Rogers Cup, Canada: Hard Courts Here!
Tsonga and Del Po Disappointing in Losses
The Rogers Cup in Toronto, Canada is one of the premiere events pre-US Open. Despite lacking Federer and Nadal, it really has lived up to some great results.
Stephanek and Chardy surprise Heroes
Radek Stephanek is known for being a very funny guy. His intriguing style of play reminds us of an older time. Anyways, the Czech has had a nice summer but his peak moment came when he managed to oust the Olympic bronze medalist.We can all understand why Del Potro would be tired and his transition from the worn grass of London 2012 to the very bouncy hard courts of Toronto, was not smooth. The Argentine would have been full of confidence after his win of Djokovic so this loss is still a shock.
Jo Tsonga's loss to his fellow countryman, Jeremy Chardy, 6-4, 7-6(6) is a typical reason why Tsonga is not challenging the top four players consistently. I can also understand his transition being tough after a long Olympic journey.
Both "giant-killers" have a great chance in to go at least another round further. Stephanek will play an in-form Tommy Haas while Chardy takes on Spain's Granollers.
Other Updates: Seeds through as Expected
Novak Djokovic is the top seed this week and did a handily job of dismissing the young Aussie, Bernard Tomic, very comfortably 6-2, 6-3. Murray, at the bottom of the draw, destroyed the Italian qualifier, Flavio Cipolla, 6-1, 6-3 but his next match against Raonic will be tough.The key third round matches will see Marin Cilic take on Janko Tipsarevic. "Tipsy" is a personal favourite of mine and I am hoping he finds the form he found last form that lead him to a top ten ranking.
Mardy Fish on the other hand showed at Wimbledon that despite his own health issues, he can still fight. Fish was in superb form this time last year and he is grafting his way back to form. He is at home on the high bouncing hard courts and will be tested by the Argentine.
This match should be a three-setter but I believe Monaco should be able to pull off the upset. I think Monaco should be someone to watch this US Open series.
Videos from my time at Wimbledon
Murray warms up with Jamie Baker, June 26, 2012
A close up of Djokovic as he plays points with Simon- June 26, 2012
A Close-Up of Andujar's fast feet against James Ward, Wimbledon Court 14, June 26, 2012
My Day as a Times Reporter at Aegon International
This week I took a little time out from my usual work to experience what it is like to be a proper journalist at The Times in London. Apart from loving every minute of it, I was offered an opportunity to go to the Aegon International in Eastbourne on Tuesday, June 19th. Not bad ay.I shadowed Neil Harman, The Times tennis correspondent. Harman has been covering tennis since Wimbledon 1982. He started of at the Daily Mail as a tennis and football correspondent and been at The Times for some time. He is arguably the best in the business of what he does and so shadowing him was unbelievable.
Eastbourne Media Centre
My day started out getting my press pass done. Having never had one of these before, I ran into a few embarassing problems. I did not know whether smile or not and so, I ended up giving some half ridiculously stupid smile and I kept showing it to people the wrong way round.I met Harman in the media centre and before we had a little walk around the courts. Eastbourne was a very small but yet sweet place to watch the tennis. It was not overcrowded although seating was nothing but folding chairs that people hung on to like a German with a sun lounger.
After discussing everything from how he got into the game to umpires onto Steve Darcis, he was a fan of the Belgium after meeting him at Davis Cup, I was left to go onto Court 1.
Istomin was playing Llodra which turned into a bit of boring match as Llodra looked like his mind was elsewhere. However, sitting in the press seats was good fun and I did get some respectful looks as I sat down. If only they knew I was on work experience. I was in the same row as Istomin's Mum and Coach. I was amazed at the amount he looked to her, something I try to discourage my players from doing.
The day carried on as I spent time around the courts and in the media room. We both wanted to see the British girls play, Laura Robson and Heather Watson, so we watched Robson fight back very well to win. Then another experience arose that I did not think would happen.
The Press Conferences with Robson, Wozniacki and Roddick
After watching Robson win and grabbing another sandwich, Harman started getting his story together which would be highlighted by Robson's win despite the top three seeds in the WTA event going out.I was then introduced to many press conferences. The conference room was a kind of like a cross between an old church and a cinema with chairs leaving a corridor in the middle and a bright light shining on the players.
Robson gave quite a funny interview in which she fooled one reporter who stated 'her website' said she would now crack the top 100. Robson replied simply with, "I don't have a web site. I only have a Twitter." I'd never heard someone 'mug' someone else off so politely.
Wozniacki was in next. She had just lost but answered questions very professionaly which was great to see. One reporter tried toget a rise out of her by asking her whether her boyfriend, Rory McIlroy, was the cause for bad performances. Her reply of, "No," firmly put the reporter in his place.
I was very intrigued to see the media not wanting to speak to some players, especially as these relatively unknown players had beaten some top seeds.
My last press conference, sadly because I wanted to speak to Gasquet as he lost, was with the legend of press conferences. Andy Roddick.
Despite laughing before with a mate that I should ask a question that would really annoy him, i decided against it after realising that it was not the place or the time due to his match being stopped early as Qurrey had back/neck issues.
His most interesting comment came when he said that, "you can't really replicate match situations in practice," as he responded to a question of coming to Eastbourne. I thought it was funny because Wozniacki and Murray seem to believe the opposite.
It was a great day and an incredible experience. I hope you enjoyed reading about my great day. I went onto to visit Wembley FC and speak to Terry Venablesm David Seaman and some other legends due to their involvement with the club. I'll leave you with the kind of press conference that I one day how to evoke.
WARNING. A swear word is bleeped out
Nadal for Indian Wells title?
Why do I back Rafael Nadal for Indian Wells this week? Well it is for a few reasons.
1. Nadal's month Off would have done WONDERS for his Game
Rafael Nadal's whole month off over February was a very smart thing to do. He had the opportunity to re-charge his batteries and mentally re-focus his mind. As we saw in Dubai, Djokovic was not at his best and maybe not resting for a longer period is what might cost him another record-breaking year. Nadal has had the chance to reflect upon his Aussie Open performance should will realise that he "can" beat Djokovic. If this is the case then a determined Rafa is a dangerous Rafa.
2. Luck of the Draw plays its Part
Without trying to jinx him, his draw to the semi-finals looks harmless, while a trip to the final should be expected. Nadal's main competition does not come in the form of anything terrifying. Tsonga is a dangerous opponent but will have to hit too many backhands to beat Nadal while a semi-final match-up with Federer poses the same deal for Nadal's opponent. If you have a big enough weakness like Tsonga and Federer do (and I mean weakness in the sense of a top tenner) then Nadal is like a robot and will take that weakness apart all day long.
3. 2012 Nadal looks more determined than ever
I am not sure if you noticed but Nadal looked different in January compared to last year. He looked more aggressive, serve was bigger, he was finally hitting his backhand but most importantly he has that look. The 'eye of the tiger,' I know its a cliché but its true. He looks hungry to win and determined to get back to World No. #1.
Now, I am not a Nadal fan. You only have to talk to my sister, (Hi Lauren) to know that I much prefer Murray, Federer and Djokovic. However, I feel like this could be his time and he is ready to dominate from here all the way through Wimbledon.
If you fancy a bet on it, please check out my article on the odds and the best person to bet with.
Otherwise, enjoy a great month of March Master's Madness.
Favourite Federer wins ATP World Tour Finals in London
What a week. What an indoor season. What a year. Roger Federer ends the ATP year by beating Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in another three-setter to win a record-breaking 6th title. The man who looked confident from the start, won 6-3, 6-7(6), 6-3.
The final, a re-match of the first match of the tournament which was also a three-setter, looked over and done with when Federer went up a set and a break. Tsonga himself played some great tennis.
It really came down to a few shots. Tsonga looked a little better with some huge forehands but it was not enough to take down the World No. #3. Federer closed out a "sub-par" season with a 64-12 record. He also picks up a nice cheque of just over 1.6 million dollars, that should cover Christmas expenses.
The event was a huge success. Although the tennis was not always high quality, the drama was always there. Federer looked strong throughout the whole thing. Tsonga also looked composed, even when he lost the second set to Nadal and we thought he might panic. The Frenchman had a great year and will surely continue to make his mark in 2012.
Nadal, Djokovic, Murray and Fish are glad the year is over. Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic looked so fatigued, Andy Murray was hurt and did mention that he should not have played. Personally, Murray you should not have played the Paris event but hindsight is a beautiful thing. Rumours of Mardy Fish being ill plagued the event, his performances were up and down after a great year.
David Ferrer and Tomas Berdych also had nice tournaments. Ferrer took down Murray and Djokovic in the group stage, however could not really hurt the eventual champion in the semi-finals. Berdych fought very hard to beat Ferrer and qualify for the semi-finals. However, with less than a days rest after the Ferrer encounter, Tsonga was too much for him.
Congrats to Roger. Great event in a great city. Shame the season is over.
ONLY TWO WEEKS LEFT ON THE 2011 ATP SEASON
Near the end of day 2 and an interest story has arisen. In the middle of seeing some players fight like crazy to help themselves start the season off with a nice ranking, Novak Djockovic has an issue.
Novak Djockovic claims to be hurt. He has been complaining of a shoulder problem since the US Open and it clearly affected him against Nishikori last week in Basel. However, Djockovic's not playing decisions comes at a interesting price. If Djockovic does not compete this week, he loses out on a share of a prize pool which gives money to players who play a lot of tournament. Think of it as an end of year bonus for being so much involved.
You are all thinking, Novak does not need the money. You are definitely right and the smart thing for him to do would be to rest his shoulder for the end of season event. However, telling someone not try and play for a payout of roughly six figures is like telling your dog not to eat the treat you have left tantalizingly on his nose.
For the first time all season I offer this response to his performance in Paris. If you were to bet against him in each match he plays, your odds would be good and definitely worth a gamble in my opinion. I am not guaranteeing it will pay off, after all he is the World No. 1 and still only lost a handful of matches. His first round opponent is Ivan Dodig, who most notably beat Rafael Nadal earlier this year. Not a great match up in terms of game styles but a hurt Djockovic and a confident Dodig is worth a bet. He is currently 10/3 (William Hill) to win, and Dodig is between 9-1 and 10-1 (Bet Fair) to win in three sets.
In other betting news, looking at the surface and the balls with the Djockovic's injuries I am strongly leaning towards either Tsonga and Berdych. They are both big hitters, they can through the slow court surface a lot more than Federer or Murray can. Bet Fair offers Tsonga at 6/1 and Berdych at 29/1. I like those odds, definitely worth a bet.
SEASON FINALE QUALIFIERS LOSE AS THE PRESSURE IN PARIS GROWS
The race for London has been completely placed upon the results in Paris next week after Basel and Valencia experience big seeds falling early.
The World No. 6, 8,9 and 10 all lose in the first round this week. Berdych and Almagro crash out while Fish and Tipsarevic retire due to injuries. With an opportunity for Tsonga to cement his place in the world finals, he wasted it and was dismissed in the second round. This allows 16 of the top 17 players now mathematically able to qualify.
The two ATP 500 events in Basel, Swizerland and Valencia, Spain were seen to be two huge events for potential qualifiers looking to make a sneaky addition to their points total. However, rather than opportunities to shine it had proved to be a place of inconsistent tennis and dramatic losses. Only Argentine Del Potro is left
In Swizerland Tomas Berdych was the highest seed to lose as he was beaten in three sets by wildcard Kei Nishikori 3-6, 6-3, 6-2. Following Berdych's loss, Mardy Fish and Janko Tipsarevic had to retire, both in the first sets.
In Valencia, Nicolas Almagro's first round loss to Juan Monaco in three sets was the biggest shock. The World No. 9 was also beaten by a wildcard as Monaco won 6-4,3-6,6-4. Then in the second round, recent Erste Bank Open winner and second seed, Jo Wilfred Tsonga, took a two-set defeat by American Sam Querrey.
With all these keys losses this week there are two outcomes. First of all, World No. 11, Juan Martin Del Potro has a great opportunity to close the gap on World No. 8 Mardy Fish. Del Portro, a finalist last week in Austria, has comfortably come through his first two round in Valencia and plays Tsonga's killer, Querrey, next. Del Porto is only 700 points away from catching Fish.
Unless Del Potro does manage to win Valencia, which is not a bad shout looking at his draw, the results in Paris should decide qualification. In the past few weeks we have seen the pressures of qualification lingering on the top players' shoulders. Tsonga, Tipsarevic and Del Porto have shown some good form in previous weeks but with Fish showing some physical weakness, the race to make the top 8 will have to wait for Paris. All the top players will be there and the battle for London is going down to the wire my friends.
In other news, Murray's absence was due to a thigh strain. It does not look too serious and with the ATP World Tour Event round the corner, it seems to be not worth risking the injury getting worse. Basel welcomes back Roger Federer and Novak Djockovic after they both took a fair bit of time off. The World No. 1 struggled in his first match taking 3 sets to see off the talented Belgium, Xavier Malisse, however his second round match was a little more Djockivic-like as he beat Lukas Kubot 6-1, 6-2. Djockovic has an exciting encounter with the entertaining Cyprian, Marc Baghdatis, later today. The new World No. 4, Roger Federer, also had some problems. After dismissing the Italian Potito Starace in two tight sets he ran up against Jarrko Nieminen. The Swiss took the first set with ease but then lost his serve at the start of the second start. The Finn served out the set to force a decider but could not keep Federer down in his home event as he finally won 6-1, 4-6, 6-3. Federer plays Andy Roddick next.
No matter what happens, the Paris Masters event is looking to be a tournament full of upsets and outside pressures. No matter what the players say in press conference, it is clear that qualification for London is on their mind expect the unexpected.
Tsonga Wins in Vienna while Cilic topples Tipsarevic in St. Petersburg.
Jo Wilfred Tsonga will move up to World No. #7 after he won the Erste Bank Open in Vienna, Austria. The Frenchman beat second seed, Juan Martin Del Potro 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-4 on Sunday. His aspirations for going to London took a huge boast as he went above Mardy Fish in the rankings.
Tsonga will focus more on the next two weeks rather than qualification. "I will try to play my best tennis and not think about it," he said. "But of course I hope I will get there." Tsonga will play the ATP 500 Event in Valencia this week. As the second seed, he has a fairly simple draw until he could have a rematch with del Potro in the quarter finals.
Janko Tipsarevic was another player on the rise recently, however he came up short against fourth seed, Marin Cilic, in Sunday's final in St. Peterburg. Cilic took down the second seed 6-3, 3-6, 6-2. The match was very tight after two sets, however the Croat broke twice to win the final four games to win the championship.
Tipsarevic was hoping to earn a 'Russian Double' after winning the Kremlin Cup last week. The Serbian was humble in defeat though. "Marin deserved to win." He also added, "in order to beat Marin, you need to play a certain style of game and for me it was really tough."
Tipsarevic's recent surge of form will keep him in the run for qualifying for the ATP Tour World Finals. With the Swiss Indoors , an ATP 500 Tournament, in store for Tipsarevic next; his quest for London will continue. However, he does have a tough draw with Florian Mayer in the first round and a potential quarter final match up with the new World No. #3, Andy Murray.
Simon loss makes way for London-hopeful Tipsarevic
After winning the Kremlin Cup last week, Janko Tipsarevic moved on to St. Petersburg to gain some essential points to qualify for the Barclays ATP World Tour Event next month. Gilles Simon, also fighting for qualification, posed a serious problem for the Serb.
However, Simon seemed to be too concerned with his final showdown against Tipsarevic. Fellow Frenchman, Adrian Mannarino, took out the top seed 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 in the first round. The World No. 12 was obviously not happy with the result. Simon will need to produce some seriously good tennis to challenge for a place as the O2 Arena.
Tipsarevic, World No. 14 and the second seed, had a tough first round opponent against the experienced Belgium, Olivier Rochus. However, Tipsarevic carries on his mission to qualify for the season finale event in the UK and dismissed the 30-year-old 6-2, 7-5 and then took care of Germany's Michael Berrer in the second round the next day. To be fair, Berrer did retire in the second set which will allow the Serb to re-charge his batteries.
Tipsarevic's route to the final seems pretty simple. American Alex Bogomolov Jr, the seventh seed, is the only seed left in the bottom half of the draw; while in the top half Marin Cilic (fourth seed) and Mikhail Youzhny (fifth seed) are the favourites to destroy Tipsarevic's Russian double.
The Serbian's ranking rose to #10 on Monday and his form makes him arguably the top contender for the eighth qualifying spot. However, the current holder of that position will not go down without a fight.
Jo Wilfred Tsonga, World No. 8, is in action at the Erste Bank Open in Austria. His first round opponent was the in-form Finn, Jarrko Nieminen. Nieminen pushed the French top seed all the way, taking the first set 6-3. However, he hurt his hip just over an hour into the affair. The Finn retired with the score at 3-6, 6-1 3-1. Tsonga will need to pick up form because his quarter-final opponent is the unpredictable Xavier Malisse. The Belgium-native took out the eighth seed, Fabio Fognini, 6-7(3), 6-3, 6-3 and will not be an easy match for the Frenchman.
Both Tipsarevic and Tsonga will be in action again tomorrow.
Monfils and Tipsarevic still on the hunt for London.
World No. 9, Gael Monfils, and World No. 14, Tipsarevic both earn titles as they make late pushes to get into the world's most elite tournament.
Gael Monfils did not have an easy route on the way to the final of the IF Stockholm Open in Sweden. He squeaked past Bernard Tomic in round two; after receiving a bye in round 1. The young Aussie pushed the Frenchman all the way before Monfils' incredible talent gave him a 6-4, 6-7, 6-4. Monfils then won two tight sets against the big serving South African, Kevin Anderson; followed by yet another three-set win against the young Canadian Milos Raonic.
Monfil's final opponent was the unseeded Finn, Jarrko Nieminen. He definitely earned his way to the final after impressive victories against Stanislas Wawrinka and James Blake. Nieminen's matches were also long and tough. There was fear that these two men would not have a lot left for the final; this was not nearly the case. Monfils won a tight first set 7-5 before Nieminen replied with a strong performance to take the second set 6-3. The Finn was unable to keep his momentum going into the third set as he finally succumbed to the Frenchman 7-5, 3-6, 6-2.
Janko Tipsarevic was on fire as he breezed to the Kremlin Cup 2011 title. The 1st seed did not drop a set, not even against fellow countryman, Viktor Troicki, who he played in the final. He defeated the World No. 16 6-4, 6-2.
Tipsarevic showed a lot of resiliency after a poor showing last week at Shanghai. You would have thought that the Serb might have dwelled upon the poor performance but his professionalism showed through this week. He won his matches quietly and confidently. He had an air of optimism about his game and seems fully prepared to fight all the way to the end of the season to secure a place at the O2 Arena in late November.
Both of these guys have a few more opportunities to increase their ranking. Next week, you have two ATP 250 events. The Erste Bank Open in Vienna, Austria and another event in Russia as the players will move to St. Petersburg.
The following week are some key ATP 500 events. Expect to see some high-pressured tennis as anyone ranked between 7-14. Updates will follow this week bi-weekly as London gets closer and closer.
Have a great week.
Shanghai Master's: The race to London starts!
Day 4: Berdych, Simon and Almagro losses hurt their stock for London
World No. 6, Tomas Berdych, had the tricky task of defeating the big serving, left-handed Feliciano Lopez. Unfortunately for Berdych he was not able to solve the Spanaird's riddle and was defeated in straight sets.
Lopez showed impressive form to beat Tipsarevic in the round before, but this performance he will be especially pleased with. A simple clash of serves is exactly what both men would have wanted. However, Berdych's dislike for indoors surfaces seemed to show up.
Berdych is not an indoor player, he has not had a lot of success playing on fast courts. The reason for this is partly his footwork but mostly because he loves to have time. Lopez took advantage by using his impeccable slice and amazing serve. If you want to learn how to serve, watch Lopez. His loose wrist and rhythm is definitely up there as top in the game.
Berdych's stock will not drop too much due to Simon and Almagro both losing. Almagro dropped a straight set victory to Andy Roddick. Roddick has been making headlines more recently with his comments regarding a strike than his performances. However, the American showed a lot of discipline to win in straight sets and not face a break point. Almagro's stock for London really takes a big hit.
Gilles Simon had a surprising loss to Australian qualifier, Matthew Ebden. Ebden and Simon had to be moved indoors due to poor weather. However, Ebden showed a lot of maturity as he won in a third set tie-break. Ebden is currently having his best career to date and sits at 124 in the world. Ebden will next match up against Andy Murray.
Day 3: Berdych wins as Tsonga loses, Dolgopolov possible push??
Jo Wilfred Tsonga has really piled the pressure on himself. Today he lost to Japanese sensation Kei Nishikori in 3 sets. In other news, Berdych won comfortably and Dolgopolov could make a splash with the right results.
Asian sensation, Kei Nishikori finally put some numbers in the stadium at Shanghai with a fantastic display of court craft to oust the world number 7. Tsonga is probably going to make the end of year event but he will not sleep comfortably after this performance.
Right from the start of the match something seemed a little off with Tsonga. He still had rockets flying from his racket but his foot work seemed sluggish and his concentration wavered. Even after taking the first set on a tiebreak things did not seem to change. However, on the other end something saw his opportunity to strike.
Kei Nishikori has been struggling physically ever since he made his break out on tour a few years ago. Finally we got a glimpse of the talent he beholds. Nishikori has been getting some help from Brad Gilbert and it definitely seems to have paid off. The Jap showed great confidence and composure to take the second and third set; especially with the second set ending with three straight breaks of serve.
The third set brought about some urgency from Tsonga. He was now trying to dig deep through desperation and he could not find his faithful weapons to take Nishikori out of his zone. Nishikori finally gave us something to remind us that he really could be a top 10 player very soon.
Tomas Berdych went to work against fellow Czech Radek Stephanek. Stephanek is not the easiest of opponents to play against, however Berdych's powerful ground game showed no respect for Stephanek's talent.
The world number 6 won in straight sets 6-4, 6-3 and potentially looks to be an outsider for a title shot if he can bypass Rafael Nadal. Nadal himself dismissed fellow countryman, Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, easily 6-3, 6-2. Nadal did not troubled by the man who beat him 12 months ago. Nadal's recent comment that 2010 Nadal had more to offer than 2011 Nadal was uncharacteristic in my opinion. Nadal is never one to boast but this was a little too negative and showed his vulnerability. We can all see in his play a loss of confidence but after recent comments it seems that his losses this season are affecting him mentally.
Alexandr Dolgopolov jr. from Ukraine is one of the most exciting new faces of tennis in 2011. His small stature, incredible explosiveness and curious variety of shots makes him brilliant to watch and a pain to play. The 12th seed beat qualifier Albert Ramos in three sets today to create a match up against another talented new-comer in Bernard Tomic.
Both Tomic and Doglopolov are favourites to make some even bigger strides in 2012 and hopefully make a deeper impact inside the top 10. However, pending a long run in Shanghai and Paris, plus a few titles in between The Ukrainian could mathematically still make it into London. I want it to happen but I wont be holding my breath.
The race for London is officially on. With only one more Masters' event on offer after Shanghai, here is a update of who needs to be the Shanghai kid if they are to brace the concrete of London's O2 Arena.
Tomas Berdych and Jo-Wilfred Tsonga- World No. 7 and 8. The Men to Catch
Both Berdych and Tsonga are fighting to confirm a place in London. The Czech, Tomas Berdych, comes off a recent title in China and will look to Shanghai as a way to guarantee himself a place at the end of season championships for the second straight year. With Tipsarevic's loss in the first round, he is the highest ranked place in that section by far and will look forward to a crack at Rafael Nadal in the quarter-finals. Jo-Wilfred Tsonga will not able to sit back and hope that World No. 6 Robin Soderling will pull out. Tsonga's draw at Shanghai seems promising though. His most troubling opponent seems to be 14th seed Juergen Melzer. I do not see a problem there or in the quarter-finals with Fish's abrupt exit. Tsonga should be looking at a semi-final appearance against Andy Murray; then against a Frenchman under pressure creates unreliability. (Yes, I understand that France beat England)
Mardy Fish- World No. 9- 55 points away
The fifth seed lost to the young, audacious Australian Bernard Tomic which could be detrimental to his ability to qualify. Tomic made the American look like a "fish out of water" in his 46, 61 64 victory. (I am sorry but I had to throw in a cheap joke, no more I promise) Fish's loss only looks very harm with him currently one place out. I actually believe that Fish will make it to London. Partly due to injuries of other players, but mostly due to his impressive form this season.
Nicolas Almagro, World No. 11- 750 points away
He had a seemingly easy second round opponent after receiving a bye in the first round. Almagro beat fellow countryman, Tommy Robredo, in straight sets to seal an exciting match-up against Andy Roddick. If Almagro can win, and it will be interesting to see if he can, then he has a great shot at playing David Ferrer.
Giles Simon, world No. 12, 795 points away
The eighth seeded Frenchman had a very easy win in his second round match-up against Albert Montanes. Montanes, from Spain, won a thrilling 3-setter in the first round against Mikhail Kukushkin. He seemed out of gas against a the French counter puncture. With Viktor Troicki losing to Ryan Harrison in the Frenchman's quarter, Simon should at least get into the quarter-finals. There he could meet tournament favourite Andy Murray, who recently defeated Simon on his way to the Thailand Open title. Simon definitely has a chance to play in London. With Fish's loss and Monfils absence, he would need to win at least one more event and have a strong showing in Paris to make this dream come true.
Janko Tipsarevic -World No. 13- 975 points Away
The ninth seed lost his first round very surprisingly to Feliciano Lopez. Taking nothing away from Lopez and his awesome talent; I was very shocked to see the Serb go out in straight sets for the second week in a row knowing that he could sneak a place in the end of season championships. Then again, Tipsarevic has always been full of inconsistency in relation to his talent. His loss to Tursunov and now Lopez makes me question whether he deserves a place, yet his impressive show of form against Djockovic in the US Open proves that he is an incredible shot maker. Verdict: I think he wont make it.
Keep watch. I will be covering every new twist and turn in the race for London 2011.
Murray downs Nadal. Next Target: Federer's No. 3 World Ranking
Andy Murray finally defeated Rafael Nadal in the Tokyo final on Sunday. Murray had lost to Nadal 5 times this year, including the semi-finals of the French Open, Wimbledon and US Open. Murray now has a chance to move up a place in the world rankings to #3.
Rafael Nadal, the top seed, looked in control of Andy after taking the first set 6-3. He dominated Murray from the back. The rallies were all about Nadal and he huge forehand.
However, Murray dug deep to destroy the Spaniard in the last two sets, dropping just two games. Murray showed the kind of form that had beaten Nadal in the past; the ability that we assumed Murray had lost after his 5 losses. He stepped in on his backhand and managed to stop Nadal from using his forehand. One of his known, most successful tactics was he took the ball early giving Nadal no time.
Murray's new found form seems to be related to his hunger for the No. 3 world ranking. "I've played well in the last few months in Cincinnati and then the U.S. Open... I need to keep up the wins and hopefully I'll get the No. 3 ranking."
Murray won the Thailand Open last week and now add the Japan Open he is my favourite for the Shanghai Masters. Especially with Federer and Djockovic already pulled out. Murray's quest for the No. 3 ranking is purely on his shoulders and it will interesting to see how he handles that in Shanghai.
Remember, the end of year tournament in the O2 Arena starts next month. Keep an eye out for the top 5-13 players who could possibly make it. It will make Shanghai one of the most exciting Masters' Events even with Djockovic and Federer missing.
Tokyo Treated to Talents of the "Top Guns"
Number 1 seed, world no. #2 Rafael Nadal will face number 4 seed, Mardy Fish in the first semi-final while in the other world no. 3 and second seed Andy Murray will face Spanish number 3 seed David Ferrer.
The Japanese crowds have been delighted with the quality of tennis in Tokyo. Apart from Nadal, everybody has lost a set. Andy Murray dropped a set in the first round to recent Kuala Lumpur finalist Marcos Baghdatis. Fish has dropped two sets, one to fellow American youngster Ryan Harrison and the other to another youngster, the intriguing Australian Bernard Tomic. Ferrer also lost a set to an Aussie in the second round. Matthew Ebden took the first set off the world no. #5. The qualifier looked to have Ferrer all worked out, however the Spaniard knows how to fight back and he did it in classic Ferrer style by taking the second and third sets 6-2.
The semi-final match ups offer some amazing tennis. Nadal has a commanding 6-1 record over Mardy Fish; however Fish's only victory was two months ago in Cincinnati. Nadal will be looking for revenge but Fish is still fighting for his place in London and so expect a three setter.
Murray and Ferrer offers a modern day between two consistent battlers. Murray has to be the favourite due to his big serve, better tactical brain and ability to hit the ball harder. If Murray shows up in a bad mood and mentally struggles then you can guarantee that Ferrer will strike. Either way, lots of rallies and good tactical plays makes for a great match.
Enjoy people!
ATP Bangkok, Thailand- Monfils and Young into Semi-Final
Both Gael Monfils of France and Donald Young have had tough routes to the Semi-finals. However, straight set victories in the quarter finals will allow the men to be fresh when they battle tomorrow.
The second seed, Monfils, was pushed in two tough sets by Jarkko Nieminen 7-5, 7-6(4). The unseeded man from Finland has had a great tournament reaching the quarter finals after defeating seventh seed Robin Hasse in the round before.
Unseeded, high-flying American Donald had a very easy win against Japanese qualifier Go Soeda. Young won 6-1, 6-2. Sodea seemed a little tired after having qualified and won two tough main draw matches including an exciting first round match up with Karol Beck. However, Young looked too good and seems ready to jump into the top 50 players in the international rankings. Young looked good at the US Open after reaching the fourth round this year.
Both Monfils and Young lost in the second round; however straight set victories in the quarter final should mean that both are fresh to battle for a place in the final. Obvious favourite would be Monfils, being ranked #14 in the world and still fighting for a place in the end of year event to take place in London. However, Young did explain that, "I like playing here and this year I'm coming with more confidence than I've previously."
ATP Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia- Baghdatis joins (2) Troicki and (3) Tipsarevic in Semis
Marcos Baghdatis carried forward his momentum to unexpectedly fly into the semi-finals after beating fourth seeded Juergen Melzer 6-3, 7-6(3). The Cyprian was given a wildcard into the event and proved his worth by beating sixth seed Alex Bogomolov Jr. in the first round. Baghdatis now moves on to the Semis to face second seed Vicktor Troicki.
Vicktor Troicki eased his way into the semi finals are defeating seventh seed, Dmitry Tursunov 6-4, 6-4. The Serbian top 20 showed considerable more ability as he looked to improve his form. Troicki struggled at the US Open and at Davis Cup. This is his first semi-final since February. he is starting to look good and could possibly make a late charge for London as his current ranking is #15.
Nikolay Daydenko and Janko Tipsarevic met in the first of the top half's quarter finals. It looked like a great match up. With Tipsarevic's shot making talent and Davydenko's ability to trade on the baseline, this match had potential to be great. However, this was not the case. The match stopped at 3-1 to Tipsarevic after Davydenko had to retire due to hamstring injury.
Tsonga and Ljubicic into Metz Final after a pair of straight set victories
Jo Wilfred Tsonga got his first victory over Alexander Dolgopolov while Ljubicic won two tie breaks to take down Gilles Mueller to set up an exciting final of big servers.
Tsonga's straight set victory came in just 77 minutes, delighting the French crowd with some brilliant winners. This is Tsonga third final this year yet he is looking for his first title.
Ljubicic fired 26 aces compared to his opponent's 18 to win in an hour and 51 minutes. The Croat, "served extremly well." Ljubicic said, "Today I think my concentration was very important but also my experience and luck played a part."
Ljubicic is searching for his 11th career title and is currently ranked 29th compared to Tsonga's world ranking of 7. What we can promise is that this match will be full of aces and powerful tennis. The French crowd will be firmly behind the Frenchman and I for one can only see victory going to the higher ranked French man.
The Final will take place tomorrow at 1:00 PM GMT.
Djockovic: Don't blame him, embrace him. September 20th, 2011
Recently I have seen a debate arise regarding Djockovic. Some people like his confidence and hilarious antics, some people think he is arrogant and unsportsmanlike. In essence both sides are correct. He is perfect for the game of tennis because tennis needs a character.
After watching Djockovic pull out against Del Potro this weekend I realized he will come under scrutiny. He has lost three matches this year, two of them by retirement. He is a cop out right? Cannot handle losing anymore? No. In both situations you cannot blame him for what happened.
Djckovic's retirement in the final of the Cincinnati Open this year back in August. He was a set and 3-0 down and called it quits due to tightness in his shoulder. What was the main reason for his retirement? In my opinion it was a combination of injury and intelligence. His shoulder probably was tight, he had served a lot even though his semi-final was only a set long. In the big scheme of things though, the Serb wanted to the win the US Open more than the Cincy tournament. Which he did . He showed courage and toughness in his semi-final against Federer; especially after his tough quarter final against fellow Serb, Janko Tipsarevic. Still he showed amazing skills in the final against a Nadal who brought it all in the third set.
Audiences and fans alike can say, "He should value every tennis match the same. Fans buy expensive tickets to see the best tennis." Yeah right. In the same way I do not think football teams should rest their best players in League Cup games or Champions League matches that do not count but they do. And, why is that? Because they see the big picture and have aspirations of going all the way in the big competitions.
When you look at his retirement this weekend, it is fair to say that the Serbian Davis Cup Captain panicked and put out his best player knowing he was unfit. Bogdan Obradovic was in a very tough position. He has had an unhealthy world no. 1 and the world #16, Vickto troicki, who was blown away by an inspired David Nalbandian. Nalbandian rolled back the years to win in four and continue his impressive Davis Cup match record.
So you can see Djockovic had no choice but to play. It was clear that he was struggling from the first point. He was in a lot of pain otherwise he would have fought all the way to the end as he did against Federer recently. He gave his best. The tears in his eyes afterwards proved that he wanted to win.
Novak Djockovic is a character. You can call his arrogant, annoying, funny or a great showman. Either way he is a front man that creates excitement and I hope to see more antics from him. He will keep the sport of tennis alive. He has taken over from the Nadal Federer rivalry and will probably dominate Men's tennis until Del Potro or Murray can step match his level.
Davis Cup- Day 2
France versus Spain
After Spain's dominant start, the French respond strongly with a comfortable doubles win.
France's Jo Wilfred Tsonga and Michael Llodra destroyed Spain's Feliciano Lopez and Fernando Verdasco 6-1,6-2,6-0 in front of a demoralised Spanish crowd.
Before the match started, France had a slight edge but no one seemed to predict such an easy victory. The French team played great, Tsonga served and returned big and Llodra dominated at the net. They played a impeccable match, but it seemed like the Spanish didn't seem too concerned with the loss.
I do not mean that the Spanish pair tanked, but I do not fully believe that they gave 110% out there for the win. They fought a little bit, but rolled over very easily as the score suggests.
The reason for this? Well they have 2-1 up now and only need one more win. They have Nadal to play, who rarely loses on clay in the last few years, and Ferrer who is also a world class clay courter. Both players are currently ranked in the top 5 and clay is their favourite surface. Lets hope that Verdasco and Lopez's lack of focus doesn't come back to cost the Spanish, to be fair I don't think it will even if Tsonga does play singles.
Australia versus Switzerland
Australia took the advantage after winning the doubles match and taking a 2-1 lead. Lleyton Hewitt and Chris Guccione took down the Swiss, Gold Medallists Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka in four sets.
After an easy first set to the Swiss, the Aussie pairing rallied back hard to reel over three straight sets. Hewitt played tremendously considering he has been injured. He was forced to pull out of the US Open. Constantly using his ferocious attitude to get the crowd going. Todd Woodbridge commented that it was "one of the best doubles performances in Australian Davis Cup history."
The final day looks very tasty for the Aussies. Federer plays Tomic, while Hewitt is scheduled to play Wawrinka, although he is complaining of leg imflammation. If Wawrinka doesn't play, which would be unlikely due to his grass court ability, up would step either Stephane Bohli or Marco Chiudinelli. Both players are ranked outside the top 200, while Hewitt turned around said, "bring it on" to the idea that he would be up for playing the final rubber. The Australians seem firm favourites even if Wawrinka does play, however Hewitt's fitness might be a problem with two straight days of tennis along with the drain of nervous energy that tight Davis Cup matches creates.
Great Britain versus Hungary.
Glasgow were treated to a great doubles performance from Colin Fleming and Ross Hutchins as they tidily won in straight sets against Hungary's Attila Balazs and Kornel Bardoczky.
The British pair looked comfortable from the first point, although they did face a few tough service games in the first set. They were very discipline with their tactics and showed great mental strength throughout the match. It was a fine display of simple doubles being effective due to disciplined tactical play.
This has given Team GB a victory over Hungary and promotion to Europe/ Africa Group I. Andy Murray's help has been the real reason for Great Britain's recent success. Not to say that James Ward, and doubles pair Hutchins and Fleming haven't helped. If they can keep people healthy then there should be no reason why Team GB cannot be involved in the World Group Championships in a few years.
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