Rafael Nadal will kick off his Rio de Janeiro campaign when he takes the court on Tuesday against Thomaz Bellucci. Meanwhile, Sao Paulo champion Pablo Cuevas is making a quick turnaround to face Nicolas Almagro.
(1) Rafael Nadal vs. Thomaz Bellucci
Something will have to give when Nadal contests his first-round match at the Rio Open against Bellucci on Tuesday. The third-ranked Spaniard is 0-3 against his last three left-handed opponents, but he is 3-0 lifetime at Bellucci’s expense. They have faced each other twice at the French Open (2008 and 2010) and once at Wimbledon (2012). Never has Bellucci taken a set from his heavily-favored opponent and the Brazilian has forced a tiebreaker on just once occasion.
Nadal’s three recent losses to lefties, of course, all came on hard courts (to Martin Klizan, Feliciano Lopez, and Michael Berrer). Now he is on his clay-court stomping grounds at a tournament he won last season. Nadal is looking to bounce back from an Australian Open quarterfinal loss to Tomas Berdych, while Bellucci was bounced out from an event in his home country last week (by Klizan in the Sao Paulo first round). The 63rd-ranked Brazilian reached the Rio quarterfinals in 2014 before succumbing to David Ferrer. This could be competitive for a while as Nadal gets back into a groove, but for the most part it should straightforward.
Pick: Nadal in 2 losing 8-10 games
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Nicolas Almagro vs. (6) Pablo Cuevas
Cuevas will be back in action just two days after capturing the Sao Paulo title. The 23-ranked Uruguayan lifted a winner’s trophy for the third time in his career on Sunday after outlasting Italian qualifier Luca Vanni 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(4). Cuevas’ week also included wins over Almagro, Jiri Vesely, Facundo Bagnis, and Santiago Giraldo.
This will already be the third meeting in 2015 between the two 29-year-olds. Cuevas leads the head-to-head series over Almagro 3-0, with victories in Sao Paulo (7-6(6), 3-6, 6-2), Sydney (7-6(5), 6-4) and six seasons ago on the clay courts of Hamburg (6-2, 6-4). Coming back from a 2014 foot injury, Almagro registers at 91st in the rankings. The former world No. 9, however, showed encouraging signs by advancing two rounds last week. He should be able to take advantage of a fatigued opponent and seize some revenge on Cuevas.
Pick: Almagro in 2
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who ya got?
Pablo Cuevas lives in Uruguay.
lol
but he was born in Argentina
I agree with Ricky’s prediction of Rafa in two close sets (which is a far cry from “sleep walking to the final”).
#DoYou???
i believe the comment was “sleepwalking” to the final
#DoSpaceYou?
weird that Almagro and Cuevas are playing third time in 2015. Almagro in 3.
So great to have Rafa back on clay…he should in in an easy 2 sets.
“Pick: Nadal in 2 losing 8-10 games”
Easy two sets? Easy?
#DoYou???
I agree with Hawkeye. I think Rafa will win in two close sets.
Almagro beating Cuevas in three sets.
Finally a tournament close to my own time zone. Rio is only three hours ahead of me.
I can’t wait to see Rafa!
I saw Robredo tonight against some guy I never heard of. Robredo won in two sets. Even though it was 10:00 at night, the two players were still sweating buckets.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B-CrkdvIIAIiI5i.png
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B-D-O4MIEAAb4kX.png
https://twibbon.s3.amazonaws.com/2011/6/temp_91e3c879-3fb6-4e29-8b32-0aee4963e8ad.gif
Rafa: Allez,allez, allez
There is no preview for Ferrer vs DGT.
Here it is:
“ferrer in 2 easy sets”
Well I just hope that you not comparing sleepwalking easy with 8-10 games lost easy.
Don’t you? Or do you. No you did. You just said there was Rafa sleepwalking to the final and Rafa would lose 8-10 games in just two sets and then you mentioned two easy sets.
Okay… good.
So first of all I don’t think we are in same position. Alright, you say that and, ah, pfft well I don’t know what else to say. I mean is there something wrong with Rafa winning not so easy first tournament on clay? No. Good okay.
Lol
https://twitter.com/livetennis/status/567783103340539904
#PleaseUnmoderateASAP
https://twitter.com/hotdog6969/status/567797049656348673
#EmptySeats
I am watching it now on the tennis channel. If you think this is bad, you should have seen the stadium last night for Robredo and the guy who I don’t know.
Why do I have this feeling that the stands will fill up dramatically once Rafa takes the court? 🙂
Ymer is gonna be good
Ricky,
Yes! That’s it! I knew his name started with a “Y”, but that was all I could remember. He gave Robredo a decent match. Do you know his ranking?
Read the australian open unheralded stars blog if you want to learn about Ymer
I would guess is he is just outside the top 100
I’m wondering if Ricky thinks the first set was easy for little beast.
Rafa should drop the pink.
Well at least Ricky is right about Rafa sleep walking so far.
#Yawn
#MoonBalling
#HittingShort
No one saves six break points in a row against Rafa.
#DoubleFault
#Syd
No one saves six break points in a row against Rafa.
#DoubleFault
#Syd
Nice lob followed by horrid forehand
Well I just hope Nole is not watching this match.
Players have sleep walked three straight breaks.
#WTA
Would you believe four?
Wow five breaks in a row.
Someone go find Caro and show these boys how to serve.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B-FdGYBCMAARyAt.png
my live stream freezes all the time so I can hardly see any of this match…maybe it’s for better…what type of match is this, anyway?? what is Rafa doing out there? it looks like it’s awfully hot out there, but still…Gosh…
Bad badder baddest
Ricky,
That about sums it up! Just dreadful stuff in that first set. It was a breakathon with neither guy being able to hold his serve.
You’re better off nats.
Hope Nole’s stream is freezing too.
If Novak watched Rafa’s match against Thomaz he will have switched off during the 2nd set and told himself the match lasted only one set.
http://twitter.com/jjvallejoa/status/567835189012877313
Rafa is doing nothing on his way to victory.
Ricky was right.
Maybe Rafa has another appendix?
Syd I’d just awful.
Rafa playing better now.
Still he should lose the pink.
agree… 🙂
He’ll keep the pink until IW.
Aside: word press and iOS don’t play nice.
Having internet problems so I’m on 3G which is up and down. Our boy is doing well?
Rafa is playing better in the second set, but honestly he had nowhere to go but up. Bellucci has really been just awful. His serving is horrendous and the game is just not there. Rafa got lucky bumping up against someone who couldn’t get out of his own head long enough to play some decent tennis. Otherwise, things might have been a lot worse!
wow…that was beautiful… some of the good old Rafa…
Great CCFH for 5-1.
Caro would have beaten Syd.
Congrats Rafa?
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B-FmeHqCMAAH1S6.png
Vamos Rafa!
http://www.sherv.net/cm/emoticons/hand-gestures/hand-clap-smiley-emoticon.gif
thanks Rafa for playing some decent tennis in the second…I have an important meeting early tomorrow and good that I can go to sleep now…the way it started I thought I would spend most of the night up watching something that was supposed to be tennis…
Vamos Rafa!
Rafa is not playing until Thursday.
Rafa’s next opponent is Pablo Carreno Busta. He practiced with Rafa in Mallorca in December.
Rafa definitely played better in that second set. Bellucci pretty much gave up at that point. But at least Rafa looked much more like himself.
Rafa has a lot more work to do, but a win is a win!
Expected stiffer resistance from Thomaz. Hope Pablo can give Rafa a proper work-out……