Roger Federer and Alexander Zverev are on a collision course for the Western & Southern Open semifinals after facing each other in the Rogers Cup title match on Sunday.
The two finalists in Montreal are now making their way to Cincinnati for a second consecutive Masters 1000 tournament and they find themselves in the same half of the draw. Among those standing in their way of a rematch are Milos Raonic, John Isner, Grigor Dimitrov, and Juan Martin Del Potro.
Federer is looking at a relatively tough path through the bracket–certainly compared to what was on his menu at Wimbledon and in Montreal. The 36-year-old Swiss could open with Karen Khachanov before possible meetings with Jack Sock and Del Potro. Zverev could run into a pair of huge servers–Isner and Raonic–prior to the semis.
“I’m just really happy for him, to see that he’s taking everything not just to the next level, but the two next levels–winning two Masters 1000s,” Federer said of Zverev. “It’s extremely difficult to win. He’s won two this year. It’s a wonderful achievement for him. I wish him the best for the coming months and hope he can finish the season very strong because there [are] opportunities now.”
Zverev and others have big opportunities with a whole host of top players injured. Novak Djokovic and Stan Wawrinka are out for the year, while world No. 1 Andy Murray and Wimbledon runner-up Marin Cilic are currently on the shelf. Murray’s absence leaves Nadal as the top seed in Cincinnati, where he is looking to get back on track following a third-round loss to Denis Shapovalov in Montreal. Nadal awaits either Richard Gasquet or John-Patrick Smith before a likely rematch with Gilles Muller, who took down the Spaniard in a five-set thriller at the All-England Club. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Nick Kyrgios are also part of a tough top quarter in Cincinnati.
Kei Nishikori was a late withdrawal this week, leaving Dominic Thiem as the only top-four seed in the second quarter of the draw. He could be challenged by Montreal semifinalist Robin Haase and Los Cabos champion Sam Querrey.
Quarterfinal picks: Rafael Nadal over Kevin Anderson, Sam Querrey over David Ferrer, John Isner over Milos Raonic, and Roger Federer over Juan Martin Del Potro
Semifinals: Nadal over Querrey and Federer over Isner
Final: Federer over Nadal
[polldaddy poll=9808189]
I don’t think either fed or nadal will make finals (although I hope nadal wins 🙂 )
Nadal doesn’t seem to have that form on HC atm and his entire draw is filled with big servers/hitters which will be a major problem for him, while Fed seems to be carrying an injury of some sort and will definitely be tired.
I’m also surprised that you think Zverev won’t be even making QF’s given that his confidence and form is amazing right now, although I’ll admit he’s probably tired. But at 20 years old, his body can definitely take long play more than Nadal/Fed
Hope Fed’s back is not acting up again, would be a shame to lose another big name this Fall.
Good on Zverev, taking his opportunities, that’s what champs do……..
Back problems: Federer start in Cincinnati open
Bad news from Roger Federer: The Swiss confirmed in an interview with SRF after his final race in Montreal that he had back problems. Whether he is in Cincinnati, he advises with the team.
Video «Federer on his back problems after the Montreal Final»
From the middle of the second set in the final against Alexander Zverev, Roger Federer moved worse – and confirmed after the defeat the fears of his fans: The Basel bidders plagued back problems, as he said in an interview with SRF . How bad these are, is currently unclear.
Incident in the middle of the second sentence
According to Federer, the situation in the second movement was “something easy happened.” “The back is a little stiff.” After the incident, it was no longer the same.
” I have to see if I play in Cincinnati. I do not know if it’s enough. »
Federer flew directly to Cincinnati, where the next ATP 1000 tournament is due this week. But his participation is in the limbo. “I have to see if I play there. I do not know if it’s enough. ”
Federer now waits a bit and then consults with his team, whether he goes in the US state of Ohio at the start. The focus is clear to the Swiss: “Now the horizon US Open is important.”
http://www.srf.ch/sport/tennis/atp-tour … _medium=tw
Fed is clearly not fit; if he plays Cincy. he won’t go very far. He would probably prioritise his chances at the USO over his chances of becoming #1 again. He doesn’t need more weeks at #1 and, honestly, at 36, why is he still playing? Especially as he is not fit.
Yeah, strange that he is in Cincy given his re-surfaced back problem. Given his history with the ailment, this is a major blow for Fed. I doubt he will be competitive at USO. Back problems rob him of his main weapon: his serve. Without a potent serve Fed’s game is average at best.
RITB 3.0 (AT 9:20 AM),
Fed has had back problems at least since 2003 when he was deemed unfit to fulfill the military service obligations due to his long-standing back problem.
If my memory serves me correctly, he said a couple of years ago (in a post-match interview) that his back pain ‘comes and goes.’
He has withdrawn from several tournaments due to his back problems, but his fans have called it ‘good scheduling’.
It doesn’t matter what his fans say about ‘good scheduling’. What I like about him is that he is not making a victim out of his back pain. Like yesterday, he could really make it more obvious that something is wrong. He did the right thing. Showed respect for Zverev, who played amazing and deserved to win. I don’t know whether Kyrgios/Djokovic/Tomic/Almagro would have lost with same dignity yesterday.
Smart scheduling or not, Fed does the right thing about not screaming about his pain, but working hard and coming back again and again.
Eugene says AT 6:30 PM: “What I like about him is that he is not making a victim out of his back pain”
===
You have probably skipped some interviews, for example:
http://www.asapsports.com/show_interview.php?id=64595
Fed with back issue was still able to win Wimbledon in 2012; I think he can manage it at the USO as long as he doesn’t stress it or make it worse at Cincy.
And he won Wimbledon in 2003, too.
His back issue at the 2003 Wimbledon:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DHL9aSHXYAAmWzd.jpg
But the bad back hampers his serve right @lucky? I mean, he may be competitive but somewhat diminished, no?
I don’t know; in 2012 he was five years younger though at that time, people were already calling him old at 30 almost 31. He’s now 36 so I don’t know how well his back will hold up through BO5 matches for two weeks playing on every other day. Like I said, its best not to stress it by playing at Cincy if he’s not really feeling well.
Speaking of the 2012 Wimbledon, Fed left court for 7 minutes to get his back treated:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DDZodq8XoAAMJ1i.jpg
Fedfans have written on the Internet (on several websites) 24/7 about Rafa’s MTOs, but they have been very quiet about Fed’s MTOs. LOL
Lucky- I wonder if he is able to work through the back pain easier on grass because it is a softer surface? I wonder if pounding on the hard court makes it more difficult to play through in later rounds compared to Wimbledon? I agree with you that it would certainly be in his best interest to skip Cinci. There has been 3 times where he has made Canada final, won Cinci, and then went deep at US Open, and the only one of those three times that he managed to win the US Open was 2007 and he was only 26… A younger body can manage that amount of matches so close together, i.e. Rafa 2013, Roddick 2003. Federer is an entire decade older than he was the last time he made the finals of Canada/Cinci/US Open, so it’s just too hard for me to imagine him pulling that of at his current age, even if he is keeping points relatively shorter and coming to the net constantly. He most recent time he made final in Canada and won Cinci was 2014, and we all saw what happened in the 2014 US Open semi- he was completely out of gas and Cilic blew him off the court! He had that epic QF against Monfils where he came from 2 sets down to win. What if he were to have another epic 5-setter in NYC this year on top of Montreal and Cinci? If he couldn’t handle it in 2014 at age 33, how could he possibly handle it at 36? If Fed is meant to get to #1, it will happen later on. It could really backfire if he chooses to play Cinci. I honestly don’t really care what he does, except for the fact that I soooo badly want a Fedal US Open final, and I want them to be at full fitness. In order for that to have the best chance of happening, I guess that Fed skipping Cinci would likely need to happen…
I don’t think Fed should be bothered about getting to no.1; after all he was no.1 for 302 weeks already! What difference does it make if he gets that no.1 ranking again?
For Rafa it may mean more to him, as he has only 141 weeks as no.1 and was unfortunate that injuries had shortened his reign each time he was at no.1.
If winning slams is still Fed’s main goal, then he should stay as fit as possible to have best chances of winning, you can’t win everything when you’re already at 36.
I agree Lucky. And I am sure he thinks the same way. I mean it would be irrational to risk getting injured just to become number one for a few weeks/months.
Yeah I agree with you, Lucky, that weeks at #1 should not and probably does not matter to Fed that much. However, what absolutely WOULD mean a lot to Fed, imo, would be getting one more year-end #1. Year-end #1’s is a record that he does not hold, which I am sure he would love to be tied with Sampras for. Same for Rafa- I think that Rafa would love to get another year-end #1, and I think he could definitely do it if he wins US Open and then has at least consistent results indoors. We all know that Rafa is capable of winning the US Open again, and I think that winning the US Open is his only realistic shot at ending the season #1. Obviously anything could happen, including a scenario where Fed just completely shits the bed from here on out or gets injured. Obviously we don’t hope for that to happen, but anything is possible. As I’ve said many times before, I just pray that Rafa and Fed are healthy at the US Open and that they meet in the final. 🙂
That could translate to Fedal happening in the semis if Murray plays.
RITB 3.0
‘ Without a potent serve Fed’s game is average at best ‘
Disagree. That would describe Isner or Gilles Muler game. And even for these 2 that would be an understatement.
How can a guy with ‘average at best’ game and good serve have so many achievements. What about his FH, BH, exceptional touches and volleys. Are they average? Maybe for someone who consciously chooses to believe so.
False. Federer has arguably the best forehand of all time. You are a deluded Rafan, unlike other Rafans on this site.
I say arguably because it can be argued that your guy has that. They’re different strokes but both unbelievable shots and two of the best shots of all time. If Nadal and Federer had no serves they’d still be the two greatest of all time. I’m pretty appalled that you would say that about a 19 time grand slam champion.
Benny, for some people believing in illusion is less painful than accepting the real facts. Painful, but that’s no news.
Haha, Nishikori doesn’t have any serve at all and is a perennial top-10 player, not “average”. If Nishikori is above average without a serve, then Fed would be considered elite without a serve! Also, if Federer’s serve is his entire game, then how could it be that he’s a 5-time French Open finalist with one title, and 6-time clay masters champion with countless runner-ups? Sure, Federer’s serve is the basis of his attacking style and is one one of the most clutch shots in history, but to say that Roger Federer would be “average” if his serve wasn’t as good is laughable… At his age, his serve is certainly one of the aspects of his game that allows him to play so aggressively and not have to grind as much, but using the word “average” in relation to any Big 4 player is insane!
I really hope Rafa can reach no.1 here!! Just want to see his name next to the no.1 ranking one more time!!!
I have correctly predicted every grand slam and masters final this year. I reckon Nadal will win over Zverev/Federer (if he plays)
Proof needed olly. That’s pretty hard to believe considering one of the masters finals was an out of form Djokovic vs Zverev, who was at the time a first time masters 1000 finalist and champ too of course.
Fed only needs ten points to secure a second seed position for the USO. I don’t know whether he’s too bothered with being seeded as no.2 or no.3; if Murray withdraws from the USO, then Fed will be seeded no.2 without having to play any match at Cincy.
Being seeded as no.2 will mean not meeting Rafa until the final but may have to face A Zverev in the SF (50-50 chance). Being seeded no. 3 means 50% chances of meeting Rafa in SF but avoids A Zverev until the final.
I doubt Fed cares about his seeding. Just look at his seeding in Melbourne lol.
I’m assuming Thiem not surpassing AZverev in the rankings after Cincy, i.e. not winning the Cincy title. Cilic will drop 1000 points after Cincy being the champion last year but not playing this year so will fall behind AZverev in the rankings.
A Zverev will be seeded four at USO most likely if Murray is playing, seeded three if Murray is not playing.
Although Alex made big achievements as of late (also not forgetting his Rome title) he still has done very little in the GS arena so I think it’s too much hipe over nothing! IMO he does not qualify just yet to be considered the favorite to win USO! Gasquet was one unlucky fellow not to sent him packing at this tournament, and beating bellow par Fed is not such a big deal.
While I do give credit to Alex playing well in the finals, TBH Fed made it a lot easier for him by making UEs all over the place, serving badly and moving like an old tired man! BTW Fed hit only 8 winners and had 19 UEs, this W/UEs ratio tells it all! Fed served at low 48% in the first set! Fed obviously needs rest and should skip Cincy and if he would do so he IMO is the clear favorite to win USO unless Rafa does miracles and shows better form and mental toughness to deal with big serving machines and big hitters who will most likely load his USO draw!
You’re absolutely right, NNY. While Zverev has obviously shown that he can beat the best in best-of-three, he has done next to nothing at the majors. Therefore, the really intense hype should be saved for when he makes a deep run at a slam. At LEAST a semifinal… And he hasn’t even made a QF yet, and has only even made the second week of a major once. That being said, I have no doubt that he will make that major breakthrough within the next year. Since he has won two masters this season, there absolutely should be big expectations of him at the majors now. If he doesn’t go deep at either the US Open or next AO, it will be a massive disappointment… I have no doubt that he is going to win majors eventually- many of them. And it’s a good thing that we have a young guy getting good tour results against top players, since there will eventually be a massive post-Big4 hangover. We need people like Zverev. Let’s just hope he starts to meet expectations at the majors sooner than later!
I just came on here to read that Fed does have a recurrence of his back injury. So the ESPN commies were right. They speculated that it was either the back or the knee.
I think that Fed should skip Cincy so that he will be ready for the USO. Of course, it’s not my decision to make! Fed will consult with his team and make the best decision possible.
I hope that Rafa can get himself together and do better in Cincy. He still has a chance to get the #1 ranking.
I would be very surprised if Murray plays the USO. Without any warmup tournaments and zero match play and preparation plus coming back from the hip injury, i can’t see him doing it.
8 winners from Fed?! Yeah I didn’t know that I guess he really was off. I hope he is fine in New York. I’m confident he will be now that he’s taking Cincy off. And congrats to Rafa and his fans!! Number one again!!
Federer has withdrawn from Cincy.
It means that Rafa is guaranteed the World No.1 ranking next Monday!
The ATP confirmes:
ATP World Tour 1hour ago: “Rafael Nadal is guaranteed to return to No. 1 in the Emirates ATP Rankings next Monday”
https://twitter.com/ATPWorldTour/status/897136189077172224/photo/1
Nadal No1 after Cincy by default. Would have loved him to have earned the ranking. Hope he wins it now. Fingers crossed
Well, Rafa is no.1 in the race, though only 40 points ahead of Fed, so you can’t say he didn’t earn it!
Rafa will be No.1 BECAUSE he has more points than other players. 🙂
Live rankings today:
1.Rafa – 7465 points (before playing his 1st match in Cincinnati)
2.Fed – 7145
3.Murray – 7150
4.Wawrinka – 5690
He’s #1 and he’s earned it. We have always been told Rafa’s body breaks down because of his playing style, consequently sliding down the rankings. Well, if this argument applies to Rafa it also applies to the rest, no?
Vamos Rafa!
Congrats to Rafa on getting back to #1! Many people thought it was unthinkable a year ago for Rafa or Fed to ever get to #1 again, so that is massive for Rafa! Very well deserved. I’m happy for all you Rafa fans. 🙂
Rafa deserves it indeed.
Kevin who is your favorite player?
Andre Agassi.
If Rafa doesn’t dominate now, it will be annoying.
^Yes! Please Rafa show your stuff!
It was wrong on Fed’s part to play Montreal instead of only Cincy. Cincy would have been an ideal preparation, would have got more rest after Wimbledon and less of a break before USO. He does not end in top 2 as well. So, in a way did not achieve anything in Montreal and lost his momentum as well.
I am puzzled as to why Fed decided to play in Montreal. Maybe because he’s never won it. Maybe because of the #1 ranking. But I think it would have made more sense for him to skip Montreal and play Cincy.
The important thing now is for Fed to do what is necessary to be ready for the USO.
Personally, I think that he chose to play it because he felt pressure to not skip anymore tournaments as a preventative measure. Well, clearly it backfired because it ended up forcing him to miss a tournament anyway. When he came back to the tour at the beginning of grass season, he announced to the world, “I’m not skipping anything for the rest of the season…” (paraphrased) because he missed the competition and being on the tour. When he said that, I felt like he was potentially shooting himself in the foot because no matter how he felt after Wimbledon, he was now going to have to stick to his word and not skip anything as preventative measure. It was always a stupid decision to play Montreal, and I just can’t imagine that he didn’t know that deep down…
He wanted to be no. 1, I guess, wont admit though. He as hurt his back for no reason. He did not look fresh as well, his left side of cheek and his eyes somehow look swollen.
Interesting points, Kevin. Thanks for sharing your insights. Like everyone else I’ve been wondering why Roger chose to play Montreal. Thanks also for your congrats to Rafa. Anyway, best of luck to Rafa and Roger for the rest of the season. And, darn it, we fans DESERVE a USO final between the two GOATS. 🙂
Agree Kevin. Very good intuition from your side. Well, Fed was very inspired in taking 6 months break and winning AO and then skipping FO in order to win Wimby. This was a mistake, but US Open is not lost yet. He can choose to rest now.
I agree, and I was very surprised that he decided to play Montreal. It’s hard to know how bad the back is, but it’s the sort of injury that could well keep him out of action for awhile.
nadal needs to use this to extend his point lead coming into uso, where the top players will probably be back.
go rafa!
Why do you think the top players will be back for the USO? Novak, Murray and Stan will have all skipped both Masters warmup tournaments prior to the USO. They will be coming back from injuries.
My understanding was that Novak was going to take an extended break. I don’t know about Stan’s injury. But how are they supposed to come back ready for a slam with no preparation?
Both Djoko and Stan are off for the rest of the season! Only Murray and Cilic may come back to play at the USO but it’s still not confirm yet. I don’t know about Kei, who pulled out of Cincy, injured I think (or was it illness?).
I guess Murray’s going day by day. Cilic may be ready. They might possibly play the week before the USO and get a few matches in. But at the slams the first few rounds aren’t too bad if you’re not unlucky with the draw.
Man, I knew the top guys heading into the year weren’t young but they’ve been decimated by injuries. Raonic, Nishi, Cilic, Djoko, Murray, Wawa, Goffin (back, I guess, but not playing that well), Monfils struggling, as is Tsonga.
luckystar (AT 5:35 PM)
Nishikori withdrew due to a right wrist injury.
W&S Open: “Kei Nishikori has withdrawn due to a right wrist injury and has been replaced in the draw by lucky loser Janko Tipsarevic”
https://twitter.com/CincyTennis/status/896873582101278720/photo/1
That makes Zverev a serious candidate to win USOPEN.
W&S Open 27 minutes ago: “Gael Monfils has withdrawn due to illness and has been replaced in the draw by LL Ramkumar Ramanathan”
https://twitter.com/CincyTennis/status/897154527626973184/photo/1
They are all dropping out! Unreal!
I still can’t see Murray playing at the USO with no preparation and coming off an injury.
Agree w/Rick…Sasha due for a return to earth….I like Fed to win it all!
If Fed ends up not in good shape for the Open, we will at least have Zverev in addition to Rafa. Imagine if Zverev was out, too?? Rafa would literally be the only reason to watch the men’s US Open! It is pretty ridiculous to have this many top players struggling with injury/health. The ATP couldn’t possibly get a bigger wake-up call that it’s finally time to overhaul the schedule…
And Muller!! ?? #allezgilles
Rafa talked about this ad neaseum but guess what, he was brushed off as whiny and his fault. Rafa said reduce HC tournaments, they are hard on the body but he was called self-serving as HC are his worst surface. I wonder, could it be all these players’ playing styles are contributing to their bodies breaking down??
It definitely is not good having this many players hobbled, the ATP needs to re-calibrate the schedule.
Talking about playing styles, the younger gen now are all hitting the ball so hard, I wonder that will contribute to injury issues in the future. They’re young now so won’t feel the harm yet but when they’re into their late twenties, I wonder can their body hold up.
Rafa’s gen (Rafa being the exception) at least get past age 30 before seriously feeling the injuries, I’m not so sure the future generations can last till 30!
I think a big part of it, to be honest, is simply that the average age of the top players is much higher than it was 10 or 20 years ago. It’s fairly amazing that Federer is even playing, of course, but the rest of the big four and Stan are all over 30. The youngest active players to have won slams are Cilic and del Potro and they’re both 28. It’s little surprise that all of these guys are or have recently been injured.
My gosh, they are dropping like flies.
Bracket disaster.
I personally love it lol. I even don’t mind Roger withdrawing as it at least gives more guys opportunities for runs. I think another unpredictable week is in store.
I don’t understand why someone like Zverev plays Washington, Montreal and then Cinci. Even if he won all 3. USOpen is next and you have to be fit there in the first place. I think 2 tournaments are enough even for a 20 yo.
There’s still time for him to drop out, Eugene. I hope if he does play he doesn’t push it. I only picked him a couple rounds…wishful thinking maybe. But I’m happy Fed isn’t playing — he needed the rest.
Hey Eugene I wrote my congrats to you on the WTA page. No bracket winner goes without my notice but I sometimes forget to mention it.
rc, we are lucky to have you as our bracket leader.
Go go Fabbiano 🙂
I do my best and I love the group. There are some real superstars in jalep_wildguess. It’s fun because the size is right that I can keep track of who picks whom. 🙂
Well i have also been slacking off for various reasons. Usually I write more and post picks for WTA pre tournament. Not that I advise picking who I do; I just do it for fun.
Eugene!…I totally agree with u…rc is AWESOME with her leadership…i’m really really glad to find her and she persuade me to join TDC….It’s fun!!..I can’t thanked her enough!…What’s more,i have the opportunity to kick her a@# once in a while!!..and vice versa..hehehehawhawhaw!!
Mira Andi,
You are an equal partner and I rely on you, as you know. Thanks for joining and kicking my @ss I expect it from you on a regular basis at this point!
I feel like Zverev will lose early at US Open to be honest. I think Kyrgios has a HUGE opportunity to make an extremely deep run. Now if he decides to not give a crap then scratch that statement.
Surely Sascha will lose early — a deep run must not be in the plan the way it’s going. But you never know what miracles Jez Green may have up his sleeve — or Juan Carlos Ferrero.
Yeah, it’s poor scheduling on his part… Maybe whoever scheduled him didn’t think he could win Washington and Montreal back to back?
But Benny, spare a thought for all the Federer pickers who now have Fabbiano winning LOL
Oh no!! I forgot that’s how it works when a lucky loser comes in!! Commiserations to anyone who picked Roger to win.
Its a joke really.You should be able to repick when that happens Guess who Ive got winning .
You are not alone, Big Al! Everyone in the group picked Federer to win except 1 Muller, 1 Anderson, and 1 Rafa.
There are those who picked Kei deep and now have Tipsarevic. I have Ramanathan for somene else leaving — Monfils, I think.
It’s surprising that Kyrgios is in considering the way he lost to Sascha in Montreal.
Our WTA brackets are nearly identical, Big Al.
Only difference is that I picked Stephens to beat Queen Elina. Elina is so good that it’s hard to see anyone beating her but…I thought she might want to pace herself. Svitolina seems ready to go for a GS title.
RC: Yeah, and Ive just thought having Sloane going out early was a bad idea. Safarova or Kvitova are going to have to reverse last weeks result .
I really wish there was more time to do these brackets, its annoying when players pull out last minute and we never know who the qualies are.eg I would have picked Sousa over Edmund. Though feel like giving up sometimes , the addiction is too strong!
No, no, don’t give up. You add class to the jalep group!
It’s always messed up when they are still playing the qualies and they throw in a couple main draw matches. That’s why the ATP bracket was so awful. Had they given us the same time for ATP as WTA, there would have been time to know where the qualies were placed and who was dropping out — Fed, Monfils, Kei.
This is a kind of throw away ATP bracket as it is. But I still hope Rafa wins! 😀
Thanks for that,if I was to give up, Id need to go into rehab for a month !!
Your picks are interesting and not so wild as they might appear !
My picks are absurd, except Rafa. I have kinda an all-Spanish theme, you could say.
And I’m always on the verge of needing a tennis addict rehab!
rc, are all jalep members people you know? By the way, is benny or kevin there?
No I’m not apart of it. I don’t think I would have time with school and posting on here as it is lol.
yeah, it does take time. That’s why I didn’t take part in ladies cinci. But I made some time to pick Fabbiano instead :))
No. Mira Andi has recruited some from Tennis-x, I think. But yeah, most are from TG and I don’t know all of them — only by way of being in the bracket. Actually Welshwitch I’ve known through tennis-x for the longest time. Others, I chat with here and a one I know from my rare posting on Facebook – like Mira Andi
Benny, Kevin, anyone is invited. It’s not a private pool.
me too! My Rafa pick is feeling good.
Feeling good now aren’t u Miss Smarty Pants??Just u wait!!….I will find a wood or something and put it on my backside just so your kick will feel nothing more than just a kiss on my cheek!…ohohohohohoho!!
hahahahaa…oh my. Who was it you picked to win again? Fabbiano? LOL
Well, I guess Anderson could possibly make it. There still hope for you and Tommy Paul, too. 😀
Im sorry to laugh it’s not your fault but anyone picking Kei deep, Federer to win , and Monfils has a funny looking bracket. Tipsa to the SF! Ramanathan to beat RBA and Raonic…..
Yeah I know, I am sorry. Sorry for the injured players and hoping they make it back healthy for USO.
Yeah yeah yeah!!…laugh away Miss Smarty Pants!!….Besides,i have to live up to my nickname…Dumber!..hehehehawhawhaw!!
Yes and I know what my nickname is.
Forget about the Cincinnati Atp. Just think about Rafa winning, how’s that?
I’m watching the Vandeweghe vs Keys match right now. Keys took the first set 64!! Seems like Maddy has Coco’s number. I like Lindsey Davenport as Maddy’s coach. She gives good advice and she’s a sweetheart.
Rafa winning rc?..*gulp*[swallow spit]…oh!okayyyyy….
Btw…Hope maddy win this rc!…i got shocked on ATP Bracket…please be gentle on me WTA!!
Cincinnati –
QF:
Kyrgios over Nadal
Querrey over Ferrer
Isner over Raonic
Del Potro over Sock
SF:
Kyrgios over Querrey
Isner over Del Potro
Final:
Kyrgios over Isner
Not bad picks, Benny. Isn’t Kyrgios injured though? He looked pathetic against Zverev last week… Hard to imagine he’ll magically be all better?
Well I thought he was pretty impressive in Montreal but honestly didn’t see his match with Zverev. I didn’t know he seemed injured in that one. I thought it was more being rusty. I just looked it up and he still has some Pai but it is pain he can play through. He said this after his Montreal opener though so I think it will he nearly healed by now but honestly don’t know. I think this surface would allow him to play his quick big hitting and serving tennis but if injury is still affecting him then that was an unwise pick. We’ll see I guess.
And I mean I thought he was impressive first two rounds when I actually watched him. I didn’t really know about the Zverev match at all. I thought he would win that one before it happened to be honest.
And you’re right that he actually looked fine in his first couple matches. He seriously wiped the floor with Troicki, and Troicki ain’t no scrub!
Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s a smart pick, Benny! As long as he isn’t too injured…
Gosh, you just never really know with Nick. That’s why I can only pick him one or two rounds maximum.
I got you Kevin lol. So many factors involved when it comes to the enigma that is Nick. Man I hope he does well at the Open.
That would be good. Kyrgios winning Cincinnati — I’d celebrate!
I’m too embarrassed to post my picks other than Rafa winning 😀
Now that Rafa doesn’t need to worry about battling Fed for number 1 in Cinci, maybe he will be able to play with less of a burden this week? Although I guess it could potentially be the opposite, where he feels pressure to win it because of how open the field is? I tend to think it will be the former, where he plays with no burden… We shall see!
That was my idea, Kevin: Rafa playing with no pressure and he’s not in any way injured is he? He likes to get in match play. A Cincinnati win would be oh so good for his confidence pre-USO.
It would be just what the doctor ordered! Even if he didn’t have to face any of the other US Open contenders, just knowing that he can still get a title on hard court would do wonders for his confidence, I think.
I was just doing some calculations. Rafa could really boost his chances of ending season #1 by winning Cinci. If Rafa won Cinci, he would have the #1 ranking locked down for after US Open by making the final, even if Fed won it! That would put pressure on Fed to run the field at all the post-US Open tournaments. And if Rafa managed to win Cinci AND US Open, that could very well seal the deal for him. In terms of Fed, I really think he could have possibly screwed his chances of ending #1 by making that stupid decision to play Montreal. It all remains to be seen how he does at US Open, and how Rafa does as well. It should be interesting!
I think he may have just wanted to make a little slice of history by winning his first Montreal at 36. I agree he should’ve just played Cincy though.
I really think that if Rafa plays like the way he played this clay court season, i.e. more offensive and dictating points, he should do well this NA HC season, just like in 2013. He wasn’t playing that way in 2015/2016 hence he was beaten in the early rounds.
Rafa had won at Cincy in 2013, reached SFs or QFs on several occasions; but we are here worrying about him losing in R2 and R3 (all because of his 2015/2016 poor results this part of the season).
I hope Rafa doesn’t hold back anything and just goes all out to win here and at the USO. He was way too defensive vs Shapo, if he’s not able to control the ball, then why not be more aggressive and stepped in to take the ball earlier; or simply stayed AT the baseline, hit harder and blast for winners, like the two young guys were doing in all their matches? Defense won’t pay on these quicker HCs, offense is the way to go and the courts here rewards more offensive play.
Looks like Rafa will have a chance to reverse that Muller defeat at Wimby at Cincy, they are on a collision course at Cincy.
Vamos Rafa! Right the ship…….
I hope so….. Rafa please shows us that you can do it!
Rafa should account for Reeshad pretty comfortably and Muller should do the same for Youzhny I think. Also Muller will be aware of the draw and will be pumped up to meet Rafa so soon after Wimby, beat him so that Wimby is not seen as an aberration. So, I expect Muller to beat Youzhny.
Rafa, on the other hand, will not want to give Muller any “wings” so close to USOPEN…….
We know he he can, he just needs to do it! 🙂 He certainly has a great opportunity to gain confidence going into the Open, and the title is quite winnable for him, imo. I know that Raonic hadn’t been in great form, but having him now out of the tournament can only help Rafa’s cause.
Semifinals: Nadal d. Thiem; Isner d. Dimitrov
Final: Nadal d. Isner
Solid prediction, I’d say!
Hope Rafa finds his form to go deep in Cincy which would help his confidence heading to USO! I personally don’t care about Rafa winning Cincy, all I really care about is Rafa peaking for USO and winning the title in NY!
Vamos Champ!
Yet another player has pulled out.
W&S Open 2 hours ago: ¤¤ Milos Raonic has withdrawn from the CincyTennis: “My wrist injury has not healed. I always play well in Cincinnati & will miss the great fans “¤¤
https://twitter.com/CincyTennis/status/897503013551472644/photo/1
Another withdrawal!! Wow!! I’m actually really happy about this one because Christian Harrison gets a shot at a win at this level. Maybe he will take advantage like Ramanathan did? That would be awesome. Also I would now say my prediction is Isner over Bautista Agut in the quarters now.
oops!
Oops is right!!