The Madrid Masters 1000 is underway and we've seen some thrilling tennis in the first few days. This event has been seen as yet another chapter of the Rafa-Novak rivalry but Grigor Dimitrov put paid to that when he beat Djokovic yesterday. Rafa gets his campaign underway tomorrow. So far the main contenders for the women's draw have made safe passage through but it's only a matter of time before we see some real upsets. So let's have a look at some of tomorrow's matches.
Rafa Nadal vs Benoit Paire.
These two met for the first time a few weeks ago and Rafa brushed the Frenchman aside. With Djokovic gone I think Nadal will see himself as unstoppable this week. Paire won't provide him with any trouble and Rafa should win it very comfortably. Rafa in two sets.
Kei Nishikori vs. Viktor Troicki.
This one could be tricky. Nishikori is without doubt the better player but he can throw in some poor days. Troicki looked like someone who could be a regular top fifteen player but he's fallen from that status now. I don't see him getting the better of Nishikori tomorrow. The talent gap between these two should be apparent from the start. Nishikori in two.
Tomas Berdych vs Jerzy Janowicz.
This one is going to be massive. Two players who play aggressively battling it out at altitude. I expect this to be filled with winners and aces but it should be the Czech star who comes through. Berdych is someone who can break into the top four if he can continue his form over the last eight months. Janowicz needs to find a consistency in his game and until then he will struggle to get deep into tournaments. Take Berdych to come through in two tight sets.
Tommy Haas vs. Tommy Robredo.
This is the match I am most looking forward to tomorrow. Haas has been turning back the clock since returning to the tour last year and is hitting top form again. He beat Djokovic en route to the Miami semi finals and won the title in Munich last week before destroying a quality player today in Andreas Seppi. Robredo himself is coming back to his best after injury. He has also shown he still has what it takes to compete on the tour. Expect some top quality hitting and long rallies in this one. Like their first meeting 13 years ago, we're going for Haas in three.
Stan Wawrinka vs. Santiago Giraldo.
I'm eager to see how this game goes also. It might seem straight forward for Wawrinka given his form but we've never quite seen the Swiss star show the consistency associated with top ten players. Stan has the potential to break the top ten and possibly the top five if he can continue his form. He's arguably been one of the best players this year and picked up an impressive title in Oeiras last week beating Ferrer on clay. I'd expect him to win this in two and prove he is not going away lightly anymore. Stan in two.
In other men's games we expect Juan Monaco to beat Kevin Anderson, Nicolas Almagro to get his first win over Mikhail Youzhny and comfortable wins for Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and David Ferrer.
Carla Suarez Navarro vs. Kaia Kanepi.
This one should be a close match with the pair having split their four meetings so far. The home crowd and clay courts are in favour of Suarez-Navarro. Kanepi is a strong player but I think she will be in trouble tomorrow. They met last week in the semi finals of Oeiras and the Spaniard won in straight sets. We expect the same tomorrow. Navarro in two.
Ana Ivanovic vs. Laura Robson.
Many people might be expecting an upset here after Robson beat Radwanska in the last round but I don't see it. Robson is not the player she's been made out to be. There are far too many faults in her game and she isn't doing enough to eradicate them. Here serve is very poor and aggressive players like Ivanovic will take advantage of that. She has talent and that will get her wins but she needs consistency to ever make it to the top. Ivanovic is returning to her best form and she should win this in two.
Victoria Azarenka vs. Ekaterina Makarova.
Makarova can get wins over top players but I don't see it happening tomorrow. Azarenka is the best player in women's tennis and despite not having a lot of match practice on clay recently I think she will have a good week here to begin her preparations for the French Open. She had a great win over an in form Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the opening round and that will have her sharp to win this one in two.
Angelique Kerber vs. Svetlana Kuznetsova.
This one is the game of the day. Two players I like a lot going head to head. Kuznetsova is a former French Open champion and is one of the best clay court players on the tour. The problem she faces tomorrow is Kerber has the ability to hit through her. I think Kerber has potential to go deep at Roland Garros and proving herself on clay beforehand is crucial to that. In what should be a very tight game, I expect Kerber to sneak through.
In other games we expect wins for Maria Kirilenko, Julia Goerges and Petra Kvitova.
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