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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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?
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.
On court tribute pics.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/tennis/article-2620860/Andy-Murray-leads-emotional-tribute-Elena-Batchala-Madrid-Open.html
She had suffered from a chronic liver condition (primary sclerosing cholangitis) since the age of 19 which later developed into the cancer which killed her.
Plus film clips
http://www.wtatennis.com/videos/article/3807699/title/madrid-baltacha-tribute
“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
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
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]
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’ ….
well said!
@ 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.
haha…well said… rafa’s humility is mind-boggling …he is such a great human being….i’ve never seen/heard someone so humble despite being one of the most successful in his/her field..
His nervousness increases exponentially with his success.
^^ that
Ritb, I’m at the airport and I’ve still got internet connection. 😀
@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
……Watch out. Beagle is about 😀
^^^^^^Sounds more like ‘compromised’ than ‘amibiguous’ to me. You will have a struggle to rejoin the clan. lol.
^^Shush, ed251137, they have internet in Ireland, lol!
you guys are SO funny! 🙂