Top two seeds David Ferrer and Stanislas Wawrinka will be looking for spots in the Kuala Lumpur semifinals on Friday. They are set for respective meetings with Joao Sousa and Dmitry Tursunov. Hasan Murad previews the action.
(6) Dmitry Tursunov vs. (2) Stanislas Wawrinka
Wawrinka is bidding to win his second title of the year this week at the Malaysian Open. His next opponent is a potent Russian–Tursunov–who has two indoor hard-court titles to his name. Their lone previous meeting took place on the hard courts of Sydney 2008, when Tursunov emerged triumphant with little trouble. However, this match is not expected to unfold in a similar manner.
Although Tursunov is enjoying a resurgent year in which he is finally putting together good results on a relatively consistent basis (26-16 record) , he is up against a man who has generated huge momentum after his best-ever finish at a Grand slam–a semifinal appearance at this summer’s U.S. Open. Wawrinka is an excellent all-court player and a solid 7-8 record against Top 10 players this year is clear evidence of his improved competitiveness and mental perseverance. Tursunov is a clean ball-striker who can generate easy power off both wings, but it is the whimsicality in his game that has always made him vulnerable. Wawrinka looks poised to follow his impressive win against Marcos Baghtadis in the previous round with a victory over the 36th-ranked Russian.
Pick: Wawrinka in 2
[polldaddy poll=7429117]
(1)David Ferrer Vs. (SE) Joao Sousa
Ferrer will be looking to enter the semifinals of a tournament for the ninth time in 2013, as he faces Portugal’s Sousa in the quarterfinals of Bangkok. The 24-year-old Sousa is currently at a career-high ranking of 77th in the world and his career is certainly on the right track after he just registered his first-ever third-round appearance at a Grand Slam (2013 U.S. Open).
Sousa has won two Challenger titles this season and he reached his first-ever ATP semifinal last week in St. Petersburg, where he lost to Guillermo Garcia-Lopez. His opponent, on the other hand, is known for his tenacity and ruthless consistency on all surfaces. Ferrer scored a comfortable 6-2 6-3 win in his previous match against Matteo Viola. Sousa does not have any major weapons with which to trouble Ferrer, so this one should be a routine victory for the French open runner-up.
Pick: Ferrer in 2
[polldaddy poll=7429115]
Sousa takes the first set. If Daveed doesn’t pull himself together PDQ we’ll both be wrong about the outcome as well. 🙁
Interesting young player this Sousa. He played an excellent match. Daveed was a long way off his best. His serve was rubbish and Sousa had him on the run from the very start. But it was also a classic case of playing with nothing to lose.
My guess is Sousa’s run will end if he meets Wawrinka in the SF.
Stan is thinking too much about the Race to London instead of the job in hand and it’s affecting his serve big time.
Down a set. Way to go Stan!
Meanwhile Youhzny has taken the first set against Gasquet.
Gasquet and Stan have both got early breaks in their second sets.
Sousa can’t play Stan in the SFs
Gasquet goes through.
@1.45pm
Thanks. Stupid of me.
These two are neck and neck in the Race. Wonder if they each know how the other is faring. Both Bangkok and KL QFs now going to a decider.
So finally the favourites in each match made it through to their SFs. Not without a spirited fight though – particularly from Tursonov against Stan.
jumping the gun, much?
you posted that at the start of the third-set tiebreaker!
no it was half way through the tie-breaker when Stan had jumped out into the lead ?
debatable
hahaha… almost got both wrong…got gasquet in 3 right though,which I commented on the Bangkok thread 🙂
Nice read, @vamosrafa. I would have picked Ferru in 2 as well. What’s going on with Ferru, do you know, and who is this Sousa fellow?
by all accounts, Sousa was absolutely on fire
Ricky: Debatable as in Stan might have lost? Agreed. The fat lady hadn’t sung.
Time I knew better than to 2nd guess a TB.
all I know is that as Ricky says, Sousa is on fire ! lol
thank you for the good words RITB 🙂
some action from djokovic vs Li na charity exho which was held today…Li started every game with a 30-0 adv ….. http://www.yt.g00p.com/watch?v=pdbe3iuuXRI
you can also put this and some other reels on the ‘Best of the day’ page ,Ricky !
VR – are you doing the semis?
I know very little about Sousa. I think the first time I ever heard of him was this year at the US Open where he had the misfortune to meet Novak and got crushed 6/0 6/2 6/2. Maybe this tournament will build some confidence for him.
Before losing to Djoko, Joao Sousa defeated Grigor Dimitrov and Jarkko Nieminen.
Joao Sousa has practiced with Rafa – at least in the end of January (in Barcelona, where JS lives) and in August (in Cincinnati).
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.541653945858613.125886.278612362162774&type=1
@augusta08: After looking at that Facebook posting, I do remember now. I also now recollect checking him out when the draw first came out at the US Open to see who was in Novak’s path, hoping that there would be someone to eliminate Novak before the likely final encounter with Rafa. My memory isn’t what it used to be.
Jpacnw@September 27, 2013 at 6:35 pm
The ATP website, Google and other databases are our friends. 🙂
Another game for Milos!!!!!!!!!
#ForQueen
@rafaisthebest: I read your post in the other thread about Bodo saying Rafa has to win the WTF. grrrrrr. See what I mean about moving the goal post? Bodo also dissed Andy again. He wrote: “But he’s never been able to establish parity with those other 3 guys who have taken turns beating up on each other.” While it’s true that Andy doesn’t hold the records of the other 3, in a head to head, guess who he has more than established parity with? Yep…Roger. Andy’s head to head with Roger is 11 to 9. Even his head to head with Novak is a respectable 8 to 11. So I think we can safely say that he’s in the melee with it comes to them beating up on one another. Of course, it goes without saying that Rafa has a winning record against all of them, the most lopsided percentage being against Roger.
I am resigned to the fact that, as far as Fedbots are concerned, Rafa has to match Fed’s EVERY record, including his number of Stefan Edberg awards, to be considered GOAT, that’s why I don’t bother engaging in GOAT debates. Rafa is on the way to UNDISPUTED GOAT-dom, no need to defend him.
What I do know, and this is all that matters, is this: after next week, barring any unforeseen circumstances, Rafa will be the #1 i.e. THE BEST RIGHT NOW.
Everything else is just………….noise.
Everybody, but everybody agrees that the AO is the least “valued” of all the Slams if we go by the fact a lot of pros did not even bother to show up for it in the past. So, by Fedbot logic, that FO is not important therefore Rafa’s Slam count is iffy, Novak has 2 “genuine” Slams! And yet post 2011 they were even proclaiming him greater than Rafa!
It’s been a long and rewarding season for Rafa, but I am praying, PRAYING that he wins Shanghai, Paris and WTF……..then Miami next year to complete the Masters haul and be the only one with a Golden Slam and Golden Masters haul. Shut the Fedbots up already……..
Incidentally, why were people saying Novak only needs Cincinnati to have a Golden Masters, when he does not have Olympic gold?
@vamosrafa
Gr8 preview 🙂 Keep up the good work!
@Jpacnw
Bodo has always had a downer on Andy, Grrrr indeedy 🙁
@duece, thanks 🙂 what are the latest updates on andy? Will surely miss him . Cannot believe we won’t see a rafa-andy match in 2013 :O dont think andy will turn up for the WTF
Ricky, yes I have written the previews, check you email !
RITB, i think they just coined a name for the achievement, the career golden masters. It does not have anything to do with winning the gold medal at olympics.
The China Open draw is reportedly out, I don’t have a link.
“Beijing draw is out: Rafael Nadal begins his quest for No. 1”
http://rafaelnadalfans.com/2013/09/28/beijing-draw-is-out-rafael-nadal-begins-his-quest-for-no-1/
The China Open draw:
http://www.atpworldtour.com/posting/2013/747/mds.pdf
Here’s the link for the draw.
http://www.atpworldtour.com/posting/2013/747/mds.pdf
I just posted China Open’s draw in another thread. 😀
Rafa gets all the big men: Isner, Berdy, and Kohls who always plays tough. Djoker gets Ferrer, Wawrinka and Gasquet.
Not to mention Baby Fed, Davydenko’s in there too although would be very surprised if he makes it through to a meeting with Rafa. I doubt Ferru will get past Pospisil given his recent form. Gasquet’s Novak’s pidgeon. Wawa’s the only on who can give Novak fits if he’s fit. Rafa really is being made to earn his #1.
Vamos Rafa!
Yeah, Rafa got the much tougher draw. 🙁
Being heavily moderated on TX now. Several of my posts have been removed. I think this one is next:
hawkeye Says: Your comment is awaiting moderation.
Hmmm, “interesting” takes from the fed fans.
Who to believe…. the federazzi above or the likes of Sampras, Agassi and the other Top 3.
Great posts holdserve. I’ve been muzzled.
September 28th, 2013 at 7:07 am
Are you ‘Hawkeye’ of Tennistalk or Conspirator/hawkeye ?
Yep. Post was deleted already. Oh well, fight the good fight for me holdserve. I have no voice on TX now. I take it as a compliment.
Both! 🙂
Hawkeye@September 28, 2013 at 1:20 pm
That sounds conspirative. 🙂
don’t think its possible to potentially get a tougher first match than what rafa has got..assuming kohls wins his opener, he will be rafa’s opponent on a quick hard court…I hope rafa comes out sharp enough or this would be a very difficult match…
If rafa gets past kohls, I think he will reach the final…we shall see…first got to see how rafa plays…. and yea, wawa is the only obstacle in nole’s path… even for that to happen wawa would likely have to beat youzhny..
whatever, bring it on !
Rafa’s first opponent is a qualifier.
Wawa can’t win a match if it means he will pass Fed as he proved today so I don’t think he will do too well in China.
#StanfordYoureHired
^^^^^^Clearly a Swiss weakness.
Think how often Federer has fallen at the last fence when there’s a record breaking achievement at stake.
Granted he has also succeeded quite a few times.
#MindOverMatterMatters
augusta, yesss , i read it wrong ! so rafa faces a qualifier and then potentially kohls….this is better 🙂
^^^^^^no worries there. Kohlbi at best stretches Rafa which can only be a good thing.
Davy says he is injured and will play just because of ATP rules which penalizes players even when they are injured. So he is not expecting to go beyond the 1st round. I don’t think Davy wants Rafa to equal their h2h ever. He wants to have something to tell the grandchildren.
vamosrafa, Love your write-up. Could do better with the predictions. Lol
Glad to know I am not the only one suspicious of Davy’s intentions! He definitely is ducking Rafa, has been for a while now.
I’m pleased Davy has drawn attention to the harshness of the rule penalising players who are ‘genuinely’ injured – if indeed he is injured. But in any case he is a shadow of what he once was. It seems having beaten Federer (was if after 12 consecutive tries?) and gone on to win the WTF he virtually lost interest and all but went into semi-retirement. Now I guess he just plays to earn enough to pay his bills.
Davy can’t challenge Rafa on any surface now. He is a shadow of himself. I am not sure why he is still even playing.
Tough luck for Rafa bumping up against Kohls in his second match at Beijing. The moment I saw him in Rafa’s draw, I just had to let out a sigh. It’s much different playing a best two out of three than a best three out of five. Rafa had the time at the USO to counter Kohls and his aggressive game. Here he won’t have that luxury.
I tend to agree with vamosrafa. If Rafa can get past Kohls, I don’t see anyone stopping him before the final. Berdy seems to have a mental block when he plays Rafa. I don’t think Isner will even get there to play Rafa.
Why so pessimistic? Kolbi has only ever beaten Rafa on one occasion and that was Halle 2012 straight after a gruelling RG and when he was already in dire straits with the knee.
Who is being pessimistic? I am being realistic. I didn’t say that Kohls will beat Rafa. I just don’t like seeing him up against this guy in only his second match. Kohls has shown that he has the game to give Rafa a match. If he plays the way he did at the USO, then it will be a tough match. But Rafa seems to thrive on that. He also knows what to expect from Kohls. No surprises there.
We will have to see how sharp Rafa looks in his first match.
@clayqueen, hahaha…thank you for the praise and yeah I need to do better with the predictions.. but you cant blame me for not picking sousa and benneteau to win lol…
I have to preview the final now…still thinking who to pick in the final haha… just cant wait for rafaaaaaa
Don’t worry vamosrafa, you don’t have a crystal ball. What we look for in your previews are analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the players ( based on current form) and how they match up.
I would also love a postmatch review ( when Rafa plays) where you would analyze the actual match so we can guage where Rafa is at.
In 2011, it was obvious to every one that Rafa had to find his forehand DTL, his AO 2009 backhand, he had to play closer to the baseline , be more aggressive etc. But Rafa wasn’t able to implement the strategy and lost 7 times consecutively breaking the hearts of Rafa fans.!
Analysts then stopped watching Rafa’s game and blindly started predicting a Nole win in every match, even on clay!!!
Predictions aren’t important. Intelligent analysis is important. If any of the pundits had bothered to actually analyze Rafa’s matches, they might have seen how Rafa was progressing.
I am really nervous about China Open.
Good Luck Rafa!!! Do well!!!
That was a throw-away comment regarding vamosrafa’s predictions. Note the ‘Lol’.
It’s not the predictions that gets me it’s the reasons backing them. Cheryl and Ricky always dismissed Rafa’s chances on any thing but clay and always talked-up the others, even though the evidence is to the contrary. I remember Cheryl once saying there was no way Rafa would prevail against Murray on h/c, no matter what he did.
Second that, @holdserve, it would be nice if we could have post match analyses, especially of the important matches at least, so we can get another perspective on what went wrong/right. This would serve as a nice base for future predictions!
EXCELLENT post holdserve…. I myself has always looked for the factors you have mentioned when reading match previews of others… you are spot on regarding the analysis thing on rafa’s game… the previews SHOULD cover the things you have mentioned…predictions are just for fun things.. even a fruit seller on a street who is clueless about tennis can make an accurate prediction ,but he cant preview in the manner you discussed..
and yes, I will try my best to break down rafa’s game and provide in-depth post match analysis… I will try to do this for the other top players too…
thanks for the suggestion ..loved ur post ! keep giving these valuable inputs, i learn so much from you guys
I also agree with holdserve’s post. It is very true that what we want when reading match previews, is solid analysis of the respective strengths and weaknesses of the respective players, where their games are at now, how they are playing and what each needs to do to win.
I have no problem with a prediction being wrong. That’s why we have upsets in tennis.
I think vamosrafa has been doing a great job! Keep it up!
A new book is out:- Facing Federer
Here is a bit of Tursunov’s take:
“Again, I’m not trying to downsize Roger and he doesn’t need downsizing. I don’t think it’s necessary to bring him up to like a deity level of a player. He’s not. He’s defeatable. And Rafa’s proved it. Rafa doesn’t get affected by that. Mentally, he’s very disciplined. He’s able to just play his game pattern regardless of who he’s playing. He could be playing you, me, Roger, he doesn’t care. If Jesus comes down and starts floating on the court, he still plays the way he’s playing. And that’s why he’s able to defeat Roger, in large part. There’s a lot of other things. It’s not like Rafa doesn’t have any weapons. My point is, a lot of defeats against Roger happen psychologically. Players force themselves to step out of their comfort zone and they start making mistakes. It’s like going out on a date with a really hot girl. You’re probably going to try to make stupid jokes and then you’re going to feel like an idiot after that. That’s kind of how it feels. Just to sum it up [smiles].”
The thread is well worth a read.
^^^^Link
http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showthread.php?t=478507
@clayqueen, OF COURSE I know you were just joking around 🙂
and hahaha thanks for sharing the above post …funny from the russian
Here is the original link to ‘Facing Federer’.
http://www.tennis-prose.com/articles/facing-federer-book-kexcerpt/
This site is getting better and better.
It’s a true forum for discussion.
Thank you everybody for the great input – particularly Vamasrafa.
^^^second that.
you guys make it happen. thanks!!
Rafa’s first opponent is Santiago Giraldo. They won’t play on Monday..
Ed is right, great contributions from everyone involved (Y) keep it up everyone 😀 and thanks ed