Both Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal found themselves in the top half of the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters draw when the ceremony was held on Saturday.
Thus the top two favorites for the title are on a collision course for the semis, but neither one–especially not Nadal–will be looking that far ahead. On the heels of disappointing results in Indian Wells and Miami, the fifth-ranked Spaniard is in the same quarter of the bracket as David Ferrer. Even before a possible meeting with Ferrer, Nadal may have to open against Dominic Thiem and his nearest seed is John Isner.
Djokovic’s opener may not be a cakewalk if it comes against dangerous clay-courter Nicolas Almagro, but he is in a soft section. Marin Cilic has been injured, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga is rusty, and Ernests Gulbis is in a massive slump.
Fellow Swiss stars Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka have the two first-round byes in an intriguing bottom quarter. Also on hand there are Grigor Dimitrov, Gael Monfils, Fabio Fognini, Fernando Verdasco, Alexandr Dolgopolov, and Borna Coric.
Full draw on the ATP website
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I noticed that Rafa is seeded #3 for MC. Raonic is #4. I assume that is because one or two players will not be there. So it could have been even worse, but for Rafa to be in Novak’s half of the draw is not good news. However, that’s thinking too far ahead. He’s going to have his hands full with Thiem as a possible first match opponent. Isner is lurking, but has to get there. So does Rafa!
This is one time when I am definitely going to take it one match at a time and try not to look ahead.
I am choosing to look at Rafa’s cup as half-full rather than half-empty. He definitely has strong opponents in his quarter, not to mention his half. Hopefully this will serve to concentrate his mind right from the get-go, he has to be mentally concentrated from the off.
Vamos Rafa!
Hopefully, time spent on the clay in Brazil will give him an advantage technique wise, but the same applies to Ferru et al.
Test of strength for Rafa
Theim in round 1 will be a very stern test. Less concerned of Isner on clay
Ferrer and Novak in qtrs, semi is as tough as it can get.
If he wins it all navigating through all these landmines, HE WILL BE BACK
Reblogged this on Tennis Abides.
Tough draw for Rafa…hope this tourney serves to build his strength and confidence..
We are with you Rafa!
Vamos Rafa!
I guess tough draws either make or break a player. Rafa will have to be on his toes right from the start. I will keep in mind that in the past when Rafa was asked how it would feel to face Novak, he would say that it would be good because it would mean that he was in the semis or the final. That’s how he chooses to look at it and I will follow his example.
It is true that Isner is not as big a threat on clay. He has to get there first. Sometimes draws can be tough, but then the opponents don’t get through. I am sure that Rafa will be focusing on making sure that he does his part to get to the latter stages in MC.
I always try to go one match at a time and will try my best to do it for this tournament.
exactly! ‘one match at a time ‘ was never more appropriate than it is right now for rafa. Come on , rafa!
I know there is a conspiracy out there to draw sympathy for Djokovic as much as possible but this is a bit much, no?
“While Nadal has not won a big tournament since last year’s French Open, Djokovic became the first man to complete the Indian Wells-Key Biscayne spring sweep three times earlier this month. The injury-prone Djokovic admits he is tired after his tremendous start to the season but remains confident the fitness work he did during the offseason will help him stay healthy.”
Djokovic, injury-prone? Seriously, pass me the sick bucket!
http://www.tennis.com/pro-game/2015/04/king-of-clay-nadal-back-to-favorite-surface-in-monte-carlo/54595/#.VStLGU39nIU
Djokovic is anything but injury prone…do these articles ever tell the truth or those so called experts just write something up to fill in the space…ridiculous..
When are you going to post your picks for Monte Carlo for today (Monday)?
now
If Djokovic is inury-prone then Nadal is a terminal patient
Djokovic has been far less injury prone than most other players who play so many matches a year. Consistently so. for the last few years.
Ever since, he coincidentally or not a) by his account, worked with a sports psychologist; b) switched to a gluten-free diet (having celiac disease, don’t try this at home unless you have that disease too, or bought his book and hook); c) if memory serves,was successfully treated for a respiratory-related illness; and d) showed the subsequent drastic improvement in his game and mental toughness in his miraculous year.
Prior to then he used to be prone to injury like an average player… and quit matches protecting his health or for other reasons, depending on viewpoints.
Rafa doesn’t play until Wednesday.
People say things for whatever reason. That does not make it fact. Of course, Novak is not injury prone. He’s had his little niggles here and there like all players. But he has not had any serious injury that required him to take time off. He’s quite healthy.
Rafa’s injuries are public record. Unless one is a rabid Fed fan or just a Rafa hater, it’s obvious that he has had to deal with more than his share of injuries especially the knees, throughout his career.
The fact that he has amassed the record that he has, is a testament to his greatness.
Clay court season is upon us, cue the silly, wishful thinking, headlines from Fedfans:
“Novak Djokovic is the world’s best clay-court player right now. Can Rafael Nadal change that?”
http://www.oregonlive.com/the-spin-of-the-ball/index.ssf/2015/04/novak_djokovic_is_the_worlds_b.html
Actually, Nole is undefeated on clay this year. 🙂
On 20 betting sites, Nole is the outright RG favourite on 13 betting sites, co-favourite on 5 sites and Rafa is the favourite on just two.
After Theim, Rafa has a very tough draw in MC .(For that matter, given recent form on clay, even Thiem is a threat.)
Next match is either Klizan or Isner. Klizan took a set off Rafa at RG and just won on clay in Casablanca. Isner is the only player to take Rafa to five sets at RG (when the French fans booed the result when it was posted that Rafa had won the 5th set).
After that ,likely Ferru who beat Rafa in the QFs last year, followed by the best clay player in the world according to some and then the final which, according to some here, would “make Fedfans happy”.
Nole wilted against Rafa in an unseasonably hot RG final last year, just like he wilted against Nishi in the heat in last year’s USO.
Miami’s final against Muzz proved that he’s likely fixed that problem.
I agree with the oddsmakers right now. Until Rafa has proven he has conquered his latest mental demons, this is Nole’s RG title for the taking.
Time will tell.
OMG! Someone here is still (for 10 months already) repeating the IMAGINARY story constructed by somebody!
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CCgD5iEW4AA__U2.png
From Cheryl Murray (Apparently a rent-a-journo according to some fan girl lol)…
“When Nadal finally won the fifth set, the result was flashed on the scoreboard in neighboring Suzanne Lenglen stadium. And in response to Nadal’s victory, half the stadium BOOED him. Let me repeat that. They booed him for WINNING. He did not swear at the chair umpire, he didn’t rub out a mark before it could be checked. He didn’t even beat a Frenchman.
I’ve heard all sorts of excuses over the years. Excuses for the ridiculously rude behavior. That he’s Spanish and the French don’t like the Spanish. That he dares to play the sport of tennis with “construction worker” arms. That they prefer to back the underdog. I was even told that he “works too hard” for them, whatever that means.
In the end, it doesn’t really matter why they do it; whatever sorry excuse they come up with will never be good enough. They are guilty of treating a great champion like he’s nothing better than a dog stealing the Easter ham off the dining room table. Instead of giving him the respect that a 5-time champion deserves, they boo him for winning a first round match over a player from a country they despise.
I’d like to think that they’re ashamed of themselves, but I highly doubt it. That’s okay, I’ll be ashamed for them. Congratulations, French crowd – you win the award for Most Classless Fans. Well done!”
http://www.tennistalk.com/en/blog/Cheryl_Murray/20110524/I've_given_up_on_the_French_crowd
Darren Cahill also reported the poor crowd behaviour when it happened on ESPN2 (Cahill is a big Nadal fan ICYMI).
Some people tend to construct imaginary stories and some people even get paid for that!
And some people are delusional!
Cheryl, if that who is accused of it, never was one to exaggerate or make up stories.
Whereas some here make up stories to suit their delusions by necessity.
hawkeye,
I well remember that blog from Cheryl Murray. We had quite the discussion about it on good old TT. She was so good at expressing outrage when it came to the boorish behavior of the French crowd.
Cheryl had a great deal of integrity. She was not prone to exaggeration or making up imaginary stories. It’s insulting for anyone to even think of saying that about her.
April 14, 2015 at 2:05 am
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It’s hilarious that the authors of the imaginary stories have the ability to freely imagine why some people are booing & hissing somewhere far away from something!
And this is a great example how “some people” in somebody’s imaginary story became “half the stadium” in someone else’s story:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CCiZFm-W0AABvbr.png
You are slowly catching on.
#BetterLateThanNever
Well, IMO NOBODY in the tennis world including us fans could say Novak is clear favorite for RG 2015! Nothing currently going on with Rafa is whole lot different from the last year this time and the way he played on cement has no effect on his clay court game…while I see a lot of room for improvement in Rafa’s game I remain not less optimistic about his prospects in RG…I won’ t be fooled with stories of journos who hate my boy and who live for his defeats so that they could write up some BIG news…
Rafa is rested, has no injuries, he is working hard and the results will soon show…he will be back…
Nobody reputable that I’m aware of is calling Nole a clear favorite. Nor is anyone calling Rafa a clear favorite.
hawkeye,
I agree with your comment @ 1:54 am. I think that is a fair and reasonable statement. There is no way that Novak is the actual favorite for RG. He has yet to win it, thanks to one Rafa Nadal.
I think there are real questions about Rafa as the clay season begins. Questions that only he can answer. We may get some answers in this tournament. I am just going to wait and see how Rafa does, how he looks, his game, his confidence, where he’s at. Rafa has confounded the naysayers many times in the past.
Regarding the stronger ‘opinions’ and such posted here at times, have a look at this post from a blog on an entirely different subject:
Laws of the intertubes:
1. Everything is a contest.
2. Informed opinion is the same as uninformed opinion.
3. Opinion stated sufficiently rudely and/or vociferously is the same as fact.
4. Facts stated sufficiently rudely and/or vociferously are necessarily true.
5. Hence, rude and vociferous always wins.
#OctoberAndTheEighthMonth
And Rafa having rather difficult draw works to his advantage…he knows nothing will be given and has to work hard to reach his best…he will be pushed into high speed from the very beginning of the tourney which if properly dealt with will get him ready for the likes of Ferry and Novak…
Rafa back to his natural environment and his beloved clay, while being hungry for victories should place a danger to any player not the other way around…it’s just that we read too much into Rafa’s weak start of the year and have our expectations lower than ever…but Rafa should and will be better than that…
Vamos Rafa!
I am not one to read too much into Rafa’s weak start after his comeback. I usually adopt a “wait and see” attitude. I didn’t know what to expect at the AO. Rafa did well to get to the quarterfinals. I thought that was a really good result, considering that he was again coming back from a long layoff without proper preparation for a slam.
However, I was concerned when Rafa lost to Fognini in Rio. Again, it’s the way he lost and the fact that he never lost to Fognini previously. He let the match get away from him. But then Rafa did well to win Buenos Aires and get a title, without facing particularly tough competition. But at IW, Rafa lost to Raonic when he had a bunch of match points and numerous break chances. He had the match and let it get away from him, losing to Raonic for the first time. That was concerning, but it would get worse in Miami. To watch Rafa lose to Verdasco, who was only able to beat him back in 2012 on that blue ice skating rink at Madrid, was very difficult.
It’s the way Rafa is losing and to whom he is losing. We have all dealt with Rafa’s losses over the years. If we weren’t able to handle it, then we wouldn’t still be here supporting him. I have made it a point not to read anything in the blogosphere or on other tennis sites regarding Rafa’s current troubles. I don’t care what so-called experts or pundits are saying. It’s to be expected that some will try to write him off. It’s happened to other players. It’s kind of what they do. So I choose not to read it.
I am approaching this tournament with a bit of trepidation, but also hope that Rafa will find his game on the red clay that he loves so much. Nothing would make me happier.
Lucas Pouille defeated Dominic Thiem 6-4, 6-4 and he’ll be Rafa’s first opponent.
how do you know, Augusta were you there? Can you trust what journalists reported? Maybe these published scores were imagined by one of them?
April 14, 2015 at 10:20 am,
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There are reliable sources and there are unreliable sources.
lol chloro.
#SelectiveHearing
I am glad we have you here, augusta, who always knows about all journalists and writers in the world who reports on tennis which ones are reliable or not. It’s a relief.
It is also a relief to know that when a reporter or writer reports some facts that are not welcome that this is merely due to their being unreliable.
The emperor has no clothes. Wait, he does! Wait, he does not!
April 14, 2015 at 1:07 pm,
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I have no doubt that people who are constructing imaginary stories are happy to have you … (wherever).
Tiggy says:
Semifinals: Djokovic d. Ferrer; Federer d. Raonic
Final: Djokovic d. Federer
Unreliable. Definitely. Unreliable.
#WhoSOnSecond?
Well at least for “some”, Rafa won’t make Fedfans happy al least lol. 😉