Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer will contest their 2014 Monte-Carlo openers on Wednesday. Nadal is going up against Teymuraz Gabashvili and Federer is facing Radek Stepanek.
(1) Rafael Nadal vs. (Q) Teymuraz Gabashvili
Nadal’s bid to regain the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters title and win the tournament for the ninth time in his career will begin on Wednesday afternoon. The top-ranked Spaniard is 48-2 in Monte-Carlo, with losses coming in the 2003 third round to Guillermo Coria and in last year’s final to Novak Djokovic. Nadal is 21-3 this season, with titles in Doha and Rio de Janeiro. He is coming off a routine 6-3, 6-3 setback against Djokovic in the Miami championship match.
Up first for Nadal is Gabashvili, against whom the No. 1 seed is 3-0 lifetime. Gabashvili booked his spot in the last 32 with a 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 defeat of Gilles Simon on Tuesday. The relatively resurgent Russian is up to No. 58 in the world and he already owns eight ATP-level match wins in 2014. By comparison, he had three such victories in 2012 and 2013 combined. Nadal may take a round or two before he reaches peak form on clay, but on any surface–especially this one–he should have little trouble with Gabashvili.
Pick: Nadal in 2 losing 5-7 games
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Radek Stepanek vs. (4) Roger Federer
Stepanek and Federer will be squaring off for the 16th time in their careers on Wednesday. Federer is dominating the head-to-head series 13-2, including 9-0 in their last nine. Both of Stepanek’s victories came on clay, but those results were back in 2002 (3-6, 6-3, 6-2 in Gstaad) and 2008 (7-6(4), 7-6(7) in Rome). They have faced each other twice in the past year, with Federer prevailing 6-3, 6-3 last spring in Madrid and 6-2, 6-7(4), 6-3 earlier this season in Dubai.
Stepanek’s week got off to a fast start on Monday, when he destroyed Ivo Karlovic 6-1, 6-2. The 35-year-old Czech is still going relatively strong, ranked 41st in the world with a decent 7-6 record in 2014. Federer, of course, will be a much different beast than Karlovic. The fourth-ranked Swiss is 24-4 for the season, which includes a title in Dubai and a runner-up showing in Indian Wells. Clay obviously isn’t Federer’s best surface, but it should serve him well against Stepanek, whose aggressive tactics to keep points short will not work as well.
Pick: Federer in 2 losing 5-7 games
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Vamos Rafa!
^^^Oh, oh……this is not good. @clayqueen makes an appearance…….
WordPress has a mind of it’s own. It’s. Now resurrected ‘clayqueen’ .
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https://twitter.com/augustazeight/status/456117985539670016/photo/1
Cilic in three, no?
(sorry, couldn’t resist).
Vamos Cilic!!!
no, no?
Djoker won 60 61. So what happened to the injury to his right hand?
whose?
Djoker pulled out of a charity event in MC against Rafa claiming injury to his right hand.
@nadline10, people who have a proclivity to cheating, also tend to lie with reckless abandon…
Steps for the upset…….
RT @SharkoTennis: “Seeds 6-3 on Day 3 @MCROLEXMASTERS w/4 of Top 10 in 3R. Big Wed. OOP w/@RafaelNadal, @stanwawrinka, @rogerfederer. http://www.atpworldtour.com/Scores/schedule.aspx?EventId=410 …”
Kind of jarring to see Stan mentioned in the same sentence with Rafa and Roger………
Would you believe, Llodra is being schooled right now by……….Rosol.
Novak was hailed as being on a mission this clay season due to his performance yesterday. Can we say the same about The Fed? He is taking Steps to the cleaners!
I am rooting for Roger to go all the way to the final.
Vamos Fed!
Mirka better not go into labour till next week………..
Steps went down without a whimper.
expected one
GOAT in terms of win/loss %: Rafael Nadal.
Just came in and saw Rafa serve had already been broken. My heart was in my mouth.
But as the commie has just said………. “normal service has been resumed”.
Gabashvili is giving him tough opening match. Just what he needed.
If Gaba had knocked Rafa out with his racquet and Rafa retired would Gaba be the winner or Rafa?
LOL…dont think even the umpire would know that !!
Gabashvili always has belief no matter who he is playing.
1st set, Rafa. 6-4
Yep, this is the correct thread…………….
is there any other shot in the history of tennis that has done more damage on any surface than rafa’s forehand has done on clay?
Sampras serve on grass?
federer forehand on grass/fast HC ?
Rafa’s forehand devours his opponent…
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The commies are saying this is the best tennis so far at MC. Of course, it’s Rafa playing!
I don’t like the way Rafa shakes his head to put his bandana on.