Last weekend (25th & 26th February) saw some very significant results in the Barclays Premier League. Manchester United remained on course for a twentieth league crown with a victory over Norwich City at Carrow Road. It took an injury time goal from Ryan Giggs to deny Norwich a draw against the champions and had it not been for a great display from United goalkeeper David De Gea they may well have stolen all three points from this game. Paul Scholes second goal since his return gave United and early lead and at that stage it looked as though they might just have a comfortable afternoon but it proved to a far from simple task. Norwich piled on the pressure and played some very nice football as they continued their pursuit of a second season in England's elite league. Grant Holt's goal in the 83rd minute looked to have salvaged the draw and it has to be said it would not have been undeserved. After the equaliser United pushed forward and put the Canaries under extreme pressure. It looked like they wouldn't get the crucial winner but when Ashley Young's cross went in Ryan Giggs direction there was only ever one outcome. It was a day made for Giggs and on his 900th appearance in a United shirt he scored what could be one of his most important goals. If they hadn't got the winner and fell four points behind neighbours City then they would face an uphill task in retrieving the deficit. As it stands the champions are now just two points behind and it just takes one slip up from City to allow them take the reigns at the top. With a number of key players returning from injury it seems United may be about to peak at the right time. However, City are also regaining players with the return of the Toure brothers and possibly Carlos Tevez and that could see them return to the form they had at the beginning of the season. The title race looks certain to now come down to the Manchester derby at Eastlands on the second last day of the season which would certainly provide a thrilling end to a great season. The other factor which could come into play is which squad can cope with their struggle to balance both the Europa League on Thursday nights and the Premier League weekends. It is certainly going to be interesting to watch the season unfold before our eyes. When the year ends we could very well look back on Sunday as the turning point in the title race where the crucial last minute winner has a bigger part to play in the race than we may think now. In the bottom end of the table Norwich may look back at the point dropped as a turning point in their relegation survival quest.
Mid way through the first half at the Emirates on Sunday Arsene Wenger may well have been staring at an exit from the Arsenal hot seat. 2-0 down to bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur and seeing their 4th place chances fading and fading. Then his fortunes turned. His players showed character and fight as they clawed their way back from the brink and by half time were level after Bacary Sagna and Robin Van Persie had pulled them back into the game. Then they came out after the break and carried on where they left off. Rosicky looked top class in the middle of the field. Their defence for once looked solid. They passed with flair, they looked a threat on every attack and for the first time in years they finished the chances when it really mattered against a big team on the big stage. Theo Walcott scored two second half goals and Rosicky capped a fine display with a goal. Walcott has always come under stick for not living up to the expectations but the team spirit was evident when Robin Van Persie stood up for his team mate in his post match interview. This show of spirit from the Gunners could be the start of something at the Emirates. If they can continue playing to their true standards then they may well finish in the top four and have Champions League football again next year. Firstly they need to redeem themselves against AC Milan and try to regain their pride. With Chelsea struggling and Liverpool inconsistent and Newcastle unproven at this level they have a great chance to make the top four. The key in the Summer for them is to firstly keep their top stars and then Wenger needs to break the bank and buy players that will help them to compete for the title again.
Andre Villas Boas' Chelsea eased the tension at Stamford Bridge ever so slightly with a 3-0 win over Bolton at the weekend. They finally got the rewards for their perserverance and got a much need win. AVB had been under increasing pressure and after defeat to Napoli in the Champions League it looked as though the end may be near. Roman Abromavich has made it clear the Champions League is his priority and if AVB can't turn around the result against Napoli then the situation could change. Unfortunately for Chelsea I don't think they have turned the corner and I think they will struggle for the remainder of the season. In my opinion I think it's crucial they stick with AVB though. He is a young manager and has some great philosophies on football. If they stick with him then they will have another year at least of transition before we see the real benefits of his policies. A summer of restructure is what they need but if they get rid of AVB then another manager comes in and changes everything again and that will just provide a short term solution. If they want long term success then Villas-Boas is certainly the man to stick with.
Next weekend sees Arsenal face Liverpool while United travelling to White Hart Lane to face Spurs and Man City haveing a comfortable home tie with Bolton. Chelsea have a tough game away to West Brom. Everton travel to QPR. Stoke City host Norwich, Wigan entertain Swansea while Blackburn host Aston Villa. It's derby day at Newcastle as they are at home to Sunderland and finally Fulham are at home to Wolves. An entertaining weekend is in store and we can expect plenty of changes in the league table by the end of the action. Next Monday ill be back here to review the weekend results and discuss the developments in the title race as United look to close the gap, Wigan and Blackburn look to relieve the pressure on themselves in the relegation battle while AVB looks to ease pressure on his job. Arsenal, Spurs, Newcastle, Chelsea and Liverpool fight for the remaining Champions League spot.
Tuesday 28 February 2012
Monday 27 February 2012
Delray Beach & Acapulco Tennis
A bit late with this one but here's a look at the draws in Acapulco and Delray Beach where a host of top players are taking part. The tournament in Acapulco has become a tournament that consistently attracts some top players it's now one of just eleven tournaments that have ATP 500 status. Acapulco gives players a chance to get on to their favoured surface of clay and get a head start on their opponents. Delray Beach has also drawn in some big starts despite its ATP 250 status. It may not have the stature of Dubai or Acapulco but it has its advantages and the main reason for attracting players is it provides players a chance to get acclimatised with the American weather before the American hard court swing. So let's take a closer look at the field and the players likely to shine.
Starting with Acapulco and a quick glance at the field will show the vast majority of the players are from South America and Spain which is to be expected as the preferred surface of those countries is of course clay. Heavy favourite for the tournament will of course be David Ferrer who picked up his second tournament of the year last week when he played on the clay of Buenos Aires where he defeated Nicolas Almagro in the final. He takes on Mexican wildcard Santiago Gonzalez in the first round and is likely to face Lukas Kubot in the second round should he dispose of Daniel Garza in his first round match. On the other side of that quarter is fifth seed Florian Mayer who faces Argentine qualifier Facundo Bagnis in the opening round and then faces a potential clash with his namesake Leonardo although it;s likely he will be beaten talented Spaniard Pablo Andujar. Andujar will also cause problems for Florian and in my opinion Andujar is the likely quarter final opponent for Ferrer. No matter who makes it there Ferrer will progress with minimum fuss from those matches. Talented Frenchman is the third seed in Mexico and his decision to partake here on the clay could be a sign of his intention to progress further at his home major, the French Open. He faces a very tricky start to this tournament as he faces Carlos Berlocq who has had some very good performances against good players in the past year and the clay will certainly aid his cause. I expect Simon to make it through though, and I think he might be in for a good week despite his unfavourable draw. Potito Starace will more than likely be the one who awaits him in the second round a tricky quarter final where he could face any one of four good players. The seeding suggests Marcel Granollers will be the quarter final opponent but I would be surprised if he actually makes it. I would expect Thomaz Bellucci to beat Granollers in the first round. Bellucci is a very good clay court player and despite a blip in form in recent months I think a return to clay will boost the Brazilians confidence. The winner of that game will face either David Nalbandian or the hit and miss Columbian Santiago Giraldo. Nalbandian is coming off a semi final appearance in Buenos Aires last week and has had a few days to recover so I would expect him to win this one and progress to an intriguing clash with Bellucci. The second half of the draw is where the best matches will be and is very difficult to pick winners from. Argentine Juan Monaco will be a very tricky opponent for anybody he faces here with his dangerous clay court game. His first round match with fellow clay courter Albert Ramos will be a very entertaining battle with plenty of long rallies and in the end I would expect Monaco to just about progress. Then it gets very tricky for Monaco as he faces the winner of former French Open winner Juan Carlos Ferrero and Stanislas Wawrinka. That match will be a high quality affair and I think Wawrinka will just about come through a very difficult match and go on to face Monaco but that one will be a struggle for him and he could face an early exit unless he can produce some of his best tennis. The winner of that will most likely face either Kei Nishikori or Albert Montanes. Those two square off in round one and although Nishikori holds a clear advantage in the rankings and in form, Montanes is a very good clay court player and could produce a shock win over the Japanese player who has had a very good year to date. It would be very difficult to say one way or the other with any degree of certainty but if i was forced to choose I would go with Montanes. The quarter final could be any pairing from this section but in my own opinion I think it could be Montanes and Wawrinka but players like Monaco and Nishikori could very well find themselves there. The final section is easier to call and I would fully expect Fernando Verdasco and Nicolas Almagro to make it through to the quarter finals andAlmagro would have the edge if that was the case. Filippo Volandri has to be given a mention too though as recently he has had some very good runs and should he beat Verdasco in the opening round he will go on to face Almagro in a quarter finals. Trying to look ahead to a semi final is difficult but I think that for certain Nicolas Almagro will be through and who he faces in the semi is impossible to know for sure but i'm going to give Juan Monaco a shout here. I think he has the game and fitness levels to get through a very tough draw but Nicolas Almagro will prove a step to far for him and Almagro will move on to a third successive final. David Ferrer will make it through to another final and look to win his third title of the year. In the semis i would imagine he would beat either Simon or Bellucci. A repeat of last weeks Buenos Aires final between Almagro and Ferrer will be the result of the weeks play and I don't think Almagro will have gained enough to beat the in form Ferrer.
A quick look at Delray Beach and Memphis winner Jurgen Melzer will look to win consecutive titles although he will face another strong field and a second round clash with either Bernard Tomic or Tommy Haas will provide stern competition for the Austrian. Haas has been good since his return but Tomic will have too much class for the German although Haas looks good to have a strong year on his return. I think Tomic will take advantage of Melzer's exertions last week and progress to a meeting with John Isner who should comfortably get through to the quarter finals. Isners serve would be a big problem for Tomic who doesn't have a consistent enough serve to have a chance to beat the big American. Andy Roddick needs a good week but an opening clash with Philip Petzschner is not what he would have wanted. I do expect Roddick to get himself back on track and beat the German but a second round clash with Denis Istomin is where his run could end. Istomin has been strong since last year and can produce a performance to beat the American. I fancy Roddick to win though, I don't think he will lose early two weeks in a row in front of his own crowd. Most likely Kevin Anderson will await in the quarter final should he overcome Xavier Malisse who should beat Guillermo Garcia-Lopez. Roddick would be a favourite in that one if he made it there as he would have built up some confidence from earlier wins. I think Ernest Gulbis might just have a good week here. He hasn't won since last year and will be eager to end that drought here. He should beat Alejandro Falla and then beat Victor Troicki to go on to face Ivo Karlovic who I believe will make it past Alex Bogomolov jr. Phillip Kohlschreiber opens against Olivier Rochus and should progress to a meeting with Ivan Dodig who I think will then beat Kohlschreiber. Marin Cilic has got to perform this well. He hasn't played well in far too long and this week he has been given a draw kind enough to give him a good run. He should beat Jarkko Nieminen and then go on to beat Dodig or Kohlschreiber. In the semis I think we will see Marin Cilic face Ernest Gulbis in an unlikely semi final pairing and in the other side of the draw I think we will have John Isner and Andy Roddick. In the final i'm expecting to see Isner face Cilic where Isner will come out on top to win the title. Others that I believe are capable of having good weeks and are worth watching are Bernard Tomic, Ivo Karlovic and last weeks winner Jurgen Melzer.
Both tournaments should provide some great tennis and along with Dubai we have got a very exciting week of tennis to look forward to.
Starting with Acapulco and a quick glance at the field will show the vast majority of the players are from South America and Spain which is to be expected as the preferred surface of those countries is of course clay. Heavy favourite for the tournament will of course be David Ferrer who picked up his second tournament of the year last week when he played on the clay of Buenos Aires where he defeated Nicolas Almagro in the final. He takes on Mexican wildcard Santiago Gonzalez in the first round and is likely to face Lukas Kubot in the second round should he dispose of Daniel Garza in his first round match. On the other side of that quarter is fifth seed Florian Mayer who faces Argentine qualifier Facundo Bagnis in the opening round and then faces a potential clash with his namesake Leonardo although it;s likely he will be beaten talented Spaniard Pablo Andujar. Andujar will also cause problems for Florian and in my opinion Andujar is the likely quarter final opponent for Ferrer. No matter who makes it there Ferrer will progress with minimum fuss from those matches. Talented Frenchman is the third seed in Mexico and his decision to partake here on the clay could be a sign of his intention to progress further at his home major, the French Open. He faces a very tricky start to this tournament as he faces Carlos Berlocq who has had some very good performances against good players in the past year and the clay will certainly aid his cause. I expect Simon to make it through though, and I think he might be in for a good week despite his unfavourable draw. Potito Starace will more than likely be the one who awaits him in the second round a tricky quarter final where he could face any one of four good players. The seeding suggests Marcel Granollers will be the quarter final opponent but I would be surprised if he actually makes it. I would expect Thomaz Bellucci to beat Granollers in the first round. Bellucci is a very good clay court player and despite a blip in form in recent months I think a return to clay will boost the Brazilians confidence. The winner of that game will face either David Nalbandian or the hit and miss Columbian Santiago Giraldo. Nalbandian is coming off a semi final appearance in Buenos Aires last week and has had a few days to recover so I would expect him to win this one and progress to an intriguing clash with Bellucci. The second half of the draw is where the best matches will be and is very difficult to pick winners from. Argentine Juan Monaco will be a very tricky opponent for anybody he faces here with his dangerous clay court game. His first round match with fellow clay courter Albert Ramos will be a very entertaining battle with plenty of long rallies and in the end I would expect Monaco to just about progress. Then it gets very tricky for Monaco as he faces the winner of former French Open winner Juan Carlos Ferrero and Stanislas Wawrinka. That match will be a high quality affair and I think Wawrinka will just about come through a very difficult match and go on to face Monaco but that one will be a struggle for him and he could face an early exit unless he can produce some of his best tennis. The winner of that will most likely face either Kei Nishikori or Albert Montanes. Those two square off in round one and although Nishikori holds a clear advantage in the rankings and in form, Montanes is a very good clay court player and could produce a shock win over the Japanese player who has had a very good year to date. It would be very difficult to say one way or the other with any degree of certainty but if i was forced to choose I would go with Montanes. The quarter final could be any pairing from this section but in my own opinion I think it could be Montanes and Wawrinka but players like Monaco and Nishikori could very well find themselves there. The final section is easier to call and I would fully expect Fernando Verdasco and Nicolas Almagro to make it through to the quarter finals andAlmagro would have the edge if that was the case. Filippo Volandri has to be given a mention too though as recently he has had some very good runs and should he beat Verdasco in the opening round he will go on to face Almagro in a quarter finals. Trying to look ahead to a semi final is difficult but I think that for certain Nicolas Almagro will be through and who he faces in the semi is impossible to know for sure but i'm going to give Juan Monaco a shout here. I think he has the game and fitness levels to get through a very tough draw but Nicolas Almagro will prove a step to far for him and Almagro will move on to a third successive final. David Ferrer will make it through to another final and look to win his third title of the year. In the semis i would imagine he would beat either Simon or Bellucci. A repeat of last weeks Buenos Aires final between Almagro and Ferrer will be the result of the weeks play and I don't think Almagro will have gained enough to beat the in form Ferrer.
A quick look at Delray Beach and Memphis winner Jurgen Melzer will look to win consecutive titles although he will face another strong field and a second round clash with either Bernard Tomic or Tommy Haas will provide stern competition for the Austrian. Haas has been good since his return but Tomic will have too much class for the German although Haas looks good to have a strong year on his return. I think Tomic will take advantage of Melzer's exertions last week and progress to a meeting with John Isner who should comfortably get through to the quarter finals. Isners serve would be a big problem for Tomic who doesn't have a consistent enough serve to have a chance to beat the big American. Andy Roddick needs a good week but an opening clash with Philip Petzschner is not what he would have wanted. I do expect Roddick to get himself back on track and beat the German but a second round clash with Denis Istomin is where his run could end. Istomin has been strong since last year and can produce a performance to beat the American. I fancy Roddick to win though, I don't think he will lose early two weeks in a row in front of his own crowd. Most likely Kevin Anderson will await in the quarter final should he overcome Xavier Malisse who should beat Guillermo Garcia-Lopez. Roddick would be a favourite in that one if he made it there as he would have built up some confidence from earlier wins. I think Ernest Gulbis might just have a good week here. He hasn't won since last year and will be eager to end that drought here. He should beat Alejandro Falla and then beat Victor Troicki to go on to face Ivo Karlovic who I believe will make it past Alex Bogomolov jr. Phillip Kohlschreiber opens against Olivier Rochus and should progress to a meeting with Ivan Dodig who I think will then beat Kohlschreiber. Marin Cilic has got to perform this well. He hasn't played well in far too long and this week he has been given a draw kind enough to give him a good run. He should beat Jarkko Nieminen and then go on to beat Dodig or Kohlschreiber. In the semis I think we will see Marin Cilic face Ernest Gulbis in an unlikely semi final pairing and in the other side of the draw I think we will have John Isner and Andy Roddick. In the final i'm expecting to see Isner face Cilic where Isner will come out on top to win the title. Others that I believe are capable of having good weeks and are worth watching are Bernard Tomic, Ivo Karlovic and last weeks winner Jurgen Melzer.
Both tournaments should provide some great tennis and along with Dubai we have got a very exciting week of tennis to look forward to.
Saturday 25 February 2012
Dubai Tennis Championships
This week the UAE hosts the 1.7 million dollar Dubai Tennis Championships with a host of top starts taking part with 500 ranking points also on offer. Novak Djokovic returns again this year aiming to win a fourth successive title here. Last year he beat Roger Federer in the final and currently holds a fifteen match win streak at the tournament. Federer himself will be looking for a fifth title here and hopes to add to the title he won a few weeks ago in Rotterdam in what has been a good start to the season for the Swiss star. Briton Andy Murray also returns to Dubai trying to improve on his poor performances in recent years here with his best results being quarter final appearances in '09 and '08. Juan Martin Del Potro looks to continue his return to the top and a strong field here will provide him with a chance to prove he can step up and win big again. Other top players competing are Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Mardy Fish, Thomas Berdych and Janko Tipsarevic. The draw for the event took place earlier this morning and it provides us with some interesting clashes and the one thing clear from the draw is that whoever wins the title here will certainly have earned it. So let's have a look at who the contenders for the title are and examine the draw a bit closer.
Obviously the one player everyone wanted on the opposite side of the draw was Novak Djokovic and he's been given a few potential tricky encounters. With this being his first outing since the Australian Open and coming off his tiring year last year this could be a chance for somebody to claim a major scalp this week if Djokovic shows any signs of rust. Of course the one thing we've come to expect from the Serb is that even when he looks physically drained he can still pull out a win and no task is too big when it comes to the world number one. How he beat Murray in the Australian I'll never understand. He looked finished, he looked completely lost and yet he still comes through. Then he defied all physical laws just two days later by lasting almost six hours of exhilarating tennis with Rafael Nadal in what was simply outstanding tennis. He just doesn't know when he's beaten. He takes on Frenchman Cedric-Marcel Stebe in the first round here in what is a nice draw for him. He could easily have faced Davydenko or Gasquet and he would have really struggled there but with Stebe he shouldn't face any problems. A second round tie with Sergiy Stakhovsky should be more competitive but won't put the Serb in any real trouble. The quarter final is where he could very well face real competition where he will have to be near his best to win through. He could face fellow countryman Janko Tipsarevic who has a habit of producing performances that trouble the top players and he will relish a tie with Djokovic. In Tipsarevic's way is Igor Kunitsyn who he will be expected to beat. The second round will see him come up against the winner of Ivan Ljubicic and Flavio Cipolla. Cipolla has beaten some good players recently and will fancy himself to beat Ljubicic and will see a chance to beat a top ten players should he face Tipsarevic. I think Tipsarevic will win through to face Djokovic though and that will certainly provide an entertaining clash.
In the second quarter of the draw Andy Murray will open his account against a qualifier as he attempts to put his defeat to Djokovic behind him and start his quest for a maiden Grand Slam title again. Under Ivan Lendl he looked more aggressive and got many plaudits for his new found attacking style but when the big points came against Djokovic especially in the fifth set he resorted back to his passive style and that's a worrying sign for Murray. When he attacks he is capable of beating anybody but when you turn up to Grand Slam semi finals and especially finals playing defensive or passive you get what you deserve and Murray is a classic example of that. He's been hammered so many times in majors when he's not been aggressive. Federer, Djokovic and Nadal will always win that battle if Murray doesn't attack. These tournaments are where Murray can beat the top players when his defensive game is good enough as players like Nadal, Djokovic and Federer are not at the same intensity levels as they are in majors. Murray faces a potential second round clash with Nikolay Davydenko (who faces a qualifier) and that would certainly test the Scot. In all likelihood Thomas Berdych will be the quarter final opponent for whichever of them comes through. He faces Benjamin Becker in the first round but Becker is currently in the semi finals in Memphis and so will not be at 100% one would imagine and even at his best he would be unlikely to beat the Czech. Berdych is enjoying a good time on tour. He's now a force to be reckoned with and nobody wants face the world number 7. Berdych's attacking game and his power gives him a boost when he plays Murray especially if he attacks the Scot's second serve which is often just rolled into the middle of the court.
The match of the first round is certainly in the third quarter. Juan Martin Del Potro takes on Aleksandr Dolgopolov. Dolgopolov's deceiving game has caused problems for almost anyone on the tour and he could very well trouble the Argentine. The only reason I think he won't win that is because I think Del Potro is coming back to very near his best which is bad news for all the top players but great news for all us tennis fans. The winner of that one will face a match with Marco Djokovic (Novak's brother) should he overcome a qualifier. I would reckon that the winner of Delpo and Dolgopolov will move on to the quarter final and there they will face a tough task to reach the semis. More than likely they will face the winner of Marcos Baghdatis and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga who face off in the first round. Baghdatis had a good year last year and will look to continue that this year but Frenchman Tsonga has got intentions of breaking the top four this year and should progress. A Delpo-Tsonga quarter final would be a repeat of the semi finals of Marseille today which Del Potro just won in a third set.
The final quarter has got eight quality players and will be a very competitive journey to the semi finals for whoever makes it through. Roger Federer faces tricky Frenchman Michael Llodra in the opening round. Normally I would say he might struggle with Llodra in a tournament outside the Masters Series and Grand Slams but Fed has shown this year he is going all out and his win in Rotterdam is a clear sign that Federer is looking to compete at the very top this year. Losing to Djokovic and Nadal in Grand Slams hurts the Swiss maestro and he will want to correct that before finishing his career. The winner of that match will then face either Feliciano Lopez or Nicolas Mahut, two quality players. Despite their abilities neither will be good enough for Federer here. In the quarter final Fed will face could face Mardy Fish who has shown his top ten credentials in the past year and a half and he would trouble Federer at his best. Fish would have to overcome German Andreas Beck in the opening round before a very difficult task against either Russian Mikhail Youzhny or talented Frenchman Richard Gasquet. Gasquet has got more ability than most on the tour but his work ethic and attitude is not good enough although he has been steadily improving that under Riccardo Piatti. He is now a top fifteen ranked player and will be looking for a big year. He should beat Youzhny with home advantage and will be fancy his chances against Fish. He would relish a clash with Federer and would believe he is able to win that match.
In terms of who can actually win the tournament it's hard to say, with Djokovic not having played since the Aussie Open there is a chance for someone to get a win over him. I think Tipsarevic has a real shot at it but so much depends on Djokovic and so I think I would expect Djok to make it. I also think Berdych has got a real chance of beating Murray. Del Potro should make it through to the semis should he beat Tsonga which I'd expect him to do. While Gasquet or Fish could beat Federer, I think the Swiss star will come through. I would expect the semi final line up to be Djokovic and Berdych and Federer and Del Potro. The fact Federer crushed Delpo in Rotterdam is scaring me from saying Delpo will win although I think his performances this week have been exemplary. Berdych has a real chance to beat Djokovic and with the Serb being out of playing action for awhile he has everything going for him. I think it's possible to see Berdych and Delpo in the Final but Federer Djokovic is more likely and I think Federer is the likely winner. I think he believes he can beat Djokovic and will want his revenge for the US Open defeat. I fancy Federer to win the tournament but any one of Djokovic, Del Potro and Berdych could get the win if things go their way. One thing that's for sure is it will be a quality week of tennis.
Obviously the one player everyone wanted on the opposite side of the draw was Novak Djokovic and he's been given a few potential tricky encounters. With this being his first outing since the Australian Open and coming off his tiring year last year this could be a chance for somebody to claim a major scalp this week if Djokovic shows any signs of rust. Of course the one thing we've come to expect from the Serb is that even when he looks physically drained he can still pull out a win and no task is too big when it comes to the world number one. How he beat Murray in the Australian I'll never understand. He looked finished, he looked completely lost and yet he still comes through. Then he defied all physical laws just two days later by lasting almost six hours of exhilarating tennis with Rafael Nadal in what was simply outstanding tennis. He just doesn't know when he's beaten. He takes on Frenchman Cedric-Marcel Stebe in the first round here in what is a nice draw for him. He could easily have faced Davydenko or Gasquet and he would have really struggled there but with Stebe he shouldn't face any problems. A second round tie with Sergiy Stakhovsky should be more competitive but won't put the Serb in any real trouble. The quarter final is where he could very well face real competition where he will have to be near his best to win through. He could face fellow countryman Janko Tipsarevic who has a habit of producing performances that trouble the top players and he will relish a tie with Djokovic. In Tipsarevic's way is Igor Kunitsyn who he will be expected to beat. The second round will see him come up against the winner of Ivan Ljubicic and Flavio Cipolla. Cipolla has beaten some good players recently and will fancy himself to beat Ljubicic and will see a chance to beat a top ten players should he face Tipsarevic. I think Tipsarevic will win through to face Djokovic though and that will certainly provide an entertaining clash.
In the second quarter of the draw Andy Murray will open his account against a qualifier as he attempts to put his defeat to Djokovic behind him and start his quest for a maiden Grand Slam title again. Under Ivan Lendl he looked more aggressive and got many plaudits for his new found attacking style but when the big points came against Djokovic especially in the fifth set he resorted back to his passive style and that's a worrying sign for Murray. When he attacks he is capable of beating anybody but when you turn up to Grand Slam semi finals and especially finals playing defensive or passive you get what you deserve and Murray is a classic example of that. He's been hammered so many times in majors when he's not been aggressive. Federer, Djokovic and Nadal will always win that battle if Murray doesn't attack. These tournaments are where Murray can beat the top players when his defensive game is good enough as players like Nadal, Djokovic and Federer are not at the same intensity levels as they are in majors. Murray faces a potential second round clash with Nikolay Davydenko (who faces a qualifier) and that would certainly test the Scot. In all likelihood Thomas Berdych will be the quarter final opponent for whichever of them comes through. He faces Benjamin Becker in the first round but Becker is currently in the semi finals in Memphis and so will not be at 100% one would imagine and even at his best he would be unlikely to beat the Czech. Berdych is enjoying a good time on tour. He's now a force to be reckoned with and nobody wants face the world number 7. Berdych's attacking game and his power gives him a boost when he plays Murray especially if he attacks the Scot's second serve which is often just rolled into the middle of the court.
The match of the first round is certainly in the third quarter. Juan Martin Del Potro takes on Aleksandr Dolgopolov. Dolgopolov's deceiving game has caused problems for almost anyone on the tour and he could very well trouble the Argentine. The only reason I think he won't win that is because I think Del Potro is coming back to very near his best which is bad news for all the top players but great news for all us tennis fans. The winner of that one will face a match with Marco Djokovic (Novak's brother) should he overcome a qualifier. I would reckon that the winner of Delpo and Dolgopolov will move on to the quarter final and there they will face a tough task to reach the semis. More than likely they will face the winner of Marcos Baghdatis and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga who face off in the first round. Baghdatis had a good year last year and will look to continue that this year but Frenchman Tsonga has got intentions of breaking the top four this year and should progress. A Delpo-Tsonga quarter final would be a repeat of the semi finals of Marseille today which Del Potro just won in a third set.
The final quarter has got eight quality players and will be a very competitive journey to the semi finals for whoever makes it through. Roger Federer faces tricky Frenchman Michael Llodra in the opening round. Normally I would say he might struggle with Llodra in a tournament outside the Masters Series and Grand Slams but Fed has shown this year he is going all out and his win in Rotterdam is a clear sign that Federer is looking to compete at the very top this year. Losing to Djokovic and Nadal in Grand Slams hurts the Swiss maestro and he will want to correct that before finishing his career. The winner of that match will then face either Feliciano Lopez or Nicolas Mahut, two quality players. Despite their abilities neither will be good enough for Federer here. In the quarter final Fed will face could face Mardy Fish who has shown his top ten credentials in the past year and a half and he would trouble Federer at his best. Fish would have to overcome German Andreas Beck in the opening round before a very difficult task against either Russian Mikhail Youzhny or talented Frenchman Richard Gasquet. Gasquet has got more ability than most on the tour but his work ethic and attitude is not good enough although he has been steadily improving that under Riccardo Piatti. He is now a top fifteen ranked player and will be looking for a big year. He should beat Youzhny with home advantage and will be fancy his chances against Fish. He would relish a clash with Federer and would believe he is able to win that match.
In terms of who can actually win the tournament it's hard to say, with Djokovic not having played since the Aussie Open there is a chance for someone to get a win over him. I think Tipsarevic has a real shot at it but so much depends on Djokovic and so I think I would expect Djok to make it. I also think Berdych has got a real chance of beating Murray. Del Potro should make it through to the semis should he beat Tsonga which I'd expect him to do. While Gasquet or Fish could beat Federer, I think the Swiss star will come through. I would expect the semi final line up to be Djokovic and Berdych and Federer and Del Potro. The fact Federer crushed Delpo in Rotterdam is scaring me from saying Delpo will win although I think his performances this week have been exemplary. Berdych has a real chance to beat Djokovic and with the Serb being out of playing action for awhile he has everything going for him. I think it's possible to see Berdych and Delpo in the Final but Federer Djokovic is more likely and I think Federer is the likely winner. I think he believes he can beat Djokovic and will want his revenge for the US Open defeat. I fancy Federer to win the tournament but any one of Djokovic, Del Potro and Berdych could get the win if things go their way. One thing that's for sure is it will be a quality week of tennis.
Saturday's Premiership Action
Right i'm a bit late with this but here's my take on this weekend's football action.
Let's start with Chelsea who take on Bolton at Stamford Bridge in what could turn out to be a crucial game for both teams. Chelsea are desperately in need of three points. Their form recently has been nothing short of shocking. No win in 4 Premier League games and facing exit from the Champions League after a 3-1 defeat away to Napoli, certainly not the form of a title challenging team. With pressure mounting on Andre Villas-Boas every game is now crucial for him and he needs to start producing results or he could be out of a job. For Bolton fans they must feel they can go to the Bridge and get a result. Their stuck in the relegation zone and will be very disappointed not to get any points from their last two games against Wigan and Norwich and now face Chelsea and with Man City next week they could be looking at 4 losses on the trot. Chelsea will be looking for an assured performance and would give anything to see Fernando Torres find the target. They need an early start and if they get it then they could run riot over a troubled defence at Bolton. However, I think if Bolton can keep it tight at the back and force Chelsea to play through them then they might find success in playing counter attacking football against a Chelsea defence that was horribly exposed midweek. I think AVB's problems will ease slightly after this game and Chelsea edge it, just.
The nest game we'll look at is Wolves visit to Newcastle in their first game since the sack of Mick McCarthy. Terry Connor has been appointed caretaker manager for the remainder of the season after two weeks of rumours and speculation they end up with nothing permanent. To make matters worse they find themselves in the bottom 3 and really struggling to accumulate points. A trip to Newcastle is not what they would have wanted. Alan Pardew has done fantastically well this season and it seems fans have completely forgotten ho they felt when Chris Hughton was unceremoniously sacked last year. They started the season well and despite the general belief they would falter as the season went on they are currently find themselves sitting three points ahead of Liverpool and just a point behind 5th place Chelsea and 4th place Arsenal. European football looks likely for the toon army and 4th place is still a possibility if they can continue to get wins. Their defence has been immaculate this season and without Steven Taylor they've managed to adjust and remain very difficult to break down. The severity of their loss to Spurs was shocking but they should be able to bounce back at home to Wolves. With Papiss Cisse now partnering the sensational Demba Ba up front they should be able to find goals regularly especially at home. I see Newcastle winning this one and keeping a clean sheet.
Mark Hughes' QPR entertain Fulham hoping to avenge the crushing the received at the hands of Martin Jol's side earlier in the season. Rangers sit in 16th place with two straight defeats and Fulham will be looking to continue their decent form and make a break for the top ten in the run in to the end of the season. This one is very difficult to call, mainly due to the unpredictability of QPR. They dominated against Blackburn for 90 minutes but at half time found themselves trailing by three. Other weeks they can look a proper good football side and pose threats from both wings and through the middle. After two straight defeats i think QPR will get something out of this game simply because Mark Hughes won't accept three defeats on the trot. I dont see them holding Fulham scoreless for the game and so my feeling is a score draw.
High flying Sunderland travel to West Brom looking to continue their rennaissance under Martin O'Neill. Since O'Neill took charge they've beaten Man City, knocked Arsenal out of the cup and flown up the table and now sit 9th just 6 points off Liverpool in 7th with a surge towards European qualification looking likely. At West Brom they won't find it easy with Roy Hodgson's side a very organised unit, sitting up on a pedestal after beating local rivals Wolves 5-1 in their last game. A return to form of Peter Odemwingie is a huge bonus for the Baggies
and they look likely to put themselves well clear of the drop in time to avoid a nervy run in. This game will be very entertaining and I see plenty of goals coming in this one. Sunderland are more prolific at the back and West Brom are more prone to leaking goals through poor defending so that's why im picking Sunderland to win this one.
Aston Villa make the trip to Wigan in a game where on paper goals are sure to flow. Wigan have only kept one clean sheet in the last twenty two games with Villa having just one in their last twelve. Villa won their meeting earlier in the season and the Latics have failed to win in ten home games. All the signs suggest Villa will win and I have a feeling Robbie Keane might just have a say in the outcome of this in the final game of his loan spell from LA Galaxy. Wigan's win over Bolton was crucial for them and it kept them in the hunt for survival. Oddly enough I think it the fact they won takes the pressure off slightly and Villa can take advantage. I expect Villa to get the win with their more potent attacking threat being the key.
Man City have a chance to put the pressure on Man United in the title race when they take on struggling Blackburn at the Etihad Stadium. City currently lie top of the table with a two point lead of neighbours United and will look to add three points to their tally against Steve Kean's Blackburn side who are fighting for their Premier League lives at the bottom. They are one space above the drop zone and anything they can get from games against the big sides is going to be a huge bonus in the relegation battle. Kean has been criticised and jeered by his own fans this season but when the pressure is really on and the odds stacked against them they play their best football. Yakubu has been sensational up front and his goals are probably the sole reason Blackburn are currently winning their fight with the drop. Man City on the other hand have struggled for form lately but their win over Porto Wednesday night was more of the City we saw dominate in the beginning of the season. The return of the Toure brother's is crucial for them. Without them they looked lost. Silva lost his spark. The defence was dodgy. Goals stopped coming. With them back and Tevez likely to return they might have the artillery to win their first Premiership trophy. Blackburn will be tricky and it all depends on the start they get. If they concede early then any score is possible. If they keep it scoreless then City could get nervy and it only takes on chance for Yakubu to turn the game Blackburn's way. I don't see Blackburn getting a result but i think they might push City before falling to a 2-0 loss.
Let's start with Chelsea who take on Bolton at Stamford Bridge in what could turn out to be a crucial game for both teams. Chelsea are desperately in need of three points. Their form recently has been nothing short of shocking. No win in 4 Premier League games and facing exit from the Champions League after a 3-1 defeat away to Napoli, certainly not the form of a title challenging team. With pressure mounting on Andre Villas-Boas every game is now crucial for him and he needs to start producing results or he could be out of a job. For Bolton fans they must feel they can go to the Bridge and get a result. Their stuck in the relegation zone and will be very disappointed not to get any points from their last two games against Wigan and Norwich and now face Chelsea and with Man City next week they could be looking at 4 losses on the trot. Chelsea will be looking for an assured performance and would give anything to see Fernando Torres find the target. They need an early start and if they get it then they could run riot over a troubled defence at Bolton. However, I think if Bolton can keep it tight at the back and force Chelsea to play through them then they might find success in playing counter attacking football against a Chelsea defence that was horribly exposed midweek. I think AVB's problems will ease slightly after this game and Chelsea edge it, just.
The nest game we'll look at is Wolves visit to Newcastle in their first game since the sack of Mick McCarthy. Terry Connor has been appointed caretaker manager for the remainder of the season after two weeks of rumours and speculation they end up with nothing permanent. To make matters worse they find themselves in the bottom 3 and really struggling to accumulate points. A trip to Newcastle is not what they would have wanted. Alan Pardew has done fantastically well this season and it seems fans have completely forgotten ho they felt when Chris Hughton was unceremoniously sacked last year. They started the season well and despite the general belief they would falter as the season went on they are currently find themselves sitting three points ahead of Liverpool and just a point behind 5th place Chelsea and 4th place Arsenal. European football looks likely for the toon army and 4th place is still a possibility if they can continue to get wins. Their defence has been immaculate this season and without Steven Taylor they've managed to adjust and remain very difficult to break down. The severity of their loss to Spurs was shocking but they should be able to bounce back at home to Wolves. With Papiss Cisse now partnering the sensational Demba Ba up front they should be able to find goals regularly especially at home. I see Newcastle winning this one and keeping a clean sheet.
Mark Hughes' QPR entertain Fulham hoping to avenge the crushing the received at the hands of Martin Jol's side earlier in the season. Rangers sit in 16th place with two straight defeats and Fulham will be looking to continue their decent form and make a break for the top ten in the run in to the end of the season. This one is very difficult to call, mainly due to the unpredictability of QPR. They dominated against Blackburn for 90 minutes but at half time found themselves trailing by three. Other weeks they can look a proper good football side and pose threats from both wings and through the middle. After two straight defeats i think QPR will get something out of this game simply because Mark Hughes won't accept three defeats on the trot. I dont see them holding Fulham scoreless for the game and so my feeling is a score draw.
High flying Sunderland travel to West Brom looking to continue their rennaissance under Martin O'Neill. Since O'Neill took charge they've beaten Man City, knocked Arsenal out of the cup and flown up the table and now sit 9th just 6 points off Liverpool in 7th with a surge towards European qualification looking likely. At West Brom they won't find it easy with Roy Hodgson's side a very organised unit, sitting up on a pedestal after beating local rivals Wolves 5-1 in their last game. A return to form of Peter Odemwingie is a huge bonus for the Baggies
and they look likely to put themselves well clear of the drop in time to avoid a nervy run in. This game will be very entertaining and I see plenty of goals coming in this one. Sunderland are more prolific at the back and West Brom are more prone to leaking goals through poor defending so that's why im picking Sunderland to win this one.
Aston Villa make the trip to Wigan in a game where on paper goals are sure to flow. Wigan have only kept one clean sheet in the last twenty two games with Villa having just one in their last twelve. Villa won their meeting earlier in the season and the Latics have failed to win in ten home games. All the signs suggest Villa will win and I have a feeling Robbie Keane might just have a say in the outcome of this in the final game of his loan spell from LA Galaxy. Wigan's win over Bolton was crucial for them and it kept them in the hunt for survival. Oddly enough I think it the fact they won takes the pressure off slightly and Villa can take advantage. I expect Villa to get the win with their more potent attacking threat being the key.
Man City have a chance to put the pressure on Man United in the title race when they take on struggling Blackburn at the Etihad Stadium. City currently lie top of the table with a two point lead of neighbours United and will look to add three points to their tally against Steve Kean's Blackburn side who are fighting for their Premier League lives at the bottom. They are one space above the drop zone and anything they can get from games against the big sides is going to be a huge bonus in the relegation battle. Kean has been criticised and jeered by his own fans this season but when the pressure is really on and the odds stacked against them they play their best football. Yakubu has been sensational up front and his goals are probably the sole reason Blackburn are currently winning their fight with the drop. Man City on the other hand have struggled for form lately but their win over Porto Wednesday night was more of the City we saw dominate in the beginning of the season. The return of the Toure brother's is crucial for them. Without them they looked lost. Silva lost his spark. The defence was dodgy. Goals stopped coming. With them back and Tevez likely to return they might have the artillery to win their first Premiership trophy. Blackburn will be tricky and it all depends on the start they get. If they concede early then any score is possible. If they keep it scoreless then City could get nervy and it only takes on chance for Yakubu to turn the game Blackburn's way. I don't see Blackburn getting a result but i think they might push City before falling to a 2-0 loss.
Thursday 23 February 2012
Weekend Action
I was too late getting around to discussing today's tennis so im just going to let you all know what my plan is for the next few days. Tomorrow im going to be back on to discuss the latest results in Marseille, Memphis and Buenos Aires and llok ahead to the latter stages of those tournaments, as well as having a check on the golfing action in Arizona. Im also going to look ahead to this weekends soccer action and give my tips for that. Over the weekend im going to discuss the first round of the Allianz National Hurling League and look at what can be expected from each county. Next week the tennis season moves on to 3 new destinations and so ill be previewing the tournamentsin Dubai (where stars such as Federer, Djokovic and Murray are part of a very strong field), Delray Beach (Cilic, Tomic, Isner and Roddick) and Acapulco (attracting players such as Ferrer, Almagro and Simon). So there's plenty to look forward to over the next few days. Also if anyone wants to ask me anything or talk to me about my posts my e-mail address is on my profile page and id be happy to hear some feedback and answer any questions people have.
Wednesday 22 February 2012
World Golf Championships
Dove Mountain, Arizona plays host to the Accenture World Matchplay Golf Championship this week with the wolrds top players taking part. Any one of a host of players could win the event and with the match play format some players will struggle will some will prosper with upsets possible in any match. When looking for a winner to back in this there are key factors to consider. Starting with experience in matchplay golf. A player competing in matchplay for the first time may not get accustomed to the format in time and could struggle against a weaker player who has played lots of matchplay. So players from America and Europe can be given and advantage given that the Ryder Cup is a matchplay tournament. However, this year the advantage can be with Americans and Internationals after the Presidents Cup last Autumn although it doesnt seem to have played a huge part in the opening round with Adam Scott losing to in form Robert Rock. At the time of writing the majority of matches were still on the course so im going to be discussing the potential winners from almost a full field.
The first competitor to discuss has got to be Tiger Woods. He's been slowly returning to form and looks to be hitting stride in the last few outings. He's got a real shout at winning the tournament if he brings that good form to Arizona. He's in the Sam Snead group and faces stiff competition to progress from Ryo Ishikawa and Lee Westwood. Westwood blew a chance at victory last week but his overall play was good and so he cannot be ignored. Ishikawa has got the game to go far and he will almost certainly be a major winner in the future and this tournament could act as a spring board to a successful year for the man from Japan. With those 3 in the one group the man who progresses will certainly have earned it. Despite the quality of those 3 i think the man to progress could be Nick Watney. He's had a poor start to the season but he's got a good habit of making birdies and in matchplay if you consistently hit birdies it puts huge pressure on your opponent. A possible second round clash woth Tiger Woods would be a real mouth-watering clash and i would expect that Watney would progress from that and i think he could manage Westwood and Ishikawa if he met them too. At 25/1 Watney is a great price to win the tournament and around 6/1 to make the final 4 which would mean progressing from group Snead. Woods is 3/1 to progress from the Snead group and 12/1 to win outright. Woods cannot be ignored and if he beat Watney he could very well go all the way.
From the Ben Hogan group i think Bubba Watson could be the man to beat, i think he's got the game to go far and he could very well qualify from the Hogan group. Other contenders from here are Steve Stricker who has the ability if he can find some form and im also going to mention Martin Kaymer who is the favourite to progress from this group. To win outright Watson is a tempting 20/1 with Stricker at 25/1 and Kaymer at 14/1 while to progress from the group all players are quarter their outright odds.
From Gary Player group any one of 4 can go through in my opinion and any one of them could go on to win the tournament. Rory McIlroy, Charl Schwartzel and Jason Day all compete. McIlroy is the obvious contender but im tending to look elsewhere for a player to progress and Jason Day is consistent enough to have a good week. Charl Schwartzel is always there abouts and will be difficult to beat but my pick for this group is Keegan Bradley. Big things are expected from Bradley and this could be the week to really show his ability and progress with a few big scalps. At 18/1 he could be worth a bet while the obvious choice in McIlroy is 10/1 with Day and Schwartzel around 16/1.
The Bobby Jones group contains 3 players i really like. Luke Donald, KJ Choi and Dustin Johnson. Those 3 are very capable of big things. Johnson played immaculate at times in the Pro-Am 2 weeks ago and Choi is always a danger in these events. Luke Donald is world number one and is obviously a favourite to win the tournament although a tough task against Ernie Els in the first round could be fatal. Donald is around 14/1, 16/1 in some bookmakers to win outright while Choi is a very tasty 40/1. Dustin Johnson is 18/1 to make it to victory.
To win outright is going to be tough and its very difficult to pick that winner. The main 4 im looking at for a top 4 finish are Nick Watney, Dustin Johnson, Keegan Bradley and Bubba Watson. Other likely popular bets will be Tiger Woods, Jason Day, Charl Schwartzel and the in form Robert Rock is likely to be attracting a lot of interest. There is a lot of players to choose from and getting right isn't always easy but i've given my suggestions as to the likely contenders.
The first competitor to discuss has got to be Tiger Woods. He's been slowly returning to form and looks to be hitting stride in the last few outings. He's got a real shout at winning the tournament if he brings that good form to Arizona. He's in the Sam Snead group and faces stiff competition to progress from Ryo Ishikawa and Lee Westwood. Westwood blew a chance at victory last week but his overall play was good and so he cannot be ignored. Ishikawa has got the game to go far and he will almost certainly be a major winner in the future and this tournament could act as a spring board to a successful year for the man from Japan. With those 3 in the one group the man who progresses will certainly have earned it. Despite the quality of those 3 i think the man to progress could be Nick Watney. He's had a poor start to the season but he's got a good habit of making birdies and in matchplay if you consistently hit birdies it puts huge pressure on your opponent. A possible second round clash woth Tiger Woods would be a real mouth-watering clash and i would expect that Watney would progress from that and i think he could manage Westwood and Ishikawa if he met them too. At 25/1 Watney is a great price to win the tournament and around 6/1 to make the final 4 which would mean progressing from group Snead. Woods is 3/1 to progress from the Snead group and 12/1 to win outright. Woods cannot be ignored and if he beat Watney he could very well go all the way.
From the Ben Hogan group i think Bubba Watson could be the man to beat, i think he's got the game to go far and he could very well qualify from the Hogan group. Other contenders from here are Steve Stricker who has the ability if he can find some form and im also going to mention Martin Kaymer who is the favourite to progress from this group. To win outright Watson is a tempting 20/1 with Stricker at 25/1 and Kaymer at 14/1 while to progress from the group all players are quarter their outright odds.
From Gary Player group any one of 4 can go through in my opinion and any one of them could go on to win the tournament. Rory McIlroy, Charl Schwartzel and Jason Day all compete. McIlroy is the obvious contender but im tending to look elsewhere for a player to progress and Jason Day is consistent enough to have a good week. Charl Schwartzel is always there abouts and will be difficult to beat but my pick for this group is Keegan Bradley. Big things are expected from Bradley and this could be the week to really show his ability and progress with a few big scalps. At 18/1 he could be worth a bet while the obvious choice in McIlroy is 10/1 with Day and Schwartzel around 16/1.
The Bobby Jones group contains 3 players i really like. Luke Donald, KJ Choi and Dustin Johnson. Those 3 are very capable of big things. Johnson played immaculate at times in the Pro-Am 2 weeks ago and Choi is always a danger in these events. Luke Donald is world number one and is obviously a favourite to win the tournament although a tough task against Ernie Els in the first round could be fatal. Donald is around 14/1, 16/1 in some bookmakers to win outright while Choi is a very tasty 40/1. Dustin Johnson is 18/1 to make it to victory.
To win outright is going to be tough and its very difficult to pick that winner. The main 4 im looking at for a top 4 finish are Nick Watney, Dustin Johnson, Keegan Bradley and Bubba Watson. Other likely popular bets will be Tiger Woods, Jason Day, Charl Schwartzel and the in form Robert Rock is likely to be attracting a lot of interest. There is a lot of players to choose from and getting right isn't always easy but i've given my suggestions as to the likely contenders.
Marseille, Memphis & Buenos Aires winners
In terms of picking the winner of a tennis tournament its not easy but its not so hard to give the main contenders im going to give a few players who are sure to be close this week. I do have the advantage of having seen the first round of matches so im kinda cheating a bit here but ill still give it a shot. Starting with Marseille i think there are close to 6 players who are very capable of winning this one but im going to narrow it down to the 3 i think are most likely. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga has got a real shout of going all the way and he's got a few things going in his favour. Firstly, it's in his native country which gives him the bonus of having huge support which can never be underestimated. He has also got a very strong game which is suited to the indoor hard courts. He has got plenty of weapons and his ground game is a match for anyone and i think he's got a great chance although he faces a potential semi final against Juan Martin Del Potro should the Argentine beat Nikolay Davydenko. That leads me on to Del Potro who i think might be ready to return to the winners circle. His performances have been steadily improving since his return from the wrist surgery which disrupted his rise to the top. At the time of his injury he was at the very top after winning his first major and should he return to that form it will be sure to frighten the games elite even the seemingly unstoppably Djokovic. Mardy Fish also has a chance this week if he can begin put to bed his poor start to the year. A very disappointing loss to Alejandro Falla at the Aussie Open would have really hurt the American and how he reacts will be key to his season. Last year was extremely progressive for Fish and this week should play to his serve and volley strengths. Out of those 3 im going to go with Del Potro to win it, i just think hes going to be too strong for his opponents this week although that depends on how he negotiates Davydenko tomorrow. Should the Russian upset Delpo then he has a chance of going far himself but i fancy the Argentine.
In Memphis i see only 2 potential winners, I think John Isner has got the game required to go all the way and looking at the draw its hard to see who can stop him from making the final. The only potential banana skin would be a quarter final meeting with Denis Istomin but i still think he will go all the way to the final at least. There he could come face to face with Canadian Milos Raonic. Thats who i feel will win this one. I think hes a certain future top 5 player, maybe higher. His serve is already a major major weapon in the mens game and it can only get better. Last week he won the tournament in San Jose only dropping serve once in the week. Thats an astonishing feat to do once in your career but its becoming a regular occurence with Raonic and hes won twice already this year and has only lost once in total this year. Hes won 96% of his service games in his 3 tournaments so far and when your that secure on serve especially at his age its a huge advantage and he becomes very difficult to beat. I think hes going to make it successive tournament wins and get his third tournament of the year.
In Buenos Aires im going to just pick one winner and thats David Ferrer. Hes too good for the field thats their and thats no disrespect to those players, its simply a reflection of how good Ferrer is playing right now. He pushed Djokovic to 4 sets and he certainly had his chances to get more out of that game. He showed great improvement in beating Djokovic and Andy Murray in London last year and was close to winning the year end title only losing to an inspired Roger Federer. He should win out this event but a small shout also goes to Fernando Verdasco who has been slowly returning to form and could do well this week if he gets past a solid performer in Nicolas Almagro. Even if he does reach the final he still wont beat Ferrer.
In Memphis i see only 2 potential winners, I think John Isner has got the game required to go all the way and looking at the draw its hard to see who can stop him from making the final. The only potential banana skin would be a quarter final meeting with Denis Istomin but i still think he will go all the way to the final at least. There he could come face to face with Canadian Milos Raonic. Thats who i feel will win this one. I think hes a certain future top 5 player, maybe higher. His serve is already a major major weapon in the mens game and it can only get better. Last week he won the tournament in San Jose only dropping serve once in the week. Thats an astonishing feat to do once in your career but its becoming a regular occurence with Raonic and hes won twice already this year and has only lost once in total this year. Hes won 96% of his service games in his 3 tournaments so far and when your that secure on serve especially at his age its a huge advantage and he becomes very difficult to beat. I think hes going to make it successive tournament wins and get his third tournament of the year.
In Buenos Aires im going to just pick one winner and thats David Ferrer. Hes too good for the field thats their and thats no disrespect to those players, its simply a reflection of how good Ferrer is playing right now. He pushed Djokovic to 4 sets and he certainly had his chances to get more out of that game. He showed great improvement in beating Djokovic and Andy Murray in London last year and was close to winning the year end title only losing to an inspired Roger Federer. He should win out this event but a small shout also goes to Fernando Verdasco who has been slowly returning to form and could do well this week if he gets past a solid performer in Nicolas Almagro. Even if he does reach the final he still wont beat Ferrer.
Buenos Aires Tennis
2 more matches to talk about in Buenos Aires with Spaniards David Ferrer and Albert Ramos favourites to progress from their respective matches. Ferrer is a heavy favourite in his game with unheralded Argentine Facundo Bagnis. Bagnis has yet to win a tour match and playing an in-form David Ferrer doesn't suggest his luck is going to change. Ferrer only dropped one game when beating Andres Molteni yesterday and looks a strong contender to win out the tournament and with no disrespect intended Bagnis will be lucky if he gets more than Molteni did. Ferrer's consistency and determination will be too much for the Argentine and Bagnis just doesnt have the weapons to hit through Ferrer. This one wont last long and Ferrer will certainly be the victor. Albert Ramos is a 2/7 favourite with bookmakers to beat Fernando Gonzalez but it wont be as simple as that. Gonzalez is playing in his last few tournaments after announcing he is to retire next month. Gonzalez has been dogged by injuries in the last few years and is a mere shadow of the player he once was. A fit Gonzalez would certainly fancy his chances against Ramos but he has played such little tennis lately its unlikely he will be near his best. Gonzo will have a chance of victory however, his determination to go out with a bang will give him a boost and he could potentially beat Ramos although its unlikely he will go much further in the tournament. Its a tough one to call, my heart says Gonzalez but my head says Ramos. Im gonna pick Ramos in 3 sets.
Regions Morgan Keegan Championships Tennis
In Memphis today there are many potential winners of this tournament opening their quest for glory. 3 time champion Andy Roddick will be looking to get his season going, after recovering from the injury which sent him packing from the Australian Open, starting with a solid defence of the title he won here last year. He begins against veteran Xavier Malisse who he beat here in the semi finals of the '02 tournament and boasts a 9-0 record against the Belgian. Malisse has yet to win a match this season on the main tour and Roddick will fancy his chances of progressing. The former US Open champion had a very impressive win over Robin Haase in the Aussie Open before injury cost him against old foe Lleyton Hewitt before a very disappointing outing in Rotterdam where he struggled against Dennis Kudla before being comprehensively beaten by Denis Istomin. Roddick should put that behind him and get back on track with a tough two set win. Also in action tonight is '09 finalist and 3rd seed Radek Stepanek who has had a year filled with close matches including 5 deciding set matches and 3 tight 2 setters. He takes on the dangerous American Bobby Reynolds having beaten the 29 year old twice on American hard courts although both contests were very close. Stepanek, with a 4-4 record this year, should have too much consistency for Reynolds who struggles with both his own service percentages and his return percentages. If the points begin to lengthen it would give Reynolds a better chance of success although Stepanek isn't afraid to compete in long rallies with his consistent groundstrokes. Stepanek should progress in this one but it will be tight and it wouldn't be the biggest upset in the world if Reynolds was to pull off the win. Finally, Milos Raonic returns to action tonight following his victory in San Jose last week where he held serve all but once during the tournament. He takes on tricky Latvian Ernests Gulbis who has the potential to beat almost anybody when he plays well. Down at 70 in the world Gulbis has since turned to Argentine legend Guillermo Canas for coaching and won the tournament in Los Angeles beating players like Fish and Del Potro along the way. He didnt have the same success in the final few months of the year with 5 consecutive first round exits. That run is unlikely to continue as he runs into one of the games brightest prospects in Raonic. The big serving Canadian has lost only to Lleyton Hewitt this year and he had to face a partisan crowd in that one. With two tournament wins under his belt already this year he comes to Memphis looking to add a third and improve on his run to the final last year. He should progress in this one but Gulbis is always a danger although the serve of Raonic should prove to hot to handle and Raonic should win in 3 tight sets.
Marseille Tennis
For todays tennis posts im going to do a separate post for each tournament in order to talk sufficiently about each tournament and the matches that are taking place. So starting in Marseille where the two final games of today will take place tonight starting at 6.30 pm local time. Those games feature 3rd and 7th seeds Janko Tipsarevic and Ivan Ljubicic who both open their accounts. '05 finalist Ljubicic takes on Slovak Karol Beck who he defeated a few weeks ago in Zagreb. Ljubicic, a former world number 3, has had a poor start to the season and that win over Beck is the only win he has to his name this year with 4 losses. That record is made worse by the fact he has yet to play a top 100 player and a loss in this one will leave question marks over Bosnian-born Croatians ability to continue to compete at the top of the game. This match should be competitive with Ljubicic continuing his dominance over Beck. Ljubicic leads the head to head 3-1 although 3 of those meetings were back in '04 and '05 with Beck's solitary win coming in their first meeting. With a 1-4 record this year Beck could do with a win also but i dont see him getting it here. World number 9 and in form Janko Tipsarevic takes on rising Belgian star David Goffin for the second time this year having dispatched the 21 year old in 3 sets in Chennai en route to the final. Goffin, who has had impressive wins over Xavier Malisse and Andreas Beck already this year, will be looking to earn his biggest win to date but will have his work cut out against Tipsarevic who himself is at a career high rank and is hoping to cement his place among the games current elite this year. World number 164 Goffin will relish the challenge of playing a top ten player and after pushing the Serb to 3 sets in January will be hoping to go one step further this time. The Belgian's losses this year have all come against players of similar rank while his best performances and wins have come against players in the top 100. I think this game comes slightly too soon for Goffin and although he should again produce a string performance but ultimately Tipsarevic will be too strong for the Belgian. Bookmakers have Ljubicic and Tipsarevic as favourites although they have little between Ljubicic and Beck with Ljubicic a 1/2 favourite and beck as little as 6/4 in some cases. I'd fancy Ljubicic and Tipsarevic to win although there are dangers in backing Ljubicic with his poor form.
Tuesday 21 February 2012
Tennis Previews and Picks
Okay then lets get started with a look at tonights tennis action in Memphis and Buenos Aires. In Memphis John Isner takes on Gilles Muller in his first match of the Regions Morgan Keegan Championships in what looks to be a fascinating clash. Isner boasts a 2-0 record over the man from Luxembourg and both matches went to a deciding set. This time i expect Isner to win in straight sets. Muller will need his big serve to be firing tonight if he is to stand any chance of an upset over the world number 13. However, there is no evidence of any form from Muller this year with only 2 wins to date and 5 losses. Isner on the other hand has only played 6 matches and disappointingly lost in the third round of The Australian Open. Despite the lack of playing activity his most recent matches included a famous win over Roger Federer at the Davis Cup and he should bring that form to Memphis. As well as Isner i also expect wins for Ryan Harrison over promising teen Jack Sock and i'm gonna say Sam Querrey will put his disappointing start to the season behind him and get a win over Alejandro Falla.
Two games to talk about in Buenos Aires also with David Nalbandian and David Ferrer opening their accounts. Nalbandian seems to be finally playing consistently on the tour after a career dogged by injuries and has a 4-2 record this year so far. He had a tough 5th set loss to John Isner at the Australian Open, a game which ended in controversial circumstances but has since had impressive wins over Gilles Simon and Florian Mayer. His ranking of 85 doesn't reflect his ability and American world number 107 Wayne Odesnik shouldn't pose him much problems despite some decent form himself this year including a win in a challenger event in Columbia but has yet to play on the ATP World Tour this season. Ferrer takes on 23 year old world number 237 Andres Molteni who is also playing his first match of the year on the main tour after a tough year on the challenger tour with only 1 win but his performances have been good against players ranked much higher than him. However Ferrer will be a huge step up for him with the Spaniard (despite getting very close to the wrong side of 30) getting better and better as the years go on. Some great performances towards the end of last year including rare victories over Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic and a brave performance against the seemingly invincible Djokovic at the Australian Open have put the Spaniard in a great position cement his place in the top 10 and possibly break into the top 4. Ferrer has only lost once this year and that was to Djokovic and so Molteni will be lucky to compete in any set against the Spanish number 2.
The odds on the 5 matches i've mentioned won't be too profitable with an accumulator cntaining all 5 being just over 2/1 with some bookmakers.
Tomorrow afternoon ill be looking ahead to tomorrow night and Thursday's action in Memphis and Buenos Aires as well as Thursdays action in Marseille. I'll also briefly talk about the Europa League action and this weeks golf.
Two games to talk about in Buenos Aires also with David Nalbandian and David Ferrer opening their accounts. Nalbandian seems to be finally playing consistently on the tour after a career dogged by injuries and has a 4-2 record this year so far. He had a tough 5th set loss to John Isner at the Australian Open, a game which ended in controversial circumstances but has since had impressive wins over Gilles Simon and Florian Mayer. His ranking of 85 doesn't reflect his ability and American world number 107 Wayne Odesnik shouldn't pose him much problems despite some decent form himself this year including a win in a challenger event in Columbia but has yet to play on the ATP World Tour this season. Ferrer takes on 23 year old world number 237 Andres Molteni who is also playing his first match of the year on the main tour after a tough year on the challenger tour with only 1 win but his performances have been good against players ranked much higher than him. However Ferrer will be a huge step up for him with the Spaniard (despite getting very close to the wrong side of 30) getting better and better as the years go on. Some great performances towards the end of last year including rare victories over Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic and a brave performance against the seemingly invincible Djokovic at the Australian Open have put the Spaniard in a great position cement his place in the top 10 and possibly break into the top 4. Ferrer has only lost once this year and that was to Djokovic and so Molteni will be lucky to compete in any set against the Spanish number 2.
The odds on the 5 matches i've mentioned won't be too profitable with an accumulator cntaining all 5 being just over 2/1 with some bookmakers.
Tomorrow afternoon ill be looking ahead to tomorrow night and Thursday's action in Memphis and Buenos Aires as well as Thursdays action in Marseille. I'll also briefly talk about the Europa League action and this weeks golf.
First Post
Hey guys this is my first post. I'm only just learning how to do all of this and i thought i'd just outline why i started this blog. I'm 18 years old and have been interested in sports journalism since i was 11. I'm going to be blogging about different sports stories giving my opinion and sharing my views. I will focus alot on tennis and will give my tips for each weeks play. I've found that over the years i've been successful in betting on the outcome of tennis matches and tournaments. So that's what my plan is and i hope people take the time to read my future posts and give me their feedback.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)