Madrid R2 previews and picks: Nadal vs. Monaco, Murray vs. Almagro

May 7, 2014 Ricky Match previews 0

Rafael Nadal will kick off his Madrid title defense on Wednesday against Juan Monaco. Andy Murray and Nicolas Almagro are also looking for a place in the second round.

(1) Rafael Nadal vs. Juan Monaco

Nadal will be hoping to right the ship when he takes the court at the Mutua Madrid Open on Wednesday afternoon. The world No. 1 failed to advance past the quarterfinals in either one of his first two events of the current clay-court swing. He lost to David Ferrer in Monte-Carlo and to Nicolas Almagro in Barcelona. Nadal is trying to turn things around at a tournament he won last year while taking 10 of 11 sets, including nine no closer than 6-4.

Up first for Nadal on Wednesday is a sixth career meeting with Monaco, against whom the Spaniard is 4-1 lifetime. They have faced each other four times on clay and Nadal has won all of those encounters–most recently 6-2, 6-0, 6-0 in the fourth round of the 2012 French Open. Monaco, whose only victory in the series came via retirement at the 2007 Cincinnati event, is a modest 5-8 this season. The 30-year-old Argentine defeated Jurgen Melzer 6-4, 6-3 in the Madrid opening round. Nadal may not be at his very best right now, but he should still have way too much for Monaco on this surface.

Pick: Nadal in 2 losing 7 games or fewer

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Nicolas Almagro vs. (7) Andy Murray

Almagro and Murray will be squaring off for the fifth time in their careers on Wednesday. Murray leads the head-to-head series 3-1, but Almagro won their only previous clay-court showdown 6-3, 6-7(3), 6-3, 7-5 at the 2008 French Open. Murray has prevailed twice on hard courts and once on grass, the latter via a 6-4, 6-1 decision at the 2012 London Olympics.

Still in search of his first title in 2014, Murray is slowly making his way back from offseason back surgery. The eighth-ranked Scot has not yet reached a final this year and he has only progressed past the quarterfinals once (lost to Grigor Dimitrov in the Acapulco semis). Murray has not played since last month’s Davis Cup action, when he went 1-1 on the clay courts of Italy with a win over Andreas Seppi and a routine loss to Fabio Fognini. With home-court advantage and an edge on clay, Almagro really should not be the underdog in this one.

Pick: Almagro in 3

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134 Comments on Madrid R2 previews and picks: Nadal vs. Monaco, Murray vs. Almagro

  2. I am going with Rafa in two sets over Monaco. I am a bit hesitant over how many games he will lose. I tend to be a bit more conservative at the beginning of a tournament. I think that I picked 8-10. I hope that it’s more like 5-7. I just want to get a look at Rafa and see where he’s at now with his game.

    I have to go with Almagro in three sets over Murray. I have been thinking that Murray is due for some kind of decent result on the clay. I just don’t know that it will happen here.

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  6. I would like to see Murray win. I wondered about Almagro having a foot injury. I think that’s why he withdrew in MC, giving Stan the walkover.

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  7. Andy’s is still without a clay title but has steadily improved over the years even making it through to the semis at RG.

    Almagro made heavy weather of getting past Golubev but I doubt, at this stage in his recovery, Andy is ready to test him to the same extent.
    Almagro in 3

    NID: Rafa in 2

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  8. I hope isn’t thinking of pulling a “Portugal” i.e. smoking an opponent in the 1st set and the losing the next 2. But he seems to be in control right now with a break in the 2nd……….

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    • “pulling a portugal” lol. Let’s hope he pulls a 2010 or a 2013 and continues to smoke his opponents 1 and 0.

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  9. Ahem…………..

    @nadline did say she will be away in Ireland today, no? Hopefully (i) she does not have access to the internet over there or (ii) there is no internet service in Ireland OR both, so I can feel free to commit Rafan blasphemy today!

    So ladies and gentlemen, in case there is internet service in Ireland and @nadline reads this post and comes gunning for my blood, my carcass will be splattered all over Tenngrand. Here’s why: I will be running with the fox and hunting with the hounds today, or to clarify further: I will be riding 2 horses today. I will be supporting both Rafa AND Pico today. There is no way I can root against Pico, no way. I love Rafa with all my heart but I love Pico too, maybe not as much, but I do.

    I just hope Rafa does the nasty deed (dispatching of Pico) quickly, so I can activate my amnesia, forget this match ever happened, take my punishment like a grown woman and move on.

    *gulp*
    *shivers*

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      • ^^Now there’s a thought, @willmw’s spirit lives through me…….

        But on second thoughts, I value my hide, for that reason, I will not risk getting on @nadline’s bad side……

        Vamos Rafa!

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    • Caught red-handed RITB. I’m not going to Ireland until tomorrow and there is free internet access where I’m staying, so watch what you say. I won’t be back until Sunday so depending on the quality of the signal, I might not even know how Rafa is doing until I get back, that would be torture, but it’s out of my hands, I have to go.

      Vamos Rafa!

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      • ^^yes ma’am, no need to worry. Now the Rafa/Pico match is over I am back on the Rafa horse!

        Vamos Rafa!

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  11. I think Rafa dominates him…maybe 2 and 2, and I think Almamgro too good right now for Andy…wins in straight!

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  19. I think Dom’s win yesterday has inspired Ernie……………but for a few loose points he should be up a break in the 2nd

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    • Watched beginning and end of the Simon match. I can’t see him climbing back up the steep slope again. So sad. He has always been a great favourite of mine but he is physically fragile and he’s not getting any younger.

      So the obnoxious Gulbis goes through. I only enjoy watching his matches when he is being beaten 🙂 There is nothing to like about him apart from the fact that he can play brilliantly when he chooses to.

      With Dolgo you can never tell if he is being hampered by the Gilbert’s Syndrome or not. If it were not for the health problems I’m certain he would be in the top 10. Love watching him play.

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      • @ed,

        I agree with you about Simon. I think he may be on the downward slope of his career. I have always enjoyed watching him play. He’s not a power hitter, but his precise ground strokes have always impressed me. I don’t think he was ever that physically strong, but he won with finesse. That’s a quality that I think we don’t see enough of these days.

        Gulbis is always difficult to watch for me. He really is an obnoxious brat. Of course, he is quite gifted and talented, but his attitude and behavior on court are really off putting.

        I feel for Dolgo. I have to believe that his health problems have impacted his ability to play consistently well. He’s another one that I enjoy watching. But he can be brilliant or awful. He seems to do his own thing and shot selection can be mystifying at times. But it really is a pleasure to watch him.

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  21. Ernie a game away now……….poor Dolgo, after reaching the pinnacle in IW, it has been a steady descent for him………..

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  29. Oh, ugh. Gimmelstob and Haber are doing commentary for the Rafa/Pico match (on the USA Tennis Channel. They’re not even there. They’re sitting in the studio in Los Angeles). I might have to watch a stream instead.

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  36. RT @bgtennisnation: “One thing for sure this clay court season for Rafa his serv has gotten broken way more then usually does, and quite a bit on rebreaks”

    Yup, this needs attention………….

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    • ^^
      *hic*
      anesthetized myself with red wine…………I just knew Rafa would show no mercy to his friend. Was it quick? I couldn’t bear to watch……………….

      Reply

  57. I can’t help it guys…I simply do not like this Almagrrrrrr(o) any more…the image of his tasteless celebration and lack of respect for Rafa is still very much alive…

    Vamos ANDY!

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    • ^^You’re not alone @nats, but tell you what, Muzza’s cooking, 2 breaks up in the first set already!

      Vamos Muzza! Show Elvis who’s boss!!

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      • Is there anyone with better retrieving skills than Muzza on the circuit right now? He’s playing Elvis like a banjo!

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  63. Elvis just broke Muzza’s serve in the 2nd. Seems more to me like Muzza making more mistakes than Elvis upping his game.

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      • At least Djokovic’s had a casual nonchalance about it. Almagro’s screams “desperate high maintenance” . Utterly unflattering quality for a man…………

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  67. I can’t bear the thought of Malgro’s smirk if he beats both Nadal and Murray in the space of two weeks.

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  68. WHAT?!! I just returned to watching tennis, thought Andy would have finished by now the way he was destroying supposedly injured Almgggggrrrrrr…what is happening whit Andy for heavens sake?

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  69. I finally watched my recording of Rafa’s match. With all of the problems with the satellite feed and then switching to Isner/Matosevic, I didn’t see the whole match. But from what I did see, it was clear that Monaco couldn’t trouble Rafa. What I took away from a non-competitive match was Rafa’s improved movement on the court. I thought he did much better defending on that forehand side and got to the drop shots that Monaco tried. That was very encouraging, because movement is so crucial to Rafa’s game.

    There’s not much to take out of this kind of a match, expect that it’s a win and Rafa moves on. He will be tested at some point in this tournament. He does need to try to work on giving back those breaks of serve.

    Now I am watching Murray/Almagro. I thought this one would be over by now, the was Murray blew him off the court in that first set.

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  72. Has anyone ever seen Andy laughing to himself on court before other than in an exhibition match. Something is amusing him enormously tonight.

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  75. Congratulations to Murray for this win. I thought that at some point he would get going. This is going to give him some good feelings moving forward.

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    • Yeah,,,strange indeed…but it was kind of cute…:) he looked as he was careless and seemed happy no matter what…so funny…maybe he found out that his girlfriend is pregnant… 😉

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  78. Muzza’s next opponent is a much trickier customer: Giraldo. If he passes that test, he possibly faces: RBA. Tough road for Muzza.

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  81. OTOH he had tears in his eyes while he was sitting on the bench after the match. Thinking about Elena Baltacha no doubt. Was the tribute to her shown on TV?

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  82. It’s so sad about Elena Baltacha. I can’t even wrap my mind around a young woman dying at the age of 30, with so much life ahead of her. That was sweet that Murray signed her name on the camera. It’s incredibly tragic and sad.

    Murray does have a tough road ahead of him. But it could help him raise his level of play and get himself on track. Beating quality opponents is the best way to find confidence and belief and get back to being your best.

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  84. “I started nervously… but beginning with 4-1, I played at a good level, perhaps my best this season on clay” – said the King.

    His self-awareness has always been very high. This makes me feel optimistic… Now let the confidence balloon soar higher and higher, rafa…don’t let it burst

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  85. We know he is usually tentative in the early rounds but why he should’ve felt nervous against Pico is a puzzle. Typical Rafa though never to take any opponent for granted.

    Onwards and upwards

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    • ed (at 7:53)

      Rafa yesterday.
      “Obviously once you lose a match it takes a bit longer to find the confidence in your movement and your shots,” said the 13-time grand slam title champion. “Once it went to 4-1 in the first set I felt I played a lot better and I am happy with the way I felt on court today.” [The National]

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    • I am not surprised rafa was nervous. The guy is literally ‘programmed’ to win every single clay court event and roll over players like almagro. So obviously his confidence must have been shaken in a way he has never experienced before …saying this because rafa has never had such losses on clay…

      If rafa can keep building more momentum and win madrid… He will be back on track..winning rome then would restore the order and I would strictly refrain from calling the french open ‘wide-open’ ….

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  86. @ vamosrafa
    You’re right. He was weighed down by weight of his successes last year and the responsibility of living up to the expectations.
    I vividly recall, in the days when he walked in the shadow of Fed, he was always being asked if he hoped to become No.1 and he would reply ‘no, I’m very proud to be No.2 to such a great player’. This was what began the ‘myth’ of his false humility. I worried then how he would handle the pressures. i’m not quite so sure he feels the same way about becoming Djokovic’s No.2 again.

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    • @nadline10, hahaha! Don’t worry, I have no intention of diverging from the “party line” anytime soon because my loyalty is only ambiguous when Rafa is playing Pico! In any case, I only let on about my divided loyalties yesterday because I thought you were safely ensconced in Ireland, out of ear-shot! Now I know they have internet in Ireland (and the rest of the world), so next time I will know better!

      #KeepYourMouthShutRITB

      Reply

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