The second day of the 2012 Paris Masters 1000 event has provided some entertaining tennis and as per usual plenty of upsets in the final event of the regular season. Fatigue is clearly playing a big part of some players performances and for many their minds look already on the two months break after this week. So let's have a quick look at some of today's action.
Starting with a shock win for Sam Querrey on centre court against Novak Djokovic. The Serbian entertained the crowd when he appeared on court in a darth vader mask and he continued to provide entertainment for the first set as he swept Querrey aside 6-0. From then on though, it was all about the American. Querrey began serving a much higher percentage and took the second set on a tie break and held his nerve to win the decider 6-4. It's a huge result for Querrey and will give him confidence heading into the rest of the week and next season. For Djokovic, he wasn't his best for the majority of the game and clearly had one eye on next week.
John Isner's hopes of making the World Finals in London came to a disappointing end as he went down 6-4 7-6 to Michael Llodra today. Isner never looked comfortable on court as Llodra produced some of his best tennis in front of his home fans to book his place in round three. Isner couldn't get to grips with Llodra's game and unusually he never looked assured on his own serve. He will regret his poor serving in the second set tie break when he led 5-2 with two serves to come but couldn't close it out. Llodra will be looking forward to another big meeting with Juan Martin Del Potro in the next round. Del Potro came through a potentially tricky match with Alejandro Falla with ease to extend his winning run to twelve matches.
The home crowd were left disappointed when Frenchman Richard Gasquet tamely exited the competition as he went down 6-1 in the third set to Kevin Anderson. Gasquet had struggled to make a break through on Anderson's serve and lost the first set in a tie break but produced some flashy shots to take control of the second and level the match up at a set all. Anderson then took over in the deciding set and was always in control. The loss ends Gasquet's chances of making the event on London next week. The disappointment didn't last long for French fans though as Gilles Simon produced another assured performance to beat Victor Hanescu in straight sets.
David Ferrer is already qualified for London but that didn't distract him today as he beat compatriot Marcel Granollers in two quick sets. Ferrer was always in control and looks to be hitting top form heading into the year end championships. The battle to join Ferrer in London heated up today as both Nicolas Almagro and Juan Monaco kept the pressure on 8th place Janko Tipsarevic with wins. Almagro was forced to work hard to beat fellow Spaniard Albert Ramos in three sets. Almagro was steady throughout and was able to step it up in the third set to progress to the next round. Monaco had a great win over up and coming Grigor Dimitrov to keep his hopes alive. Monaco won a tight tie break in the first set and he gained in confidence from there on in, taking the second 6-2. Tipsarevic continues to add on points to his total as he beat Igor Sijsling in two tie sets to advance to round three.
Tomorrow sees an exciting line up of matches and the drama of the race to London is sure to take more twists and turns as players get desperate for more points. Check back with me later this evening for preview of tomorrow's action.
Wednesday, 31 October 2012
Monday, 29 October 2012
Race To London Contenders
This week the ATP Tour reaches its conclusion with the ATP Masters 100 event in Paris being the final event of the regular season. For most players this will be their final event before they take a well earned break, but for some this week provides a chance to extend their season if they can reach the ATP World Tour Finals in London. Seven players have already qualified but after Rafael Nadal's withdrawal we now have two spots left to fight for this week in Paris. Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Andy Murray, David Ferrer, Tomas Berdych and Juan Martin Del Potro have guaranteed their spots in London but all but one of them (Roger Federer) are competing here in Paris. So let's have a look at who the contenders to make the finals are.
In the seventh qualifying spot is Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. Tsonga has been a regular at the year end championships and would be very disappointed to miss out. Working out the math of the situation it would require him losing in his first or second round and Richard Gasquet or Nicolas Almagro would have to win the tournament so I think Tsonga can be fairly certain of his place in London. He would meet Nicolas Almagro in the round of sixteen this week and that match would give Tsonga the chance to officially book his spot for next week. It might be still in the balance up until Thursday or Friday but Tsonga will be in London next week.
Janko Tipsarevic is currently in the final qualifying spot but he still has work to do to guarantee his qualification. He sits 300 points above Gasquet which means Gasquet needs a semi final spot at least to make it. If Tipsarevic reaches the quarter finals then it would require Gasquet, Almagro, Juan Monaco, Milos Raonic, John Isner or Marin Cilic winning the tournament to prevent him from making the finals next week. Whether he makes it or not is certainly not going to be known until Friday or Saturday at the earliest and if I was Tipsarevic, I would try my best to make sure I beat Murray in the quarter finals and take matters into my own hands. If he doesn't then I'm not sure he will make it.
Next in line is French man Richard Gasquet. Gasquet is struggling with a slight knee injury which could harm his chances of putting on a real performance this week. He is 300 points behind Tipsarevic so he needs at least a semi final appearance which would give him 360 points. Winning the tournament will put him through no matter what Tipsarevic does so it is still in his hands. Unfortunately, I don't see him winning the event. He's got Kevin Anderson in his first match and could then play Tomas Berdych. I think Berdych could win the title here this week so I don't see Gasquet putting a run together. It's been an improved and more consistent year for Gasquet but for this year at least it won't be good enough.
Nicolas Almagro is 400 points behind Tipsarevic so he needs to reach the finals to have a chance. In his way of making the finals is fellow contender Tsonga. If he beat Tsonga he could face Ferrer who he has never beaten in twelve meetings so things aren't looking good for Nico. Of course being in the semi finals he would still have to beat either Del Potro or Djokovic so for Almagro, the odds are heavily stacked against him. I don't think he has been at his best for most of this season but he can look ahead with confidence to 2013 because his season is certainly going to end here this week.
After Gasquet and Almagro we have four more players with mathematical chances of progress but it would require winning the title for them to do so. Winning a Masters 1000 event isn't easy but here in Paris it is possible to get a win over top ten players who will have one eye on London next week. Juan Monaco is one who has a chance but it looks as though a poor run of form since the US Open will cost him his place. He was in prime position not long ago but has failed to hit the heights of his game, heights which saw him break the top ten this Summer. I don't like his draw this week with a match with Grigor Dimitrov in the opening round being a nightmare match and Tipsarevic in his next. If he plays at his best then I think he might get a few wins but certainly not enough to qualify. Marin Cilic is the last in line to qualify and I really don't see him putting any kind of case forward this week. But before Cilic are two men who have the potential to cause some upsets and make the finals.
Milos Raonic and John Isner have both had solid seasons but, as a huge fan of both, I think they should have had a lot more success. Both of them are prone to very disappointing losses, for example Raonic lost to Querrey at Wimbledon and Isner lost to Falla. Raonic needs to take the next step up in the game soon. He needs a deep run in a Masters 1000 event or a Grand Slam and beat some top players along the way. He has had eight wins over top ten players this year but has also lost to ten players outside the top thirty. That's far too inconsistent. He definitely has the game and I see him being a Grand Slam winner and future top ten player. This week is huge for him. He could meet Djokovic in round three and although it is a daunting task it's one he should be relishing. Then he would meet Isner or Del Potro and from there he could have a chance at the title. It's hard to see him winning those matches but sooner or later he is going to make the breakthrough and I have a feeling it might be sooner. He has an outside chance of reaching London.
For Isner he needs to improve his return game. He wins just 11% of return games and if he could bring that up to 20% then he would see huge improvements in his game. He has the game to win majors but doesn't produce it on the big stage enough. His majors this year have been ended by Feliciano Lopez, Paul Henri Mathieu, Alejandro Falla and Philipp Kohlschreiber, all in five sets. No disrespect to those players but Isner is a much better player than all four. He has shown glimpses of his ability this season and next year I am optimistic that he can be a big time player. He beat Federer and Djokovic in the first three months of the season so we know he has the game. This week is a great chance for him. Del Potro has played two weeks straight in finals so he can't be fresh and Djokovic will have one eye on London. If Isner brings his best game to Paris then he could reach a final or even win the title. I think either he, or Raonic will go deep this week and one of them might end up in London, either automatically or as an alternate.
In terms of winning the title there are a number of contenders. I like Djokovic if he is focused fully on this week and not on London. Del Potro has put two great weeks together in a row. If he is still fully fit then he could be dangerous especially with only one loss on indoor courts this year. Tsonga has a great indoor record and will have home advantage this week so he might be looking at gaining some big momentum ahead of next week. Of all the players in the draw, the best career percentage on indoor courts is Milos Raonic with 74%. Andy Murray usually plays well on indoor but like Djokovic he is bound to be thinking of London so he can't be fully relied on. I like Tomas Berdych this week. I think he has improved significantly this year and will make a real push at the title especially with Federer pulling out.
In the seventh qualifying spot is Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. Tsonga has been a regular at the year end championships and would be very disappointed to miss out. Working out the math of the situation it would require him losing in his first or second round and Richard Gasquet or Nicolas Almagro would have to win the tournament so I think Tsonga can be fairly certain of his place in London. He would meet Nicolas Almagro in the round of sixteen this week and that match would give Tsonga the chance to officially book his spot for next week. It might be still in the balance up until Thursday or Friday but Tsonga will be in London next week.
Janko Tipsarevic is currently in the final qualifying spot but he still has work to do to guarantee his qualification. He sits 300 points above Gasquet which means Gasquet needs a semi final spot at least to make it. If Tipsarevic reaches the quarter finals then it would require Gasquet, Almagro, Juan Monaco, Milos Raonic, John Isner or Marin Cilic winning the tournament to prevent him from making the finals next week. Whether he makes it or not is certainly not going to be known until Friday or Saturday at the earliest and if I was Tipsarevic, I would try my best to make sure I beat Murray in the quarter finals and take matters into my own hands. If he doesn't then I'm not sure he will make it.
Next in line is French man Richard Gasquet. Gasquet is struggling with a slight knee injury which could harm his chances of putting on a real performance this week. He is 300 points behind Tipsarevic so he needs at least a semi final appearance which would give him 360 points. Winning the tournament will put him through no matter what Tipsarevic does so it is still in his hands. Unfortunately, I don't see him winning the event. He's got Kevin Anderson in his first match and could then play Tomas Berdych. I think Berdych could win the title here this week so I don't see Gasquet putting a run together. It's been an improved and more consistent year for Gasquet but for this year at least it won't be good enough.
Nicolas Almagro is 400 points behind Tipsarevic so he needs to reach the finals to have a chance. In his way of making the finals is fellow contender Tsonga. If he beat Tsonga he could face Ferrer who he has never beaten in twelve meetings so things aren't looking good for Nico. Of course being in the semi finals he would still have to beat either Del Potro or Djokovic so for Almagro, the odds are heavily stacked against him. I don't think he has been at his best for most of this season but he can look ahead with confidence to 2013 because his season is certainly going to end here this week.
After Gasquet and Almagro we have four more players with mathematical chances of progress but it would require winning the title for them to do so. Winning a Masters 1000 event isn't easy but here in Paris it is possible to get a win over top ten players who will have one eye on London next week. Juan Monaco is one who has a chance but it looks as though a poor run of form since the US Open will cost him his place. He was in prime position not long ago but has failed to hit the heights of his game, heights which saw him break the top ten this Summer. I don't like his draw this week with a match with Grigor Dimitrov in the opening round being a nightmare match and Tipsarevic in his next. If he plays at his best then I think he might get a few wins but certainly not enough to qualify. Marin Cilic is the last in line to qualify and I really don't see him putting any kind of case forward this week. But before Cilic are two men who have the potential to cause some upsets and make the finals.
Milos Raonic and John Isner have both had solid seasons but, as a huge fan of both, I think they should have had a lot more success. Both of them are prone to very disappointing losses, for example Raonic lost to Querrey at Wimbledon and Isner lost to Falla. Raonic needs to take the next step up in the game soon. He needs a deep run in a Masters 1000 event or a Grand Slam and beat some top players along the way. He has had eight wins over top ten players this year but has also lost to ten players outside the top thirty. That's far too inconsistent. He definitely has the game and I see him being a Grand Slam winner and future top ten player. This week is huge for him. He could meet Djokovic in round three and although it is a daunting task it's one he should be relishing. Then he would meet Isner or Del Potro and from there he could have a chance at the title. It's hard to see him winning those matches but sooner or later he is going to make the breakthrough and I have a feeling it might be sooner. He has an outside chance of reaching London.
For Isner he needs to improve his return game. He wins just 11% of return games and if he could bring that up to 20% then he would see huge improvements in his game. He has the game to win majors but doesn't produce it on the big stage enough. His majors this year have been ended by Feliciano Lopez, Paul Henri Mathieu, Alejandro Falla and Philipp Kohlschreiber, all in five sets. No disrespect to those players but Isner is a much better player than all four. He has shown glimpses of his ability this season and next year I am optimistic that he can be a big time player. He beat Federer and Djokovic in the first three months of the season so we know he has the game. This week is a great chance for him. Del Potro has played two weeks straight in finals so he can't be fresh and Djokovic will have one eye on London. If Isner brings his best game to Paris then he could reach a final or even win the title. I think either he, or Raonic will go deep this week and one of them might end up in London, either automatically or as an alternate.
In terms of winning the title there are a number of contenders. I like Djokovic if he is focused fully on this week and not on London. Del Potro has put two great weeks together in a row. If he is still fully fit then he could be dangerous especially with only one loss on indoor courts this year. Tsonga has a great indoor record and will have home advantage this week so he might be looking at gaining some big momentum ahead of next week. Of all the players in the draw, the best career percentage on indoor courts is Milos Raonic with 74%. Andy Murray usually plays well on indoor but like Djokovic he is bound to be thinking of London so he can't be fully relied on. I like Tomas Berdych this week. I think he has improved significantly this year and will make a real push at the title especially with Federer pulling out.
Monday, 22 October 2012
ATP Tennis- Valencia
The penultimate week in the regular season always provides some entertaining tennis as players try to end their year on a high and gain momentum heading into the new season. This week in Valencia we have a number of top players competing including three of the top ten. We also have no less than seven players still fighting for valuable points to try earn a place in London in three weeks. There is no doubt that the standard is high this week and the reward is great but for one man this week is simply a stage for him to end his stellar career. Juan Carlos Ferrero is retiring here in his home tournament in Valencia and with that in mind I think we can be guaranteed an emotional week.
Unfortunately, when talking about contenders for this title I don't get to speak about Ferrero. He isn't realistically a contender with such a high standard field and considering he hasn't played much tennis but there is a great chance that a Spaniard will be lifting the title here Sunday. Top seed David Ferrer is going to be very difficult to beat and he should be competing in the final in my opinion. I don't see him being beaten by anybody in his half. No doubt Almagro has the ability but Ferrer will get the better of him. He will wear him down and win quite comfortably in the end. David is having another great year and the effort he puts in both on and off the court is rivalled by none.
Second seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga is still in need of points to reach London having lost in Stockholm to rival Tomas Berdych. I don't like his draw here though. He has an early meeting with John Isner and I don't like that match up for him. I think Isner is playing some nice tennis in patches recently and I have a feeling he might do well here. Isner himself, has an outside chance of making London but needs a very deep run this week. The winner of Isner-Tsonga could possibly be the winner this week. Tsonga has a slight edge on the ground strokes over Isner but Isner has the better serve so it would be an intriguing battle. Big serving Isner will be relishing next season after having some tough times this Summer after a stunning start to the year.
Marin Cilic is a player who could benefit from a nice draw this week. With Monaco losing to Lleyton Hewitt today he has a great chance to reach the semi finals this week. I'm not sure how he could get over Ferrer in a semi final. That's not a match up I like for him as Ferrer will move him around so much he won't be allowed dictate enough. Janko Tipsarevic is just outside the qualifying spots for London and he has a nightmare draw. An opener against Gilles Simon is the worst possible draw he could have got. Simon is a dangerous player and has often been at his best at this time of year. Tipsy should get over him but Marcel Granollers is another match he won't relish. He does need to win these matches though is he wants to overtake Tsonga in the race.
I really like the chances of Canadian Milos Raonic this week. He has the game to beat almost everyone in this draw. The one player I would really worry with is Ferrer and he is on the other side of the draw. Raonic has been brilliant at times this year but has lost too many matches that would have given him great chances in big tournaments. His win over Murray in Tokyo was proof that he can beat the best and for me it showed that mentally he is almost ready to explode to the top of the game. If he serves well this week I don't see where he can be beaten. His serve is unbelievable and his back hand is finally starting to catch up with his dangerous fore hand. Next year could be huge for him but small steps first and this week he needs a deep run.
I think the main man to watch this week has to be Ferrer. He is dangerous on every surface and I see him winning his third Valencia title this week. He will be challenged by the likes of Tsonga, Isner, Almagro and Tipsarevic but none of them live up to this man's standards when he's on song. Milos Raonic is a possible final opponent and I think a final between those two would be fascinating with the power of Raonic against the dogged consistency of Ferrer.
I would love to sit here and say that Juan Carlos Ferrero will win the title and have a fairytale ending but it is highly unlikely. He has a very tough opener against Almagro but he will be playing with no fear on the court which could make him dangerous. Tomorrow could be the end of one of the best players I've watched play tennis but although it is a massive loss to the competitive game, we can rest assured that his work for various charities and his own foundations will benefit the game off the court.
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Unfortunately, when talking about contenders for this title I don't get to speak about Ferrero. He isn't realistically a contender with such a high standard field and considering he hasn't played much tennis but there is a great chance that a Spaniard will be lifting the title here Sunday. Top seed David Ferrer is going to be very difficult to beat and he should be competing in the final in my opinion. I don't see him being beaten by anybody in his half. No doubt Almagro has the ability but Ferrer will get the better of him. He will wear him down and win quite comfortably in the end. David is having another great year and the effort he puts in both on and off the court is rivalled by none.
Second seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga is still in need of points to reach London having lost in Stockholm to rival Tomas Berdych. I don't like his draw here though. He has an early meeting with John Isner and I don't like that match up for him. I think Isner is playing some nice tennis in patches recently and I have a feeling he might do well here. Isner himself, has an outside chance of making London but needs a very deep run this week. The winner of Isner-Tsonga could possibly be the winner this week. Tsonga has a slight edge on the ground strokes over Isner but Isner has the better serve so it would be an intriguing battle. Big serving Isner will be relishing next season after having some tough times this Summer after a stunning start to the year.
Marin Cilic is a player who could benefit from a nice draw this week. With Monaco losing to Lleyton Hewitt today he has a great chance to reach the semi finals this week. I'm not sure how he could get over Ferrer in a semi final. That's not a match up I like for him as Ferrer will move him around so much he won't be allowed dictate enough. Janko Tipsarevic is just outside the qualifying spots for London and he has a nightmare draw. An opener against Gilles Simon is the worst possible draw he could have got. Simon is a dangerous player and has often been at his best at this time of year. Tipsy should get over him but Marcel Granollers is another match he won't relish. He does need to win these matches though is he wants to overtake Tsonga in the race.
I really like the chances of Canadian Milos Raonic this week. He has the game to beat almost everyone in this draw. The one player I would really worry with is Ferrer and he is on the other side of the draw. Raonic has been brilliant at times this year but has lost too many matches that would have given him great chances in big tournaments. His win over Murray in Tokyo was proof that he can beat the best and for me it showed that mentally he is almost ready to explode to the top of the game. If he serves well this week I don't see where he can be beaten. His serve is unbelievable and his back hand is finally starting to catch up with his dangerous fore hand. Next year could be huge for him but small steps first and this week he needs a deep run.
I think the main man to watch this week has to be Ferrer. He is dangerous on every surface and I see him winning his third Valencia title this week. He will be challenged by the likes of Tsonga, Isner, Almagro and Tipsarevic but none of them live up to this man's standards when he's on song. Milos Raonic is a possible final opponent and I think a final between those two would be fascinating with the power of Raonic against the dogged consistency of Ferrer.
I would love to sit here and say that Juan Carlos Ferrero will win the title and have a fairytale ending but it is highly unlikely. He has a very tough opener against Almagro but he will be playing with no fear on the court which could make him dangerous. Tomorrow could be the end of one of the best players I've watched play tennis but although it is a massive loss to the competitive game, we can rest assured that his work for various charities and his own foundations will benefit the game off the court.
A quick note for all readers. Everybody please like my Facebook page for which the link is below and feel free to comment on any pieces of work I have done. All feedback is greatly appreciated.
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Tennis- Basel
This week in Basel sees a number of players battling it out for not only another title for the year but also for the final two spots in the World Tour Finals. Last week Tomas Berdych picked up a title in Stockholm to book his place in London and leave just two spots remaining. Here in Basel sees three players competing with hopes of London. Juan Martin Del Potro done his chances no harm when he won in Vienna last week and this week he can guarantee his place if he can pick up the title here in Basel. Fellow hopefuls Richard Gasquet and Stanislas Wawrinka are unlikely to make it but with feint hopes still alive they will give it their all this week. So let's have a look at who might be lifting the title come Sunday.
The first name on everybody's lips will of course be Roger Federer who plays in front of his home crowd this week. Roger returned to action in Shanghai where he lost to Andy Murray in the semi finals. A lot of people have been praising Murray and how he "dismantled" Federer and the question was asked how much future damage would it do to him. Let's get real, Roger lost no sleep over that loss. It was his first time back playing since the US Open and he was far from his best and there were difficult circumstances surrounding him this week regards security. The next time we see Roger in a Grand Slam or another big event he will be a different animal. This week should be another step back into competition for him and in front of his home fans he will want to play some good tennis and lift a sixth Basel title.
His biggest challenger this week could be Argentine Juan Martin Del Potro. Del Potro has had a steady year which at times promised to be brilliant but it is another step back to his best and he will now be hoping to make strides on the Grand Slams next year. I like the way he went about his business in Vienna last week. He could have been beaten in the first round but after that he played some great tennis to walk through the rest of the week. He needs a deep run here to guarantee his place in London so expect him to be playing at a high level. I don't see a lot in his half that could beat him aside from fellow London hopeful, Richard Gasquet but Delpo is a much more consistent player and would fancy his chances of beating the Frenchman if they met here.
Gasquet and Wawrinka are both still in with chances of making it to London and will both have uphill battles to reach the finals here which is what they will need to stay alive in the race. Gasquet must beat Delpo and Wawrinka needs to beat Federer. Gasquet is capable of beating anybody on his day and this year he has improved under Riccardo Piatti. I don't see him reaching London unless a lot of results go his way and he manages to win in Paris next week. Wawrinka will need even more to make it. He could win here this week and in Paris next week and still miss out. Andreas Seppi might not be London bound but that didn't stop him winning the title last week in Moscow. This week could be another good one for him if he continues that form. A dark horse this week could be Mikhail Youzhny who has got the sort of game to upset Delpo and Gasquet but consistency is the issue with him also. I like Grigor Dimitrov's chances of a great year next year and he could finish this season strongly and a deep run here isn't out of the question.
In the end I think this comes down to a thrilling final between Del Potro and Federer. Federer used to always have the advantage over the big man by using the entire play book to move the Argentine but the trend has changed recently. Del Potro was certain to beat Federer at the French Open until injury but I think he doesn't have enough tennis played recently to beat Roger. I think Federer will yet another Basel title next Sunday in another great match between him and Delpo.
The first name on everybody's lips will of course be Roger Federer who plays in front of his home crowd this week. Roger returned to action in Shanghai where he lost to Andy Murray in the semi finals. A lot of people have been praising Murray and how he "dismantled" Federer and the question was asked how much future damage would it do to him. Let's get real, Roger lost no sleep over that loss. It was his first time back playing since the US Open and he was far from his best and there were difficult circumstances surrounding him this week regards security. The next time we see Roger in a Grand Slam or another big event he will be a different animal. This week should be another step back into competition for him and in front of his home fans he will want to play some good tennis and lift a sixth Basel title.
His biggest challenger this week could be Argentine Juan Martin Del Potro. Del Potro has had a steady year which at times promised to be brilliant but it is another step back to his best and he will now be hoping to make strides on the Grand Slams next year. I like the way he went about his business in Vienna last week. He could have been beaten in the first round but after that he played some great tennis to walk through the rest of the week. He needs a deep run here to guarantee his place in London so expect him to be playing at a high level. I don't see a lot in his half that could beat him aside from fellow London hopeful, Richard Gasquet but Delpo is a much more consistent player and would fancy his chances of beating the Frenchman if they met here.
Gasquet and Wawrinka are both still in with chances of making it to London and will both have uphill battles to reach the finals here which is what they will need to stay alive in the race. Gasquet must beat Delpo and Wawrinka needs to beat Federer. Gasquet is capable of beating anybody on his day and this year he has improved under Riccardo Piatti. I don't see him reaching London unless a lot of results go his way and he manages to win in Paris next week. Wawrinka will need even more to make it. He could win here this week and in Paris next week and still miss out. Andreas Seppi might not be London bound but that didn't stop him winning the title last week in Moscow. This week could be another good one for him if he continues that form. A dark horse this week could be Mikhail Youzhny who has got the sort of game to upset Delpo and Gasquet but consistency is the issue with him also. I like Grigor Dimitrov's chances of a great year next year and he could finish this season strongly and a deep run here isn't out of the question.
In the end I think this comes down to a thrilling final between Del Potro and Federer. Federer used to always have the advantage over the big man by using the entire play book to move the Argentine but the trend has changed recently. Del Potro was certain to beat Federer at the French Open until injury but I think he doesn't have enough tennis played recently to beat Roger. I think Federer will yet another Basel title next Sunday in another great match between him and Delpo.
Tennis- WTA Championships in Istanbul
This week sees the much anticipated WTA Championships in Istanbul finally get underway. This year is sure to be one of the best years of this event. The quality is sensational this year with eight very good players each capable of winning this event. The finalists from all four Grand Slams are here and I can't imagine a better field for the championships. I think were in for a stunning week of tennis. So let's get into it and preview the action and see who the likely winner is.
All eight players are have played great tennis this year and both groups could have any two players advance to the semi finals. In group A I think we have the most competitive group the year end championships have ever seen, in either women's or men's. Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka are without doubt the two best players in the world and they're joined by Angelique Kerber and Li Na. Any one of those four could win this tournament out so this group is likely to be incredibly high quality. In group B we also have four very strong players in Maria Sharapova, Agnieszka Radwanska, Petra Kvitova and Sara Errani. Normally players who avoided being in a group with Williams and Azarenka would consider themselves lucky but there is no guaranteed wins in group B either. The women's game is in such a strong place right now that next year is looking like being even better than this year which four weeks ago I would have said was impossible. With players like Sam Stosur, Caroline Wozniacki and Ana Ivanovic all returning to their best it looks like easy matches at the top of the game could be a thing of the past.
For this week it's hard to look beyond Williams and Azarenka. They are playing such great tennis that they're bringing each other to new levels. Their US Open final was incredible to watch and it was the first time Williams has been matches stroke for stroke when playing at the top of her game. The dark horse in their group is Kerber. She has beaten Williams this year and has the power to match those at the top and this tournament could be the start of great things for her. She will need to beat either Williams or Azarenka to qualify though and that might be her problem. Li Na is a top player but I don't think she will beat either of the top two and Kerber will be a very tricky obstacle. With Williams likely to be a bit rusty there is a gap for Kerber to push through and I think she might take it. I see Kerber and Azarenka making it through from this group unless Serena hits the ground running but history often shows she takes a few weeks to get back into her groove.
From the other group I think Sharapova is in dire need of a strong performance. She has not performed in a big tournament since the French Open and I see this tournament as make or break for her. She is outplayed by the big players too often and needs to assert her power here to lay down a marker for 2013. Radwanska has struggled a bit since the Summer. I don't ever get the feeling she is going to win the big matches against the big players and that's something she needs to overcome as soon as possible. I really like Kvitova this week. I think she's been slowly building her way back up and these courts could really suit her. I like the way Errani makes up for her shortage of power but I think she will struggle this week trying to keep up with the big hitting. I think Sharapova and Kvitova will make the semi finals from this group but it could go either way depending on who has the most desire this late in the year.
Picking who qualifies from the group is tough but trying to pick one player to win the event is even tougher. If Williams is at her best very little can actually stop her but I don't see her at a high level this week. Sharapova was making giant leaps in the Spring but mentally doesn't seem to have enough to win big matches since then. If she plays her best then she can't be ignored. Kvitova has the serve and power to trouble anyone, while Kerber has got the talent to compete. Radwanska hasn't proven she can win a major title and Li and Errani won't consecutively beat the very best. So we're left with one player, Azarenka. I think Vika has the game and mentality to dominate the game. Watching her in the first eight weeks this year she was spectacular and seeing her in New York confirmed she really has turned a corner in her career. For years she lacked the mental strength to win big events but she now looks so confident in herself and it's hard to see her being beaten any time she steps on to the court. She gets in the zone well before her matches and watching her prepare is worth the entrance fee alone, I like her chances of sweeping through this event and set herself up for yet another huge year in 2013.
Wednesday, 17 October 2012
The Mosquito's End
"The Valencia Open 500 will be my last tournament, it's the best possible stage for me to retire." Back in September Juan Carlos Ferrero announced his retirement from professional tennis and next week in Valencia will be the final time we see him step on to the court. At thirty two years of age he has decided that he no longer has the ambition the compete on the tour but remained positive about life after tennis saying he was excited about his new life and new projects. Next week is sure to be emotional as the Spaniard ends a fourteen year career in his hometown in front of his many fans, friends and family. With the retirements of Andy Roddick, Ivan Ljubicic and Fernando Gonzalez already this year it marks the end of an era of the game, with very few players from the beginning of the millennium remaining.
The man known as "Mosquito" began playing tennis at the age of seven with his father, Eduardo and grew up idolising the play of Jim Courier. As a junior he reached the French Open final in 1998 where he was defeated by Fernando Gonzalez but that was to be the start of a fabulous career. The following year he made his ATP Tour debut and made an instant impact by winning his first title in Majorca at the age of just 19. He defeated fellow Spaniard Alex Corretja in that final and after losing Corretja said "A star was born." And he was proven right as Ferrero would go on to become one of the greatest players to ever play the game. In 2000 he made such progress he jumped to number twelve in the rankings but the most memorable moment of that year came in the Davis Cup. Juan Carlos won all five singles matches he played and in the final he beat Pat Rafter and then in the decider he gave a stunning performance to beat Lleyton Hewitt and give Spain their first Davis Cup title. On reflection of his career he remembered fondly that win, "My greatest memories include the Davis Cup in 2000 because I realised the impact it had on the whole country."
Ferrero gained huge confidence from that win and the following year he won four titles, including his first title off a clay court when he won the title on the hard courts of Dubai. In 2002 he reached his first Grand Slam final at the French Open but he lost to compatriot Albert Costa in the final. It was a major setback for him as he was a strong favourite to win his first Grand Slam but having injured himself on an off day he lost in four sets. However, he showed great courage and resolve to come back the following year and capture his first and what would prove to be his only Grand Slam.In doing so he managed to reach the top of the rankings, a huge achievement that he still ranks as one of his greatest. It was a huge moment for the Spaniard and he would go on to reach the final at the US Open where he lost to Andy Roddick. It was a blow to him but he had quashed the myth that Spanish players couldn't play on hard courts. In all he reached three finals that year and won three titles and earned a career best $3m.
It would be another five years before he won another title as injuries began to take its toll. In 2008 he beat Rafael Nadal on clay which was the only loss Nadal suffered on clay that year. The following year he ended a long drought for a tour title by winning in Casablanca as he continued to be a major force on the clay courts. His career may have seemed to be in decline but he firmly established himself back on the tour in 2010 with three titles and a final appearance. It was a fantastic start to the year but two surgeries in the Autumn would cut short his season. In 2011 he returned to action in July and showed his class by winning yet another title in Stuttgart. He also reached the fourth round at the US Open in what would be his final visit to New York competitively. His final season on tour has been disrupted by injuries and he has only managed to play sixteen matches before announcing on September 12 that it was to be his final season on tour.
In total Ferrero managed to win sixteen titles including his lone Grand Slam title in Paris and he managed to get to the very top of the world rankings in 2003. He was part of the Spanish sides that won five Davis Cup titles. He is a great countryman and will always be remembered for his fighting spirit and dedication to the game. I have always admired the way Ferrero played the game and he is a real role model for players aspiring to reach the top. No one can ever question the ability of the man and he has had a career millions would envy and it's hard to think where the game of tennis would be without him. At the age of seventeen his mother tragically passed away after a battle with cancer and the loss hurt the Spaniard greatly. He even considered quitting the game but decided to carry on as his mother loved him playing. Little did he know then how much of an impact he would go on to have in tennis and looking back on his career he will certainly have done his mother proud.
Although he will miss the competition he will still play a major part in tennis. He will play a key role in the Valencia Open in future years and his academy will continue to produce great young tennis players, while he also owns a hotel in Spain known as Hotel Ferrero. So he should have no problem settling into life after tennis and the ATP and the Valencia Open will be pulling out all the stops to give him the sort of send off a player and person of his calibre deserves. The stature of the man is proven in the list of people who have already signed up to be there for the tournament next week to say their goodbyes to a legend. Carlos Moya, Albert Costa, Alex Corretja and golfer Sergio Garcia have confirmed they will be in attendance. Although he is currently absent from the tour through injury, Rafael Nadal has also stated he will be there for his good friends retirement. It's going to be an emotional week for sure and who would bet against Ferrero going out with a bang in his final event?
We've had fourteen great years watching the mosquito and never has he let anyone down as he always gave absolute effort on the court. I've always been a huge fan and he's always been an inspiration for me. I'm sure everyone involved in tennis will join me in wishing him every success in his future and thanking him for his contributions to the tour over the last fourteen years.
Good Luck Juan Carlos and thank you for the memories!
Monday, 15 October 2012
Tennis- If Stockholm Open
This week in Stockholm we have an ATP 250 event but the field is so strong you could be forgiven for thinking this was a Masters 1000. The only thing missing here is the top four. Gael Monfils returns to defend his title having just recently returned to the tour after a lengthy lay off with injury and is currently seeking match fitness. Former champion Marcos Baghdatis is also in the field looking capture a second Stockholm crown. The interesting part of this event is that three players on the verge of London qualification are all in action so the reward for winning is great. This post will look at the main contenders for the title.
Top seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga had a strong week last week before losing to Tomas Berdych and he will be looking to exact revenge on the Czech star this week. The Frenchman is having a strong season having run Djokovic close at the French Open and reached the semi final at Wimbledon. Not reaching the world finals would be a catastrophe for Tsonga but at this stage he is in a great position and his fate is in his own hands. The draw is tough for him but I think he should be able to reach a semi final at least but at this stage of the year he needs to do more. I like his chances this week and he is certainly a contender.
You've got to like second seed Tomas Berdych this week. He reached the semi final in Shanghai last week and lost only to a great performance from Djokovic. The Czech player is making nice progress in his game and I am confident he can be a threat in all the big events next season. He has some tricky players in his half but I think he is strong enough to negotiate his way through with relative ease. In the past Berdych would have suffered from a loss like he had last week and it would affect him for a week or two, sometimes longer but now he seems to be much stronger mentally and will be contesting at the business end next weekend.
Former champion Baghdatis is a player I think could have a great week. He is always capable of producing great tennis and his style could suit these courts very well. He has a tricky draw but he is more than capable of negotiating his way through. Whether he can beat someone like Tsonga deep in a tournament is the question and unfortunately for the Cypriot I don't think he can. He has the ability but he might lack the belief and mental stamina to actually win the title.
Third seed Nicolas Almagro was very disappointed last week when he lost to veteran Tommy Haas in the first round in Shanghai but he needs to recover from that and continue to play good tennis because he still has a really good chance of making it to London. He has played well this year and he would deserve his place at the finals if he could make it. This week represents a chance for him. It's in his own hands now as he could meet Tsonga and Berdych this week and he will know beating them both will leave him in a great position to qualify. I like his chances.
Other strong players this week who will could fall short are Mikhail Youzhny, who is choosing to play here rather than his home event, and Feliciano Lopez who has never won a tour event. I like the Belgian youngster David Goffin but I don't think he is quite ready for the step up to the highest level. Kevin Anderson and Lleyton Hewitt meet in the first and the winner of that has got the potential to go deep into the event if things go their way. Jarkko Nieminen is seeded here and he is a dangerous player when he finds form.
I am going to give my vote to Tomas Berdych this week. I think he is stepping up beyond just the top ten and it won't be long before he finds himself being considered as part of a top five or six. He has the ability to win the event here quite comfortably if he plays his best and I think that's what we'll see from him.
Top seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga had a strong week last week before losing to Tomas Berdych and he will be looking to exact revenge on the Czech star this week. The Frenchman is having a strong season having run Djokovic close at the French Open and reached the semi final at Wimbledon. Not reaching the world finals would be a catastrophe for Tsonga but at this stage he is in a great position and his fate is in his own hands. The draw is tough for him but I think he should be able to reach a semi final at least but at this stage of the year he needs to do more. I like his chances this week and he is certainly a contender.
You've got to like second seed Tomas Berdych this week. He reached the semi final in Shanghai last week and lost only to a great performance from Djokovic. The Czech player is making nice progress in his game and I am confident he can be a threat in all the big events next season. He has some tricky players in his half but I think he is strong enough to negotiate his way through with relative ease. In the past Berdych would have suffered from a loss like he had last week and it would affect him for a week or two, sometimes longer but now he seems to be much stronger mentally and will be contesting at the business end next weekend.
Former champion Baghdatis is a player I think could have a great week. He is always capable of producing great tennis and his style could suit these courts very well. He has a tricky draw but he is more than capable of negotiating his way through. Whether he can beat someone like Tsonga deep in a tournament is the question and unfortunately for the Cypriot I don't think he can. He has the ability but he might lack the belief and mental stamina to actually win the title.
Third seed Nicolas Almagro was very disappointed last week when he lost to veteran Tommy Haas in the first round in Shanghai but he needs to recover from that and continue to play good tennis because he still has a really good chance of making it to London. He has played well this year and he would deserve his place at the finals if he could make it. This week represents a chance for him. It's in his own hands now as he could meet Tsonga and Berdych this week and he will know beating them both will leave him in a great position to qualify. I like his chances.
Other strong players this week who will could fall short are Mikhail Youzhny, who is choosing to play here rather than his home event, and Feliciano Lopez who has never won a tour event. I like the Belgian youngster David Goffin but I don't think he is quite ready for the step up to the highest level. Kevin Anderson and Lleyton Hewitt meet in the first and the winner of that has got the potential to go deep into the event if things go their way. Jarkko Nieminen is seeded here and he is a dangerous player when he finds form.
I am going to give my vote to Tomas Berdych this week. I think he is stepping up beyond just the top ten and it won't be long before he finds himself being considered as part of a top five or six. He has the ability to win the event here quite comfortably if he plays his best and I think that's what we'll see from him.
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