Beijing R1 previews and picks: Nadal vs. Gasquet, Murray vs. Janowicz

September 29, 2014 Ricky Match previews 0

Rafa ToniRafael Nadal will be back in singles action for the first time since Wimbledon when he faces Richard Gasquet on Tuesday in Beijing. Andy Murray and Jerzy Janowicz are also looking for a place in the second round.

Richard Gasquet vs. (2) Rafael Nadal

Nadal and Gasquet will be going head-to-head for the 13th time in their careers at the ATP level when they collide in round one of the China Open on Tuesday. All 12 of their previous encounters have gone Nadal’s way, including six on hard courts. They most recently faced each other last fall indoors in Paris, where Nadal cruised 6-4, 6-1.

This is not the first time Nadal and Gasquet have squared off following an extended layoff for one of the two men. In 2009, Gasquet returned from a four-month suspension and played his first main-draw match against Nadal at the U.S. Open, where the Spaniard dominated 6-2, 6-2, 6-3. Now it is Nadal who is coming back from a wrist injury that sidelined him for three months. The world No. 2 has not taken the singles court since losing to Nick Kyrgios in the Wimbledon fourth round. Meanwhile,  Gasquet bounced back from a U.S. Open third-round setback against Gael Monfils to destroy Tomas Berdych in the Davis Cup semis, but the Frenchman was upset by Juan Monaco in last week’s Shenzhen quarters.

Nadal has some match practice under his belt thanks to a recent exhibition with Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and a Beijing doubles match on Tuesday (he and partner Pablo Andujar lost to Berdych and John Isner 7-5, 4-6, 10-4). The second seed’s heavy topspin matches up superbly with Gasquet’s one-handed backhand, so it is hard to see the underdog overcoming his mental block versus Nadal even if the favorite is a little bit rusty.

Pick: Nadal in 2

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Jerzy Janowicz vs. (6) Andy Murray

This will be the first showdown between Murray and Janowicz since their 2013 Wimbledon semifinal, won by the Scot 6-7(2), 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 en route to his first triumph at the All-England Club. That improved Murray’s mark to 2-1 in the head-to-head series against Janowicz. Their two prior meetings both came on hard courts, with Murray prevailing 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 back in 2009 Davis Cup action before the Pole scored a 5-7, 7-6(4), 6-2 victory during his memorable run to the 2012 Paris Masters final.

Murray is coming off an emotional title in Shenzhen, his first since Wimbledon last summer. The world No. 11 saved five championship points in Sunday’s final against Tommy Robredo before surviving 5-7, 7-6(9), 6-1. Janowicz is struggling down at 36th in the rankings due to a modest 23-22 record for the season. He picked up some momentum in Cincinnati and Winston-Salem only to suffer defeats in the U.S. Open second round (to Kevin Anderson) and the Metz quarterfinals (to Monfils). This should be a good matchup for Murray, who generally feasts on big, inconsistent hitters. Janowicz’s beloved drop-shot is also unlikely to be effective against such a strong defender.

Pick: Murray in 3

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62 Comments on Beijing R1 previews and picks: Nadal vs. Gasquet, Murray vs. Janowicz

  2. This match will come down to who wants it more.

    If Rafa hits short, advantage Gasquet.

    If Rafa hits deep, Rafa will win.

    I think it will come down to the last point deciding the match.

    #YouSerious?

    Reply

  3. Hopefully Rafa got some much needed match practice in his doubles match. That can only help him. I think Rafa matches up well against Gasquet, so he should get the win. It might not be as straightforward as in the past, given that he is coming back from a injury and three month layoff.

    Reply

    • I think rafa will get it done in 2…but yea it may not be as straightforward as in the past.

      I also agree with the Novak in 2 pick but I do think it could be tight if novak does not play near his usual level

      Reply

      • vamosrafa,

        Yes, we see things the same with Rafa’s first match. As for Novak, I just can’t see him getting bumped out in his first match. This is the time of year when he does well. He won’t be under pressure with the #1 ranking, but he will want to do well and try to defend as much as possible. I think Novak will get it done in two sets.

        The time difference is going to make it hard to watch Rafa’s match. I was checking the tennis channel and they appear to be showing both Tokyo and Beijing.

        Reply

  6. ^^^Rewind!!!! When I looked at the score, Karlovic was leading 3:0 in the 3rd set so I kinda took it as read that he’d won the match, but Peter Gojo won. Stiil, Rafa has to be on the ball because Peter gave him grief in Doha this year even though Rafa won in the end.

    At least Rafa doesn;t have to fight fire fro Karlovic’s serve.

    Reply

  15. wow…beautiful match, Rafa…I love the way he plays…and the backhand is clicking well…very convincing return from dear Rafa…I expected Rafa to be rustier…I am really loving what I see…

    some great shots from both sides…Rafa sure gives us hope that he is ok and ready to win the whole thing..

    so great to see Rafa back…tennis life was empty without him…those lucky Chinese…they are really enjoying Rafa’s comeback…

    Vamos Rafa!

    Reply

  18. Excellent 1st match back for Rafa. I liked the winner to UFE ratio. Had just 4 UFE’s in the 2nd set. It’s such a bad match-up for Gasquet, but it couldn’t have been better for Rafa. Rafa got to play his own game just as he likes and that will help him as he moves on to the next match. Gojo can be tricky as we already know from Doha earlier this year, but I’m glad Rafa won’t be facing Ivo. I was impressed with all of the flat backhands Rafa was hitting and some of the FDTLs were killer shots.

    Reply

  19. Just think, Rafa could have played Gasquet instead of the crazy Krygios at Wimbledon if only Gasquet had won one of his 9 match points.

    Reply

  22. Is it only me or Rafa looks more handsome than ever…it must be that I am hit with this “Rafa enormously missed” syndrome… 🙂

    Vamos Champ!

    Reply

    • yeah, I agree…I am partly watching the match…the way Janowicz rejoiced when taking the first set tells me that he doesn’t only get these crazy manners and overreacting against Rafa…I wonder if he is going to tear the shirt again if he pulls out the win…Andy should just focus more in this match…

      Reply

  29. I couldn’t see the match, but it’s great to come here and see that Rafa got the job done. The first set score was expected, but that second set blowout was great! It wasn’t as tight as I expected.

    This guy Gojo is not going to be easy. He’s still got a big serve. Ivo or Gojo, it’s really all the same. But Rafa knows what to expect. I just hope that there will be a match that I get to see at a decent time.

    Well done, Rafa!

    Reply

  34. China Open
    Beijing
    $2,500,470; 500 ranking points
    DecoTurf
    Draw is here

    “Above I list the prize money as $2,500,470; but in the case of the China Open, it’s the tournament’s Total Financial Commitment, which includes appearance fees, that’s the eye-popper and the number that matters: $3,755,065. Whatever happens to Djokovic and Nadal in Beijing, it’s safe to say the trip will have been worth it. ”

    http://www.tennis.com/pro-game/2014/09/atp-week-preview-beijing-japan/52895/#.VCqvuPldUTU

    That’s some (you) serious coin for a 500 event in China!

    Reply

  35. I’m pleased that it’s Gojo that Rafa is playing, though he’s got a perfect 5:0 record against Karlovic, a match against Karlovic would be mostly out of his hands and he has to be near perfect on his own serve because it’s so difficult to break Ivo’s serve. In Gojo’s case Rafa is free to adapt his game as the match goes on.

    I was courtside in Doha when Rafa and Gojo played each other. That was their first meeting and I think Rafa was surprised by his all out go for broke stance, also Rafa losing his serve in his first service game didn’t help. After losing the first set, Rafa overpowered him and won the next 2 sets with not much problem. This time Rafa will know what to expect.

    Reply

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