To break the lengthy draw analysis in two parts I have separated the explanation about what’s at stake for the big boys Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic and what to look for in the early rounds into another post (click here).
If we look at the draw as a whole it’s hard to look beyond Federer as champion. Read more
Posted in Alejandro Falla, Andy Murray, Andy Roddick, David Ferrer, Dudi Sela, Ernests Gulbis, Fabio Fognini, Feliciano Lopez, Fernando Verdasco, Gael Monfils, Gilles Simon, Injury, Ivan Dodig, Ivan Ljubicic, Ivo Karlovic, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, John Isner, Juan Martin Del Potro, Juan Monaco, Marcos Baghdatis, Mardy Fish, Milos Raonic, Nicolas Almagro, Nicolas Mahut, Novak Djokovic, Pete Sampras, Radek Stepanek, Rafael Nadal, Richard Gasquet, Robin Soderling, Roger Federer, Roland Garros, Thomaz Bellucci, Tomas Berdych, Viktor Troicki, Wimbledon
This years men’s Roland Garros draw has the potential to produce a great tournament with some really interesting match ups if the seeds perform. The fluctuating recent form of the top male players doesn’t give me much hope of this happening but lets look at the draw anyway.
The really interesting first round matches are: Read more
Posted in Alexandr Dolgopolov, Andy Murray, Andy Roddick, Arnaud Clement, ATP, Benjamin Becker, Bernard Tomic, Clay courts, David Ferrer, Estoril, Feliciano Lopez, Fernando Verdasco, Frederico Gil, Gael Monfils, Gilles Simon, Injury, Ivo Karlovic, John Isner, Juan Martin Del Potro, Julien Benneteau, Jurgen Melzer, King of Clay, Marcos Baghdatis, Milos Raonic, Nicolas Almagro, Nicolas Mahut, Novak Djokovic, Radek Stepanek, Rafael Nadal, Richard Gasquet, Robin Soderling, Roger Federer, Roland Garros, Thomaz Bellucci, Tomas Berdych, Tommy Haas.
Fernando Verdasco had three match points against Robin Soderling before the Swede managed to pull off the 2-6, 7-5, 6-4 win in the tricky second round encounter. The match should have been Verdasco’s but the Spaniard imploded spectacularly despite some brilliant winners which, unfortunately, seems to be becoming an increasingly common outcome in Nando’s matches. Read more
Posted in Andy Murray, Fernando Verdasco, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Robin Soderling, Rome, Thomaz Bellucci
Thomaz Bellucci has had the most successful tournament of his career. Somehow he beat Andy Murray without me even noticing – which is more a comment on how I feel about Murray lately than Bellucci. After beating Murray, Bellucci then beat Tomas Berdych in straight sets and has, overnight, given Novak Djokovic a run for his money.
Ultimately it was Novak Djokovic who had the legs, fire power and experience to come out with the 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 win. Read more
Posted in Andy Murray, Carlos Moya, Madrid, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Thomaz Bellucci
There’s something about Madrid that seems to keep getting Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal to square off. It seems only appropriate that one of the greatest rivalries in tennis plays out again on the world number one’s home turf. After a ruthless Rafa beat Michael Llodra handily 6-2, 6-2 in their quarterfinal match Federer overcame the sometimes brilliant Robin Soderling 7-6, 6-4 to complete the dream semi final. Read more
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Rafael Nadal has beaten Thomaz Bellucci for a spot in the quarterfinals at Roland Garros. The straight sets 6-2, 7-5, 6-4 victory gave Rafa his 200th clay court win and also means that the Spaniard has amassed a 98% winning rate on his beloved dirt.
Nadal expressed his intentions early, immediately breaking the Brazillian as he struggled to adapt to the heavy conditions. While the first set was all Rafa the second set was highly competitive, with Bellucci finding some amazing shots and extreme aggression on Nadal’s serve. Rafa served for the second set twice. The second chance to serve it out came after an impressive on-the-run backhand passing shot gave him another break in the 11th game, and a chance to avoid a tie break against Bellucci who was playing with patches of brilliance.
Both players broke in the third set but Nadal struck again in the fifth game and Bellucci was unable to recover the deficit.
Nadal next faces compatriot Nico Almagro in the quarters. Nico has never beaten Nadal but recently claimed his first set off Nadal in Madrid.
“It’s going to be very difficult because the way he plays is really excellent. He’s managed to maintain the same level here in the tournament. It’s going to be complicated; he’s going to be very aggressive. It’s normal. He knows how to do this. And as far as I’m concerned, I’ll try and play my way and do my best. I’ll do my best so that he feels a bit uncomfortable.”
Posted in Madrid, Nicolas Almagro, Rafael Nadal, Roland Garros, Thomaz Bellucci
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In a rematch of last years match at the same point in the tournament, Rafael Nadal has again defeated Australia’s Lleyton Hewitt in straight sets 6-3, 6-4, 6-3. In defeating the Australian former world number 1, Nadal has notched up his 18th consecutive win on clay this season.
Both players broke in their opening service games, with Lleyton working hard to try and consolidate the break but Nadal wore him down and after 13 minutes of player the two champions were 1 apiece. The players battled with the wind and Rafa started to find his range on the forehand. Hewitt could be heard court-side saying “the wind is a nightmare”. With less margin for error than Rafa (a side effect of Nadals vicious spin), Hewitt struggled to keep the ball in and get past Nadal, who’s defensive skills were evident from the outset, as well as deft touch at the net. Unfortunately for the Australian Nadal raced away to a 4-1 lead very efficiently.
Lleyton hustled around the court, using his great court speed to stay in numerous points as Rafa displayed his dominance. Nadal didn’t look as fast as Hewitt, but it was almost as if he didn’t need to move because his anticipation was so good that he was already in place to hit the ball, rather than scrambling like Hewitt.
Hewitt did well to take his opening service game of the second set easily with red dirt spraying around the players in the gusty conditions. Lleyton appeared to limp slighting in the second game as Nadal made the Australian slide repeatedly, testing both of Hewitt’s hips. Rafa quickly broke for a 2-1 lead, before giving Hewitt double break-back point, only one of which Lleyton needed as Nadal battled down the windy end of the court.
“I had to play against the wind but I played the whole match really well. I was very comfortable with my forehand, my backhand, but there was the wind. Because of the wind, Hewitt takes the ball really early, and so the ball came to my side fairly low. Sometimes I had trouble catching the ball because I was playing against the wind. But those were my main difficulties. In spite of all these difficulties, I felt fairly comfortable.”
The players then swapped ends, making it much harder for Hewitt to control the high bouncing Nadal forehand. Every time Nadal lacked depth Hewitt charged the net, trying to stop Rafa from dominating from the baseline. Despite repeatedly checking his racket for a crack, after accidentally whacking it into the dirt, Nadal broke in the ninth game, allowing him to serve the set out.
After threatening to smash a racket or thump a ball into the crowd, Hewitt was broken again in the opening game of the first set, Hewitt firing a ball into the air in frustration. Hewitt broke back immediately to, again, level at 1-1, benefitting from another lapse from Nadal. But after nearly 2 1/2 hours of play Hewitt was bundled out of the event.
Nadal has ended Hewitt’s run at Roland Garros on the Australian’s last four attempts.
Nadal’s concentration appeared to dip briefly at points as it has in all of his matches so far at Roland Garros, something unusual for the Spaniard, something he will need to eradicate if he wants to win the tournament. Luckily, unlike last year, Nadal does not face Robin Soderling in the next round. He will play Thomaz Bellucci. The two have only played one time before back in 2008 when Nadal dispatched Bellucci at Roland Garros in straight sets.
Hewitt will now travel the Halle instead of to Queens, his normal pre-Wimbledon tournament. “I am getting old, so I need to try different things.”
“I was a little bit worried. The weather conditions weren’t very good. I saw the clouds gathering. When I walked on the court, I looked at the sky, and I kept looking at the sky because I really wanted to wrap up this match. I did not want to continue playing this particular match tomorrow”. - Rafael Nadal
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Posted in Halle, Lleyton Hewitt, Match Report, Rafael Nadal, Robin Soderling, Roland Garros, Thomaz Bellucci, Wimbledon
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Novak Djokovic has become the first player through to the quarterfinals in Rome after beating Thomaz Bellucci 6-4, 6-4 in 1 hour and 26 minutes.
It started on fairly even terms with both men convincingly holding serve in their first ever meeting. Bellucci was the first to draw blood after Djokovic, last years runner up, gifted him a double fault to go up 0-30 which he then managed to convert to a break. Djokovic needed just one break point and an errant backhand off the racket of Bellucci to immediately break back. Novak, having the single break in hand, took the first set 6-4.
Early in the second set Novak Djokovic seemed to lose his concentration being broken early. Before long Novak found himself at triple break back point, which was impressively saved by the world number 28 with some powerful and pin point accurate serving. Bellucci managed to maintain the advantage by serving despite some resistance from Djokovic, racing into the lead 4-2.
Djokovic retaliated by beating Bellucci for speed and power, easily holding his own service game before again battling to get triple break point on Bellucci’s serve. Bellucci saved the first break back point using incredibly gutsy play managing to just find the line, but only once. Djokovic managed to get things back on serve at 4-4, positioning himself to serve for the 5-4 advantage doing so in just 90 seconds.
After 1 hours and 26 minutes Novak Djokovic was at double break point and double match point. An incredible return gave Djokovic the match after a deep backhand return caught Bellucci off balance.
Djokovic will face the winner of the Verdasco/Garcia-Lopez match which was in the hands of Verdasco at the time of writing.
Posted in Novak Djokovic, Rome, Thomaz Bellucci
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After being runner up in Monte Carlo last week, Fernando Verdasco has taken another step towards the finals in Barcelona by setting up and all-Spanish semi final show down with David Ferrer. It will be Ferrer’s fourth consecutive semi final at the tournament.
Verdasco managed to take the first set off Ernests Gulbis in under 30 minutes of play to secure a 6-2 lead. Gulbis again dropped serve as Fernando tried to continue with the momentum, but Gulbis managed to turn things around by breaking back and elevating his level of play. The second set took 83 minutes. Things were all tied up at the end of the second set, with Verdasco desperate to get things over with in straight sets. Three horrible, frustrated shots, from Gulbis gave Verdasco a handy lead in the tiebreak which was a sufficient gap for the Spaniard to take the set and the match 6-2, 7-6.
Compatriot David Ferrer was the first player through to the semi’s after his easy 6-4, 6-0 victory over Thomaz Bellucci. After Ferrer secured the first break in the 5th game of the first set. Bellucci never recovered.
While Verdasco leads their head to head meetings 5-3 Ferrer will be coming out strongly, seeing his opportunity to finally take the title after being defeated by Rafael Nadal in the last two finals.
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- Rafa Nadal had a better day in the office than Novak Djokoivc did, winning his opening match in Miami against Taylor Dent even with painful wisdom teeth, winning 6-4, 6-3 in just 70 minutes.
- Kim Clijsters won her match after rain soaked delays in in Miami. She later said via Twitter “Long day after rain here, really happy with how I played tonight and stayed focused the whole match. Day off now tomorrow. Yay!!!”
- Defending champion Victoria Azarenka won her second round match as well today. The other defending champion, Andy Murray, faces Mardy Fish. Murray will be hoping to do well at the tournament, having just 35 points separating him and Rafael Nadal in the rankings.
- At this moment Elena Dementieva is suffering at the hands of Justine Henin and her inappropriate seeding/ranking just as she did at the Australian Open. She is down 3-6, 0-4.
- Thomaz Bellucci defeated James Blake in 3 sets, 3-6, 6-1, 6-2.
