5) David Ferrer
(3) Stanislas Wawrinka - Guillermo Garcia Lopez (GGL can beat the better players when he is on, Stan can't slip up)
(26) Feliciano Lopez - Q
(23) Gael Monfils - Victor Hanescu
Q - (14) Fabio Fognini (Fognini hasn't been in a good place lately, still he should beat a qualifier)
(12) Richard Gasquet - Bernad Tomic ( Gasquet's been hurt, might not play. Tomic's coming back from injury/operation, who wants it less?)
Michael Llodra - (24) Fernando Verdasco
(28) Philipp Kohlschreiber - Pere Riba
Andrey Golubev - (7) Andy Murray (Golubev can be dangerous, but better on hard I think, but then so is Murray, he has to be careful here)
(6) Tomas Berdych - Q
Q - (27) Roberto Bautista Agut
(17) - Tommy Robredo - Q
Pierre Hugues Herbert - (10) John Isner
(15) Mikhail Youzhny - Pablo Carreno Busta
Lukasz Kubot -(18) Ernests Gulbis
(31)Dmitry Tursunov - Q
Roger Federer - Lukas Lacko
(8) Milos Raonic - Nick Kyrgios (Kyrgios practicing with Federer, Milos needs to be careful)
Q - (29) Gilles Simon
(20) Alexandr Dolgopolov - Albert Ramos
Martin Klizan - (9) - Kei Nishikori (is Nishikori fully recovered?)
(13) Jo Wilfried Tsonga - Edouard Roger Vasselin (Roger Vasselin can surprise once in a while)
Vicot Estrella Burgos - (22) Jerzy Janowicz (Janowicz really been in a bad spell for awhile)
(25) Marin cilic - Pablo Andujar (Andujar can be very good on the clay, remember Rio?)
(2) Novak Djokovic - Joao Sousa
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Ahh, well Lady TT, that's sort of a running comedic story line. That particular Uncle Toni picture is meant as a reference to him being the Godfather of Tennis. You know, with the control he "supposedly" exerts over the tour, making the court conditions ideal for Rafa, "fixing" the draws to favor Rafa, etc.. Also refers to accusations that certain players "bend over" for Rafa because of Uncle Toni's godfather influence and leave the path open for him to win. If you saw the film the Godfather, you remember the line, "I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse..." and I think some stories floating around in this case where that he arranged for Berdych to eat tainted food that caused his illness.
So basically the idea is that whenever you see that picture, it's suggestive of Uncle Toni arranging things behind the scenes for Rafa's benefit. ')
Of course Rafa looks up to Uncle Toni, so that explains that picture.
And you got the Berdych and "Sexy" Stepanek picture and blurb.
Respectfully,
masterclass
Ha ha ha. I've heard most of the stories, but the Berd and the tainted food is a new one.
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Ahh, well Lady TT, that's sort of a running comedic story line. That particular Uncle Toni picture is meant as a reference to him being the Godfather of Tennis. You know, with the control he "supposedly" exerts over the tour, making the court conditions ideal for Rafa, "fixing" the draws to favor Rafa, etc.. Also refers to accusations that certain players "bend over" for Rafa because of Uncle Toni's godfather influence and leave the path open for him to win. If you saw the film the Godfather, you remember the line, "I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse..." and I think some stories floating around in this case where that he arranged for Berdych to eat tainted food that caused his illness.
So basically the idea is that whenever you see that picture, it's suggestive of Uncle Toni arranging things behind the scenes for Rafa's benefit. ')
Of course Rafa looks up to Uncle Toni, so that explains that picture.
And you got the Berdych and "Sexy" Stepanek picture and blurb.
Respectfully,
masterclass
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(https://www.camelotfantasies.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.supersport.com%2FToni-Nadal090522ProfileG300.jpg&hash=c2a8b77576cb734ec851a33738cb54bd8fabedc4)
(https://www.camelotfantasies.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fcms.mumbaimirror.com%2Fportalfiles%2F29%2F7%2F201303%2FImage%2F03032012%2Fs122.jpg&hash=1c77293357c137032927b2519238f68c563a8d18)
Gastro... what? Cool story bro. Now come join me and very fine geishas and saké in Tokyo for Davis Cup. Oh, and bring Kei.
(https://www.camelotfantasies.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv694%2Fmypixforum%2F2013_tb%2Fdraw_dc_sf_prague_12sept201305.jpg&hash=e3ee7dc6b90eccc1d8f056a1699640bab83227b5)
Simply Unbelievable.
Respectfully,
masterclass
I hate to be a conspiracy theorist (actually, I don't), but this is unreal. The only question is why? Why would they do that? What would they stand to gain? It's most bizarre.
But your joke was hilarious, especially the part about bringing Kei.
And putting Tio Toni up at the top. What are you saying? LOL!
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(https://www.camelotfantasies.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.supersport.com%2FToni-Nadal090522ProfileG300.jpg&hash=c2a8b77576cb734ec851a33738cb54bd8fabedc4)
(https://www.camelotfantasies.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fcms.mumbaimirror.com%2Fportalfiles%2F29%2F7%2F201303%2FImage%2F03032012%2Fs122.jpg&hash=1c77293357c137032927b2519238f68c563a8d18)
Gastro... what? Cool story bro. Now come join me and very fine geishas and saké in Tokyo for Davis Cup. Oh, and bring Kei.
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Simply Unbelievable.
Respectfully,
masterclass
I hate to be a conspiracy theorist (actually, I don't), but this is unreal. The only question is why? Why would they do that? What would they stand to gain? It's most bizarre.
But your joke was hilarious, especially the part about bringing Kei.
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(https://www.camelotfantasies.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.supersport.com%2FToni-Nadal090522ProfileG300.jpg&hash=c2a8b77576cb734ec851a33738cb54bd8fabedc4)
(https://www.camelotfantasies.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fcms.mumbaimirror.com%2Fportalfiles%2F29%2F7%2F201303%2FImage%2F03032012%2Fs122.jpg&hash=1c77293357c137032927b2519238f68c563a8d18)
Gastro... what? Cool story bro. Now come join me and very fine geishas and saké in Tokyo for Davis Cup. Oh, and bring Kei.
(https://www.camelotfantasies.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv694%2Fmypixforum%2F2013_tb%2Fdraw_dc_sf_prague_12sept201305.jpg&hash=e3ee7dc6b90eccc1d8f056a1699640bab83227b5)
Simply Unbelievable.
Respectfully,
masterclass
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Confirmed by ATP, General Tee, thanks. Nishikori withdrew due to left groin strain injury. Commiserations to him and his fans.
It shows how much he had to extend himself to beat two top 5 players in a row. The sport can be brutal even for the fittest.
Congratulations to Djokovic and his fans. He has reached the final playing only 3 matches and 6 sets - Chardy, Robredo, and Murray.
We'll find out if it is better to be rested and fresher, or battle hardened.
I'm going to guess the former in the case of the second of back to back Masters, but we'll see.
If Nadal gets past Berdych (I know most think it's a given, considering Nadal hasn't lost in 16 matches since the 2006 Madrid insult), it might be another big battle on slow hard court. Just think if Masters finals were still best of 5. I think Djokovic will be a tough man to beat in best of 3 in Miami.
Respectfully,
masterclass
No more ifs, General Masterclass. Berych also withdrew.
SONY OPEN TENNIS 2014
NADAL TO FACE DJOKOVIC IN MIAMI FINAL
Miami, U.S.A.
by ATP Staff
http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis/2014/03/13/Miami-Friday2-Djokovic-Nishikori.aspx
|
28.03.2014
© Getty ImagesRafael Nadal will look to win the Miami crown at the fourth attempt.
Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic will contest the Sony Open Tennis final for the second time after both received walkovers through the semi-finals on Friday in Miami.
Nadal and Djokovic clashed in the 2011 title match at Crandon Park, with Djokovic prevailing in a third-set tie-break. The pair will meet for the first time this season. Nadal leads their FedEx ATP Head2Head series 22-17, but has lost his past two meetings with Djokovic, losing in the finals in Beijing and at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals.
Read: Rafa Vs. Novak The Rivalry
Three-time Miami champion Djokovic is bidding to win the Indian Wells-Miami double for the second time in his career, having beaten Roger Federer in the Californian desert two weeks ago. The Belgrade native lifted the trophy in Miami in 2007, ’11-12.
The 27-year-old Nadal is looking to clinch the elusive Miami crown, having finished runner-up three times previously in 2005 (l. to Federer), 2008 (l. to Davydenko) and 2011.
Djokovic had been due to face Roger Federer’s conqueror, Kei Nishikori, in the semi-finals, but the Japanese player was forced to withdraw with a left groin injury.
Writing on his Facebook page, Nishikori said, “Very sorry to say that I have to pull out today. Very disappointed and I am obviously very sorry for any fans that wanted to come out for this match.
“This tournament is very special to me and look forward to coming back in the years to come. I will work with my medical team to be back healthy as soon as possible.”
Tomas Berdych then pulled out from his scheduled semi-final clash with Nadal due to gastroenteritis. The Czech is set for a return to the Top 5 in the Emirates ATP Rankings on Monday, having beaten Alexandr Dolgopolov in the quarter-finals.
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This is a hard one. I don't think a loss to Berdych would be the end of the world. And, Berdych is playing well and with more belief. But, at the same time I don't think Nadal has extended himself much either. He went out early in IW and his first three matches here were basically walkovers.
I also don't think the Raonic match is an indicator of anything. Rafa played a nervous first set, but thereafter pretty much had his way with him. I know the conditions were bad, but Raonic actually showed me very little. He has his serve, but his groundies, unless he's going for an outright winner look pretty weak, to me.
His anticipation is horrible and he doesn't move that well. I don't think it took much out of Rafa at all.
At any rate, Nadal has garnered enough points to stay comfortably ahead, so it's a win-win for me.
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Exactly general. Just look at poor Kei Nishikori. He made a huge effort to beat Ferrer, and then had to come back a day later to beat Federer, and now he's out for I don't know how long. Though Kei has shown increases in strength and fitness this year, he has been prone to injury with his high octane game. I wish him well in his recovery.
These guys are not machines. It is not a team sport. They are only one man. There is nobody to replace them on the bench. If they get hurt, that's it. They are on the sidelines, fishing, playing poker, whatever, and watching the rest of the tennis world go by. Though there can be freak accidents, players at this level usually get hurt when they really have had to extend themselves to the fullest, not when they are playing easier matches. For the players who have a lot of matches in them, each injury might be the last.
Respectfully,
masterclass
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that is a great point general.
you know nole is going to stretch the court tomorrow.
Rafa has to play tonight and then come right back and play tomorrow afternoon.
well one has to hope for the best at this point. we want all these players 100% for the rest of the year.
as it is we have lost del potro for the rest of the year.
Rafa is in the middle of the stretch run or home stretch as they call it. he cannot afford another injury now. next back injury could compromise his career and his momentum that he worked so hard to gather in 2013.
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I have to admit I'm worried about Rafa general. Another deep run on slow hard court and possible battle with Djokovic right before the clay season. Is it worth it for Rafa to go all out if it jeopardizes the real prize - RG? I know that's his character, and this is why I have reservations. I've seen it happen too many times before. Miami is relatively small potatoes compared to a healthy clay season and a 14th major at Roland Garros. Losing to Berdych might be a blessing in disguise, as much as that might irk him in the short term.
Respectfully,
masterclass
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I see 3-4 issues that seem to tilt the final slightly in nole's favor:
1. he is healthy and fit. and now he will be well rested as well.
2. these are the hard courts and this is a best of 3 sets final. nole has the edge in such formats.
3. nole is serving and returning better than Rafa. that is what gives nole the competitive edge on the hard courts. on the average, the guy is just a beast when returning and serving on the hard courts.
4. nole has had no back issues like Rafa has. Rafa was not able to even serve for 10 days after Rio.
5. Rafa wont give his backhand a chance to get in the groove. he keeps running around it when returning serve and also in rallies.
that costs him the control of the center of the court. that forces him to account for more space.
so we will just have to see if he can make some adjustments in the final. I do expect Rafa to get by Berdych today.
all that being said, I have to support my player as much as possible. I will say Rafa in 3 in the final provided he makes the adjustments I have outlined.
and the biggest key for Rafa: he has to return well. and in addition, he has to have some rhythm with his backhand.
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Confirmed by ATP, General Tee, thanks. Nishikori withdrew due to left groin strain injury. Commiserations to him and his fans.
It shows how much he had to extend himself to beat two top 5 players in a row. The sport can be brutal even for the fittest.
Congratulations to Djokovic and his fans. He has reached the final playing only 3 matches and 6 sets - Chardy, Robredo, and Murray.
We'll find out if it is better to be rested and fresher, or battle hardened.
I'm going to guess the former in the case of the second of back to back Masters, but we'll see.
If Nadal gets past Berdych (I know most think it's a given, considering Nadal hasn't lost in 16 matches since the 2006 Madrid insult), it might be another big battle on slow hard court. Just think if Masters finals were still best of 5. I think Djokovic will be a tough man to beat in best of 3 in Miami.
Respectfully,
masterclass
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Uh-oh, it looks like Nishikori just withdrew from the SF. Not good!
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I hope not but it won't surprise me in the least if the Final turns out to be Nishikori - Berdych!
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who are you picking today folks?
any possibility of an upset at all?
nole looks the strongest of them all at the moment. nishikori has to play a match of his life today.
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Kei is pretty serious about his career. He hired Chang, and now he's channeling his coach.
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huge upset today in Miami.
did not see that one coming.
congrats to nishikori and his fans.
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well so much for that upset prediction general. I got it wrong.
nole was just too tough today. congrats to nole and his fans.
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great post general masterclass. now the upsets will get a little harder to call general.
that said, I do believe that Andy will derail Nole today in 3 sets. he has to be armed with a renewed motivation now. back surgery set him back and now lendl decided to walk away.
this should have the effect of giving him some challenges that he can relish. Andy will try to mix it up as usual but there is no question that he has to serve big today.
this will keep the pressure on nole's side of the net.
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It was a loaded Tuesday in Miami with 13 of the top 16 seeds competing in the round of 16.
The big upsets came from two players outside the top 16, who are obviously playing better than their ranking/seeding.
As Camelot's own General Hercules first predicted, #22 Alexandr Dolgopolov played very well to oust the reigning Australian Open champion, #3 Stan Wawrinka in 3 sets. He was able to overcome any physical difficulties he had during the previous match and played at a high level when he needed it, while Stan still looks slightly undercooked from lack of recent match play, and perhaps still a bit hung over from his first major title.
Meanwhile, also as Camelot's Lady TT predicted, #20 Kei Nishikori was able to fight past #4 David Ferrer in a very closely contested match at the end. Either of them could have won it in a ultra-close tiebreaker where Kei fought off no less than 4 match points from Ferrer to finally snatch the tiebreaker 11-9 and the match. In my opinion, Kei was quite fatigued in the second set, and part of the 3rd, and he wisely saved energy in the last 3 or 4 Ferrer service games where he didn't win a point. In the latter stages of the tiebreaker, it was Ferrer who was looking the more tired, and whether from disappointment over not being able to convert his match points, or exhaustion, or a combination of both, looked on his last legs and Nishikori was able to outlast "The Wall", which is a difficult feat.
The rest of the matches were pretty true to form, all in straight sets, with no winner losing more than 8 games (Djokovic, Berdych won in identical 6-3, 7-5 scorelines), and the fastest match of the day from Roger Federer winning 6-1, 6-2 over Gasquet in just 49 minutes.
As anyone can plainly see, come to Camelot to get the most informed posters' opinions on the planet. Obviously, nobody can predict with 100% certainty, but more often than not, we have people that are spot on with their brave predictions.
Quarter finals to come. General Hercules will have the schedule up soon for the next round of upset predictions.
Respectfully,
masterclass
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Here today's Men's Singles Round 16 lineup:
Stadium Start 11:00 am
[16] Tommy Robredo (ESP) v [2] Novak Djokovic (SRB)
Not Before 1:00 pm
[6] Andy Murray (GBR) v [11] Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA)
[5] Roger Federer (SUI) v [9] Richard Gasquet (FRA)
Not Before 9:00 pm
[1] Rafael Nadal (ESP) v [14] Fabio Fognini (ITA)
Grandstand Start 11:00 am
[20] Kei Nishikori (JPN) v [4] David Ferrer (ESP)
Not Before 12:30 pm
[3] Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI) v [22] Alexandr Dolgopolov (UKR)
[12] Milos Raonic (CAN) v [LL] Benjamin Becker (GER)
[10] John Isner (USA) v [7] Tomas Berdych (CZE)
Even though Nole hasn't played I don't see Tommy winning. He has the heart, but not enough weapons to trouble Nole.
Tsonga is too up and down and I really don't remember him having a big win in a long time. Plus, he's too streaky and makes bad decisions, at the wrong time, on court. Andy should take it.
Federer should beat Richard the Faint-Hearted. Not enough belief in Richard and even if he won he'd go out to the next guy, so would only serve as a spoiler.
Rafa should take Fognini out because it's hard to see Fog staying consistent through an entire match against a determined Rafa.
Kei should take out Ferrer, due to confidence, and Ferrer has looked lackluster lately.
Going with Alexander for the upset, even though he might be physically challenged. Wawrinka hasn't impressed me as much as he has the world. He still has trouble maintaining consistency during a match.
Raonic should take care of Becker for obvious reasons.
And Berdych I want to take out Isner.
Well it looks like I'm back on my game. Woot woot.
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and the Dog snatches it in the decider.
what a match for him. he is going to have a good year folks. the dude has game when he is on.
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Dog snatches the first set 6-4.
The Dog is up 3-0 in the third.
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Dog snatches the first set 6-4.
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Here today's Men's Singles Round 16 lineup:
Stadium Start 11:00 am
[16] Tommy Robredo (ESP) v [2] Novak Djokovic (SRB)
Not Before 1:00 pm
[6] Andy Murray (GBR) v [11] Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA)
[5] Roger Federer (SUI) v [9] Richard Gasquet (FRA)
Not Before 9:00 pm
[1] Rafael Nadal (ESP) v [14] Fabio Fognini (ITA)
Grandstand Start 11:00 am
[20] Kei Nishikori (JPN) v [4] David Ferrer (ESP)
Not Before 12:30 pm
[3] Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI) v [22] Alexandr Dolgopolov (UKR)
[12] Milos Raonic (CAN) v [LL] Benjamin Becker (GER)
[10] John Isner (USA) v [7] Tomas Berdych (CZE)
Even though Nole hasn't played I don't see Tommy winning. He has the heart, but not enough weapons to trouble Nole.
Tsonga is too up and down and I really don't remember him having a big win in a long time. Plus, he's too streaky and makes bad decisions, at the wrong time, on court. Andy should take it.
Federer should beat Richard the Faint-Hearted. Not enough belief in Richard and even if he won he'd go out to the next guy, so would only serve as a spoiler.
Rafa should take Fognini out because it's hard to see Fog staying consistent through an entire match against a determined Rafa.
Kei should take out Ferrer, due to confidence, and Ferrer has looked lackluster lately.
Going with Alexander for the upset, even though he might be physically challenged. Wawrinka hasn't impressed me as much as he has the world. He still has trouble maintaining consistency during a match.
Raonic should take care of Becker for obvious reasons.
And Berdych I want to take out Isner.
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general I like dr isnaaaaaaaaaaaah in that battle.
dr isnaaaaaaaaaah cant return worth a damn but at least he can force them into breakers.
I believe dr isnaaaaaaaaaah has the best record in breakers this year winning 65% of them or better.
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Oops, yes, I made the correction, thanks General.. I was thinking of both matches at once and merged them. LOL.
I agree with what you said.
What do you think of Berdych vs Isnahhh?
Respectfully,
masterclass
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fog has to deal with nadal general masterclass.
it is robredo who plays nole. I am not giving nole much of a chance.
general Tee is giving robredo at least a set.
here is the draw again:
http://www.atpworldtour.com/Share/Event-Draws.aspx?Year=2014&EventId=403&Draw=ms
I agree with you. Tsonga's game has been on vacation. and andy is just trying to find his traction again.
I am favoring andy in 3 in that one.
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Ok, general hercules, we will be watching that match with interest. Dolgopolov said he struggled yesterday physically. I think the Miami humidity and heat makes it difficult for him and his condition. Let's hope he recovers well and is able to play his best. Spartan Stan will be looking to up his level a bit, and get himself in better form going into the clay season. But his primary goal for the rest of the year is Davis Cup.
Here today's Men's Singles Round 16 lineup:
Stadium Start 11:00 am
[16] Tommy Robredo (ESP) v [2] Novak Djokovic (SRB)
Not Before 1:00 pm
[6] Andy Murray (GBR) v [11] Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA)
[5] Roger Federer (SUI) v [9] Richard Gasquet (FRA)
Not Before 9:00 pm
[1] Rafael Nadal (ESP) v [14] Fabio Fognini (ITA)
Grandstand Start 11:00 am
[20] Kei Nishikori (JPN) v [4] David Ferrer (ESP)
Not Before 12:30 pm
[3] Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI) v [22] Alexandr Dolgopolov (UKR)
[12] Milos Raonic (CAN) v [LL] Benjamin Becker (GER)
[10] John Isner (USA) v [7] Tomas Berdych (CZE)
I think the Isner-Berdych match will be the closest match, which is not surprising given their respective seedings. This could go either way. Isner leads their head to head on hard courts, 2-1, both wins in the USA, though Berdych leads 3-2 overall. In another USA hard court match, I'm going to go with Big John Isner in a slight upset.
Normally, Murray-Tsonga would not be in doubt, as Murray has an 8-1 head to head advantage, but neither player's recent form is anything to write home about. Murray hasn't beaten a top 20 player since Wimbledon, but I don't think Tsonga has been playing top 20 tennis. This is Murray's home away from home, he trains here, I think he will up his level enough to get by Tsonga, unless Tsonga's form returns out of nowhere.
The way the other favorites have been playing, I can't see any other upsets. Fognini-Nadal? Fognini has the talent, but not the consistency. It wouldn't shock me to see Fognini win, but I don't see it happening.
Unless Djokovic's form has gone off significantly, perhaps due to only having to play 1 match so far with his walkover, I can't see Robredo beating him.
Respectfully,
masterclass
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I think Dolgopolov is playing well again. his confidence has to be a little higher than it was last year.
so my upset special: Dolgopolov over Wawrinka.
the key for Dolgopolov will be returning well. he might be able to hang in there if he can return well. it will also take some pressure off his own serve.
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Mr. Baghdatis came all so close to an upset over Mr. Tsonga, but it wasn't to be. Marcos won the first set 6-4, saved the only break point in the second set, then shot to a lead in the tiebreaker, 5-1 to put himself two points from the match. But Tsonga charged back with 5 straight points, before Baghdatis stopped play temporarily due to a buzzing bee. Tsonga double faulted after the bee stoppage, but then took the next two points to even the match at a set each. Then Tsonga saved 5 out of 5 break points in the final set, while Baghdatis saved 2 of 3, being broken in the 5-5 game, and Jo ended up taking the set 7-5 and the match.
I think this Murray, who wasn't troubled by Lopez, should beat this Tsonga, who is barely playing top 30 tennis. But we'll see.
Respectfully,
masterclass
Andy for the win.
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Yes, Lady TT, Bautista-Agut is playing well. I have a feeling these courts suit him more than Jerzy. Still, as you said Jerzy is not playing well. I don't know if he is carrying any injury or not, and I did not get a chance to watch his most recent matches. If he is uninjured, he is usually serving about 140 to 145 mph when he goes for it. If you see him not getting much above 125-130, something might be bothering him in the shoulder, which is where he had an injury a couple of months ago.
With Monfils, one never knows with his game what's going on. Cilic played poorly and ERV was good enough to take advantage. Hopefully Cilic doesn't return to his inconsistent play after getting a decent start to the season. He should be playing top 20 level or perhaps better, somewhere about an Anderson or Youzhny level. Sousa played well, but Simon needs to eat more. He is so thin, the Miami breeze knocked him off course. ;)
Notice that many of the clay court players are doing well in Miami's conditions? I think they should just change the surface to Har-tru (green clay) and be done with it. Players aren't rewarded too much for attacking play against a decent defending style in Miami.
Picking all the favorites today? :)
I don't watch much women's tennis, but I see results. Maybe Stephens can "upset" Wozniacki? I think it will be difficult with Wozniacki's usual good defensive skills.
For the men, I don't see too many chances for an upset. Well, maybe Baghdatis if he plays very well, and Tsonga has another off day, which he has been having lately. I don't know what is wrong with him. But normally Tsonga should handle Baghdatis with ease. Baghdatis used to prefer quicker conditions.
Murray should normally beat Lopez on these courts, but who knows how the Lendl split is affecting him? His draw gets considerably tougher from here, with potentially Tsonga next and Djokovic thereafter in the QF. I think he can make it to the QF as Tsonga isn't in good form right now. Let's see what unfolds. It won't get easier for him with the clay season almost upon us, but he won't face much pressure there either, so it's a good opportunity to get some matches in and hit a lot of balls. Queens Club will be Murray's big test prior to Wimbledon, and should tell us a lot.
Anyway, I think some of them are enjoying the Miami area - South Beach, the nightlife, etc. :)
Good luck and health to all the players today!
Respectfully,
masterclass
I like Baustista-Agut. He plays smart. I like smart players more than I like attacking players. While flashy winners may look good, they come with a lot of risk. If you make 39 winners and 34 errors, you've only netted a 5 point gain. That's not very smart to me. Those errors equate to eight games, or depending on when they're made, the match. So, I was going with Baustista because Jerzy is a hot dogger. That's why he's not winning.
Gael doesn't play to win. He plays to entertain. Hence his results.
LOL @Stephens upsetting Caroline. Another hot dogger with a massive ego. She thinks her game is "better" than W and that she should be beating her. Doesn't listen to her coach. She's nuts.
Grigor too. I knew he was going to lose.
Play smart.
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Mr. Baghdatis came all so close to an upset over Mr. Tsonga, but it wasn't to be. Marcos won the first set 6-4, saved the only break point in the second set, then shot to a lead in the tiebreaker, 5-1 to put himself two points from the match. But Tsonga charged back with 5 straight points, before Baghdatis stopped play temporarily due to a buzzing bee. Tsonga double faulted after the bee stoppage, but then took the next two points to even the match at a set each. Then Tsonga saved 5 out of 5 break points in the final set, while Baghdatis saved 2 of 3, being broken in the 5-5 game, and Jo ended up taking the set 7-5 and the match.
I think this Murray, who wasn't troubled by Lopez, should beat this Tsonga, who is barely playing top 30 tennis. But we'll see.
Respectfully,
masterclass
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Yes, Lady TT, Bautista-Agut is playing well. I have a feeling these courts suit him more than Jerzy. Still, as you said Jerzy is not playing well. I don't know if he is carrying any injury or not, and I did not get a chance to watch his most recent matches. If he is uninjured, he is usually serving about 140 to 145 mph when he goes for it. If you see him not getting much above 125-130, something might be bothering him in the shoulder, which is where he had an injury a couple of months ago.
With Monfils, one never knows with his game what's going on. Cilic played poorly and ERV was good enough to take advantage. Hopefully Cilic doesn't return to his inconsistent play after getting a decent start to the season. He should be playing top 20 level or perhaps better, somewhere about an Anderson or Youzhny level. Sousa played well, but Simon needs to eat more. He is so thin, the Miami breeze knocked him off course. ;)
Notice that many of the clay court players are doing well in Miami's conditions? I think they should just change the surface to Har-tru (green clay) and be done with it. Players aren't rewarded too much for attacking play against a decent defending style in Miami.
Picking all the favorites today? :)
I don't watch much women's tennis, but I see results. Maybe Stephens can "upset" Wozniacki? I think it will be difficult with Wozniacki's usual good defensive skills.
For the men, I don't see too many chances for an upset. Well, maybe Baghdatis if he plays very well, and Tsonga has another off day, which he has been having lately. I don't know what is wrong with him. But normally Tsonga should handle Baghdatis with ease. Baghdatis used to prefer quicker conditions.
Murray should normally beat Lopez on these courts, but who knows how the Lendl split is affecting him? His draw gets considerably tougher from here, with potentially Tsonga next and Djokovic thereafter in the QF. I think he can make it to the QF as Tsonga isn't in good form right now. Let's see what unfolds. It won't get easier for him with the clay season almost upon us, but he won't face much pressure there either, so it's a good opportunity to get some matches in and hit a lot of balls. Queens Club will be Murray's big test prior to Wimbledon, and should tell us a lot.
Anyway, I think some of them are enjoying the Miami area - South Beach, the nightlife, etc. :)
Good luck and health to all the players today!
Respectfully,
masterclass
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So, did anyone get any upset picks today?
What about Garcia-Lopez d. Monfils? Upset or not? I'm not sure if Monfils is coming off of an injury or not.
Bautista-Agut d. Janowicz? Bautista is on fire. I enjoy his game. He plays smart. Dunno what's going on with Jerzy? He's had quite a few poor showings here lately.
ERVasselin d. Cilic-pretty comprehensive win. Nice to see ERV get a big win like that.
And how about Wow Sousa? Defeating Simon is never an easy feat. Simon is a roadrunner, so Sousa must've played pretty smart to beat him. I like Joao!
And for Sunday
Anyone vulnerable for Sunday? This time I'm picking who I think will win, instead of who I want to win.
Madison Keys (USA) v [2] Na Li (CHN)
[6] Andy Murray (GBR) v [32] Feliciano Lopez (ESP)
[5] Roger Federer (SUI) v [Q] Thiemo de Bakker (NED)
[WC] Casey Dellacqua (AUS) v [29] Venus Williams (USA)
[17] Sloane Stephens (USA) v [11] Caroline Wozniacki (DEN)
[31] Andreas Seppi (ITA) v [4] David Ferrer (ESP)
Grandstand Start 11:00 am
[WC] Marcos Baghdatis (CYP) v [11] Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA)
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So, did anyone get any upset picks today?
What about Garcia-Lopez d. Monfils? Upset or not? I'm not sure if Monfils is coming off of an injury or not.
Bautista-Agut d. Janowicz? Bautista is on fire. I enjoy his game. He plays smart. Dunno what's going on with Jerzy? He's had quite a few poor showings here lately.
ERVasselin d. Cilic-pretty comprehensive win. Nice to see ERV get a big win like that.
And how about Wow Sousa? Defeating Simon is never an easy feat. Simon is a roadrunner, so Sousa must've played pretty smart to beat him. I like Joao!
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Agreed, Lady TT. Alexandr Dolgopolov is a joy to watch when he is in full flow. He just flies around the court. Unfortunately it is taxing on him and his condition, Gilbert's Syndrome, which affects the liver, blood and often causes exhaustion. His condition worsens when he has to have extensive travel over long distances. If he were able to have more stamina, he could be very dangerous. He is almost forced to gamble a lot and risk, and therefore he usually has a lot of errors. When he can cut those down a bit, and his winner/ue ration improves we see he can win against top quality players.
Respectfully,
masterclass
It's weird how some players are gifted with such talent, but also given an Achilles Heel. Pete with Thessalonica (I don't remember the name of it), Nadal with a congenital bone defect, and now Alexander with his condition. It's sad, because the tennis would be otherworldly coming from these players.
But yeah, I like Dolgo's style a lot. He's amazing. His reflexes are lightning fast and his movement extraordinary. I am adding him to my list of favorite players and moving him right behind Rafa. Love, love, love watching The Dog!
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Agreed, Lady TT. Alexandr Dolgopolov is a joy to watch when he is in full flow. He just flies around the court. Unfortunately it is taxing on him and his condition, Gilbert's Syndrome, which affects the liver, blood and often causes exhaustion. His condition worsens when he has to have extensive travel over long distances. If he were able to have more stamina, he could be very dangerous. He is almost forced to gamble a lot and risk, and therefore he usually has a lot of errors. When he can cut those down a bit, and his winner/ue ration improves we see he can win against top quality players.
Respectfully,
masterclass
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Not at all. If I were a big Federer fan...I'd want Djokovic to make it to the final and get destroyed by Federer.
But really I'm a fan of great tennis, as General Hercules can tell you. Historically, Djokovic-Federer matches produce some pretty good tennis matches. More so than Federer-Nadal, or Murray-Djokovic for example. So in that case, I would hope that Djokovic makes it through and gets to play Federer and they both play well, produce some great tennis, and the best player on the day wins.
I'm not one of those silly fans that wants the better players to lose so that my player can more easily win. What kind of challenge is that? It is not the way of the warrior. And that is how I look at men's tennis. The best play with the heart and mentality of a courageous warrior when they are confident. When they are not confident, it shows. For example, Rafael Nadal is a big fighter, maybe the biggest. But when I see him drop back to the fence to return for no reason, I just cringe. He is sending a message to the server... I am not confident today. I'll play back here and get more time to deal with the shot. He didn't win the hard court events last year doing that. Why? Because he was super confident in his game.
Most of the top players can play great tennis more often by definition. That said, there are certain match-ups where a player does not allow the other to play their best tennis for whatever reason. Many lower ranked players are also capable of playing some good or even great tennis. The problem is that they don't often have the belief when they run into a top player, and they implode at the critical moments. But it's a game played by two players, and many times a player can force a player to play worse than he would against another player.
Now there are times, when a player is not in form, not on his game at all, and it that situation, I think he might be better off losing to some other player than his biggest competitors, for psychological reasons, and get out of the tournament and work on their game. Tennis is not only about playing matches. To be at one's best, one has to constantly work on their game, and especially when one is not in form. Playing matches when not in form or playing with injury is a recipe for destroying confidence and it leads to a vicious cycle of losing to players to whom you shouldn't lose. Hard practice, focusing on the deficiencies and strengths in your game leads to better form. Winning matches leads to better confidence.
Sometimes it can be difficult to find the right balance, as one does need match play as well. I think Federer was in this position much of last year. I think Murray is in this position this year. Djokovic is also not on his game. I think Nadal is risking his game, and his confidence is lower. That's why I believe he shouldn't play in Miami, get 100% healthy, and get on the clay and work on his game until Monte Carlo starts.
Ok, enough, said.... :)
Respectfully,
masterclass
Great post. I feel the same way. Although, at this point, I think it might not hurt Nadal to play Miami since he has zero points there from last year and could pick up more points without jeopardizing too much.
I like great tennis too and try not to focus too much on the players. Tennis is a game of losses as well as wins. So, I take the bad with the good.
Although I hated to see Nadal lose, he wasn't playing well enough to win, so that's that. I'm glad he went to Alex than against his main rivals, that would've created more psychological damage as you said. So, in the end the loss wasn't too bad in my opinion, because life must be meted out to all.
I hope that this tournament gives Dolgopolov the confidence to keep improving. He's great to watch.
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This thread is for anyone to express their upset picks of the day. It's always possible that what a few people or even most people consider an upset might not be considered so by someone else. But don't worry about it. If you consider it an upset, then it's fine to propose it. Most of us recognize an obvious upset when we see one.
This thread will be on going. Just make sure the tournament is mentioned if it hasn't been and the match particulars. You may or may not give your reasons. It's up to you. :)
If you end up being wrong, don't let it deter you. After all, it's not expected that the player one picks to make the upset is likely to win.
Maybe for the big tournaments we will have a contest and see who is the best at predicting upsets!
If there is any dispute about whether someone is an upset or not, a betting site will be used to determine the odds. If the separation is more than a differential of one, then it will be considered. For example, if Djokovic is at 2-1, and Nadal is 3-1, it is not good enough. But if Nadal is 7-2, than that is enough to call it an official upset pick. :)
Have fun!
Respectfully,
masterclass
What a great idea. I'm glad you didn't start this with IW, because I must have been under a fog during that one. I got almost all of my matches wrong >:(.
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I think Benneteau is a quiet achiever and it would be good if he can cause an upset tonight. Highly unlikely again Djokovic but you never know, tennis is a game where the tables can change at any time.
I don't know if Benneteau is a quiet achiever but yes, he's capable of pulling an upset like a lot of the other dangerous players out there, but whether he'll be able to finish it or not is another matter. As you can see after the match, it wasn't much of a contest. He needed to catch Nole off guard as Nole's a bit too informed at this point about Benneteau.
BTW, welcome to the forum Yin Nooy. Please continue to post away and feel at home. We are all just giving our informed or educated opinions here and nothing more. Nothing is written in stone as they say so yes, anything is possible.
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I think Benneteau is a quiet achiever and it would be good if he can cause an upset tonight. Highly unlikely again Djokovic but you never know, tennis is a game where the tables can change at any time.
welcome to Camelot Yin Nooy.
we are very glad you are here. please make yourself at home and post anywhere you wish or please.
Julian can put in a solid performance once in a while. he must be 32-33 by now but still plays and competes at a pretty high level.
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I think Benneteau is a quiet achiever and it would be good if he can cause an upset tonight. Highly unlikely again Djokovic but you never know, tennis is a game where the tables can change at any time.
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Of course you might want to track back Benneteau's path where he had seemingly upset Tsogna but Tsonga is a no show for a while and also, Nole and Tsonga aren't in the same league. I don't underestimate Benneteau and anyone can pull an upset on any given day as we've seen quite a few at last year's Wimbledon, but it is also not as common. In any case, there's not much credit in that.
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Okay, fair enough. This does not answer the question though - what are you basing your recent upset on? What makes you think Benneteau will upset Nole? If it's just an example then never mind but otherwise I am not seeing any reason as to why Benneteau would upset Nole. Trying to jinx Benneteau would be just another silly attempt as well so I don't see you doing that. Typically upsets happen when there's a very good chance and we can detect those ahead of time - such as form, confidence, matchup etc. So I don't see your angle there.
Anyway, I do agree with your assessments on Nadal. He plays bad when he lacks confidence. He was very confident last year as he started out really fresh when the other top players looked pretty jaded after a long season. Since then Nadal has won a lot and played a lot so he too now is not feeling as fresh or not feeling mentally as confident as last year. So it's understood.
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Not at all. If I were a big Federer fan...I'd want Djokovic to make it to the final and get destroyed by Federer.
But really I'm a fan of great tennis, as General Hercules can tell you. Historically, Djokovic-Federer matches produce some pretty good tennis matches. More so than Federer-Nadal, or Murray-Djokovic for example. So in that case, I would hope that Djokovic makes it through and gets to play Federer and they both play well, produce some great tennis, and the best player on the day wins.
I'm not one of those silly fans that wants the better players to lose so that my player can more easily win. What kind of challenge is that? It is not the way of the warrior. And that is how I look at men's tennis. The best play with the heart and mentality of a courageous warrior when they are confident. When they are not confident, it shows. For example, Rafael Nadal is a big fighter, maybe the biggest. But when I see him drop back to the fence to return for no reason, I just cringe. He is sending a message to the server... I am not confident today. I'll play back here and get more time to deal with the shot. He didn't win the hard court events last year doing that. Why? Because he was super confident in his game.
Most of the top players can play great tennis more often by definition. That said, there are certain match-ups where a player does not allow the other to play their best tennis for whatever reason. Many lower ranked players are also capable of playing some good or even great tennis. The problem is that they don't often have the belief when they run into a top player, and they implode at the critical moments. But it's a game played by two players, and many times a player can force a player to play worse than he would against another player.
Now there are times, when a player is not in form, not on his game at all, and it that situation, I think he might be better off losing to some other player than his biggest competitors, for psychological reasons, and get out of the tournament and work on their game. Tennis is not only about playing matches. To be at one's best, one has to constantly work on their game, and especially when one is not in form. Playing matches when not in form or playing with injury is a recipe for destroying confidence and it leads to a vicious cycle of losing to players to whom you shouldn't lose. Hard practice, focusing on the deficiencies and strengths in your game leads to better form. Winning matches leads to better confidence.
Sometimes it can be difficult to find the right balance, as one does need match play as well. I think Federer was in this position much of last year. I think Murray is in this position this year. Djokovic is also not on his game. I think Nadal is risking his game, and his confidence is lower. That's why I believe he shouldn't play in Miami, get 100% healthy, and get on the clay and work on his game until Monte Carlo starts.
Ok, enough, said.... :)
Respectfully,
masterclass
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But that's all there is. I have no idea if you are trying to jinx Benneteau or not. But given that you are a very big Federer fan it's easy to assume that you'd want Nole to go out. Because otherwise you would come across as too or over confident in your picks/upsets etc. So highly unlikely that you would.
And if you don't believe in jinxes and I don't think you do, then it or the intention remains the same, innit.
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Hmm, one should be careful of judging another person's motivations in their picks. I could very well be jinxing Benneteau, so that Djokovic will make it to the semifinal, etc. ;) If that were the case, I wouldn't want to confirm that though for obvious reasons. Of course, many people don't believe in jinxes, or that sort of stuff. :)
And sure, if one seriously feels a favored player is ripe for an upset, for whatever reason, it is the ideal time to call it, no?
I've made far more money than I've lost doing just that. But you have to really know just when to do it, and not overdo. Betting on a favorite is easy, but doesn't usually get you quite as much return.
Respectfully,
masterclass
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Ah very naughty. I know both you and herc want Nole to lose so that Federer can get this title and haha at that, but I can't possibly root or call for an upset for my own player. At the same time I can't say there won't be an upset since anything is possible as we've seen at the AO final. Besides, Nole has been pushed as well.
I won't mind participating though in the future but I will have to keep a very fair mind otherwise I won't feel good about it. It was easy to pick Dolgo over Raonic but not because I hate Raonic but because the circumstances were leaning towards it. If it's all that then I am in.
In my mind, I did pick Dolgo to upset Nadal but only because Nadal wasn't playing well and Dolgo was looking rather sharp and determined.
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I'll start things off as an example.
2014 Indian Wells - BNP Paribas Open
QF round.
Unseeded Julien Benneteau to upset [2] Novak Djokovic!
H2H - Djokovic, 5-1, Only loss in straight sets at 2006 Indian Wells.
Respectfully,
masterclass
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This thread is for anyone to express their upset picks of the day. It's always possible that what a few people or even most people consider an upset might not be considered so by someone else. But don't worry about it. If you consider it an upset, then it's fine to propose it. Most of us recognize an obvious upset when we see one.
This thread will be on going. Just make sure the tournament is mentioned if it hasn't been and the match particulars. You may or may not give your reasons. It's up to you. :)
If you end up being wrong, don't let it deter you. After all, it's not expected that the player one picks to make the upset is likely to win.
Maybe for the big tournaments we will have a contest and see who is the best at predicting upsets!
If there is any dispute about whether someone is an upset or not, a betting site will be used to determine the odds. If the separation is more than a differential of one, then it will be considered. For example, if Djokovic is at 2-1, and Nadal is 3-1, it is not good enough. But if Nadal is 7-2, than that is enough to call it an official upset pick. :)
Have fun!
Respectfully,
masterclass