Rio de Janeiro QF previews and picks: Nadal vs. Cuevas, Ferrer vs. Monaco

February 20, 2015 Ricky Match previews 110

Fellow Spaniards and top two seeds Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer will headline quarterfinal Friday in Rio. They are set for respective showdowns against Pablo Cuevas and Juan Monaco.

(1) Rafael Nadal vs. (6) Pablo Cuevas

One seven-match streak will come to an end when Nadal and Cuevas collide for the first time in their careers in the Rio Open quarterfinals on Friday. Nadal is 7-0 lifetime at this event, while Cuevas is 7-0 in his last seven matches. The red-hot Uruguayan is up to a career-high ranking of 23rd in the world thanks in part to a title last week on the clay of Sao Paulo. Cuevas started the season predictably slow on hard courts, but he has rounded into form on the slow stuff and is not showing any signs of slowing down this week. He opened with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 win over Nicolas Almagro before taking care of Albert Montanes 6-2, 6-2 on Thursday.

Although he has been far from dominant through to rounds, Nadal did not have too much trouble booking his spot in the last eight. The third-ranked Spaniard defeated Thomaz Bellucci 6-4, 6-1 then held off countryman Pablo Carreno Busta 7-5, 6-3. Nadal did not showcase his best stuff at the Australian Open and he is not even doing it so far on clay, but he may not have to against a fatigued opponent whose run has to end at some point. It will likely end now, as this will be Cuevas’ first match in 2015 against a top 30 player and just second against anyone in the top 65.

Pick: Nadal in 2 losing 8-10 games

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Juan Monaco vs. (2) David Ferrer

Ferrer and Monaco will be squaring off for the eighth time in their careers on Friday. Monaco leads the head-to-head series 4-3, but Ferrer has won two of their last three meetings and three of the last five and the two veterans have not faced each other since 2011. They clashed twice that season, with Ferrer improving to 2-3 against his opponent on clay thanks to a 2-6, 7-5, 6-2 triumph in Acapulco before Monaco prevailed 7-5, 1-6, 6-3 on the indoor hard courts of Valencia.

Fast forward four years and it is Ferrer who is going stronger at 32 than Monaco is at 30. The Spaniard has dipped slightly to No. 9 in the world, but a mostly clean bill of health has allowed him to remain near the top of the sport. Ferrer is 10-1 for his 2015 campaign with a title in Doha and victories this week over Daniel Gimeno-Traver and Thiemo De Bakker (via retirement). Monaco also got a retirement (from Santiago Giraldo) then followed it up by getting the best of Jarkko Nieminen 6-1, 7-6(4). The 66th-ranked Argentine does not have a non-retirement win over anyone in the top 70 since last fall in Shanghai.

Pick: Ferrer in 2

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110 Comments on Rio de Janeiro QF previews and picks: Nadal vs. Cuevas, Ferrer vs. Monaco

  2. despite the fact that Rafa has not reached his best yet and certainly has room for improvements, it is such a pleasure to watch him play on clay…yesterday, some of the points Rafa would most likely lose on hard courts he was able to turn into his advantage simply because Rafa on clay is like a beast…he moves better, he hits the ball better, his tennis brain works better on clay…I just enjoy watching Rafa’s confidence grow…he will win the title…

    Vamos Rafa!

    Reply

    • I tend to agree with you nats. In hindsight, this early on clay, Rafa is playing to the level he needs to beat his opponent. No more. No less.

      As his opponents present more challenges, Rafa will rise to the occasion.

      Reply

  3. It’s the humidity that’s getting to him. After the first game he was drenched from head to toe. If it cools down we will see the real Rafa.

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  5. I was going to say the result is not in doubt – Ferrer in straights then I checked theirvh2h and found out Monaco leads Ferrer 4:3.

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  9. At this rate, Rafa won’t be on till 2 am GMT as the 2nd match is not even half way through yet and it’s already going 9.30 pm here in the UK.

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  10. They are still enforcing the time limit between points even though the players are sweating buckets. Even the locals are suffering. Souza is drenched in sweat.

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  11. I watched the match with Souza and that Haider guy. Souza was up a break in the third set and the Brazilian crowd got excited thinking their guy would get to the semis. But Haider broke back and then broke Souza to get the win.

    Both guys were sweating profusely throughout the match. Haider called for the trainer in the middle of the third set for some leg or back problem. The humidity seems to be off the charts.

    Rafa’s match is going to be quite late. Fortunately, I am three hours ahead of Brazil so it won’t be late for me.

    It’s Fognini and Delbonis playing now.

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  15. This is a joke! I thought that Fognini/Delbonis match would never end! Unreal for Rafa having to play at this hour in Rio.

    If this match goes three sets, then I don’t know how it’s going to be possible to play again later in the day if the semis start at 5 pm.

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  16. How many match points did the Fog throw, 10? He needs to be docked ranking points for lack of effort….

    He has got to be the most infuriating man on Tour…..

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  23. Nothing is working for Rafa: he is too anxious, the FH is totally off, either over-spinning his shots or shanking, the BH, the less said the better, the movement……..

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  32. I have been watching the match, but didn’t really feel like posting. Everyone’s pretty much already said it all. This guy Cuevas is hot right now and playing like it.

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  39. solid opening point… rafa was pretty strong on service games in the second set and I hope for the same here…. it is the return that needs greater improvement

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  48. I am glad Cuevas has a single handed backhand hehe..

    Looks like rafa is gona cruise to victory now. This will be a very beneficial victory for him.

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  57. All goodwill and respect that Cuevas earned in the first two sets has been put in trash in the last two games. No respect for the game or for Rafa. Idiot!

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  58. Wow. Cuervas virtually cries his way out of the match tanking the last game.
    Cry baby fans would be happy.

    Rafa will cruise over foggy in two.

    Very impressive in the third from Rafa.

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  60. Vamos Rafa! Go to sleep! And I could use some sleep as well…long sleepless night for me…but it was worth it!

    Vamos Rafa! Show them what you are made off!

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  66. Now I can finally relax after Rafa got the second break! It looks like Cuevas is out of gas. I am so relieved that Rafa found a way to get this done.

    I had to laugh when Rafa changed his shorts!

    The crowd really got on Cuevas at the end. He just tanked that last service game. That was just shameful.

    Rafa did it!

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    • hawkeye,

      So it’s true! On VB they were saying that Rafa was hurrying and put his shorts on backwards. So he couldn’t put the balls in the pockets. I wondered what he was doing with a towel around his shorts as he changed his shirt on court. Then he won his first service game in the third set and ran over to the sidelines to put the towel on again. That’s when he turned his shorts around. So the camera has to zoom in for a closeup with the towel wrapped unevenly with one side much higher than the other. I was saying to Rafa – be careful how you raise your leg because we may have an x-rated moment! The women were going crazy!

      Reply

  69. Nice tweet from Chris Fowler. Telling it like it is.

    The crowd was still there even at 3:00 am!

    Rafa should feel very good about this victory. This was the guy I was nervous about because the tennis channel commentators wouldn’t shut up about him for the last few matches. All I kept hearing about him was how he was on a hot streak now and would be tough for Rafa. So much for his hot streak!

    Right now I am predicting Rafa will beat Fognini! No doubt about that! In straight sets!

    I wonder if they will postpone the second semifinal so that Rafa some more time to recover. Who knows when he will get to sleep.

    I am really proud of the way Rafa fought from behind to get this win.

    Reply

      • Zero,

        I agree with you. I watched that battle with Fognini and Delbonis. I started yelling at the tv- does anyone want to win this match? It was a tough three setter with two tb’s. The tennis channel commentators also noticed that Fognini was starting to cramp at the end of the match. I thought that Delbonis might win it when that started happening.

        Fognini did well to get this far. I can’t see him troubling Rafa.

        Reply

  72. As Rafa has said before, it’s all about the money….

    http://espn.go.com/tennis/story/_/id/12357730/rio-open-rafael-nadal-advances-semifinals

    Nadal was not happy at being kept up so late.

    “No tennis tournament should end at this time,” he said. “It’s tough for the players, but maybe worse for the fans. It very bad on the part of the ATP. It’s not the tournament’s fault. It was the ATP that didn’t want to reschedule a match. If it’s a Grand Slam you have a day to rest. It’s seems like a terrible error to me.”

    Nadal will have about 16 hours to rest before he faces No. 4 Fabio Fognini in Saturday’s semifinals.

    Reply

  73. Like I said and Chris Fowler seems to be of the same opinion, they might push the 2nd SF back by a couple of hours. Both Rafa and Fog are playing 2 matches on the same day. Madness. No other sport that I know of starts at 1.30 am.

    Surely, it was planned knowing that one half of the last 8 will play 2 matches on the same day when they planned the schedule. If they start at 5.30 – 6 pm, allowing an average of 2 hrs per match it was bound to happen.

    Reply

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