The two-Masters lead-up to the U.S. Open begins in Montreal with the Rogers Cup. Roger Federer is out, but Chris Skelton previews a still-loaded field that features Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, and Rafael Nadal.
The Rogers Cup marks the first significant tournament of the U.S. Open Series and of the second half. Together with Cincinnati, Canada will offer the best guide for summer hard-court form ahead of the season’s final Grand Slam. Most of the men’s title contenders in New York have traveled to Montreal, with one notable exception, while Toronto will feature most of the women’s title contenders in New York, also with one notable exception. Read about the Montreal men’s draw here, and return in a day or so for an analysis of the Toronto women’s draw.
First quarter: World No. 1 Novak Djokovic returns to the Rogers Cup as the two-time defending champion, but he will face sterner competition than he did in 2012. Last year, most of Djokovic’s rivals skipped this event the week after the Olympics, but this year almost all except Roger Federer have entered the field. The top seed will want to dispatch his early challenges efficiently to conserve energy for those later challenges. Djokovic’s draw should help him meet that goal, for he never has lost a set (outside exhibitions) to potential second-round opponents Bernard Tomic and Florian Mayer. Slumping compatriot Janko Tipsarevic will lack the confidence to stop the superior Serb, while seventh seed Richard Gasquet remains winless against Djokovic on hard courts. They could meet in a quarterfinal rematch of last year’s final, if Gasquet avoids upset threats such as Lukas Rosol. On the fast court of Montreal, Rosol may fancy his chances in a first-round contrast of styles against Andreas Seppi. Near those two, Kei Nishikori looks to rebound from disappointment last week in Washington.
Semifinalist: Djokovic
Second quarter: At both Masters 1000 hard-court tournaments this year, the draws have projected a Swiss quarterfinal opponent for Rafael Nadal. But, whereas Indian Wells pitted him against Federer, Montreal has assigned him Stanislas Wawrinka. Like Djokovic, Nadal should fancy his chances of a smooth pre-semifinal progress. Two Canadian wildcards and no fewer than four qualifiers comprise six of the fourteen men in the second quarter. And Nadal has not lost a set in his ten meetings with Wawrinka, although the Swiss No. 2 has held set points against him at the Rogers Cup before. A similar statistic defines Nadal’s encounters with Tommy Haas, as likely as Wawrinka to reach a quarterfinal against the Spaniard. The ageless 35-year-old has lost all 12 of his sets against Nadal, who has broken down his one-handed backhand and punished his net approaches with passing shots. If healthy, Jerzy Janowicz might pose the greatest test for Rafa. Scheduled to meet him in the round of 16, the 6’8” Wimbledon semifinalist can rain down massive serves on this fast court if his arm has healed.
Semifinalist: Nadal
Third quarter: Another Spaniard returns to action for the first time since Wimbledon. While Nadal nursed his knees for much of July, David Ferrer focused on healing his injured ankle. The world No. 3 may need matches to brush off the rust and regain his rhythm on hard courts, where he has not played since finishing runner-up in Miami. A true test of Ferrer’s stamina could await in the round of 16 against fellow grinder Gilles Simon. Not at his best for much of 2013, Simon often produces more convincing tennis in the second half than the first. But Ferrer may meet his match against fifth seed Tomas Berdych despite his strong record against him. The Czech eyes an ideal slate of opponents in the early rounds, including a 10th meeting with Kevin Anderson since the start of the 2012. Undefeated in the previous nine, Berdych can anticipate renewing his bitter rivalry with Nicolas Almagro. On the other hand, top-ranked American John Isner could upset Almagro if he extends his momentum from Atlanta and Washington. No man is safe from Isner when his serve strikes its targets on a fast court.
Semifinalist: Berdych
Fourth quarter: Between the U.S. Open champions who bookend this section stands some notable young talent. Canadian fans will look forward to watching home hope Milos Raonic try to regain his form from earlier this season after a summer lull. For all of his explosiveness, Raonic may find his playing style too dimensional against the more balanced Juan Martin Del Potro, who rebounded from a leg injury in Washington. Australian Open quarterfinalist Jeremy Chardy also would turn back time several months if he could. His opening meeting with Raonic intrigues less than two first-round matches elsewhere in this section, though. Blazing through a 13-match winning streak this spring, Ernests Gulbis squares off against resurgent fast-court specialist Feliciano Lopez. In his first event after the cathartic Wimbledon breakthrough, Andy Murray can expect plenty of resistance from Grigor Dimitrov. When they met in Miami, Dimitrov served for the first set before his inexperience undid him. Should Murray and Del Potro survive the young guns to reach the quarterfinals, Del Potro will look to repeat his victory when they met at Indian Wells.
Semifinalist: Del Potro
Final: Djokovic vs. Del Potro
Champion: Djokovic
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who ya got?
I dont think Nalray fans will be too happy with this predictions 😉
I’m really disappointed with Fed pulling out of it. It just hampers my interest in the tourney considerably.
But since Fed is out, I will go on with my full support to Delpo.
Too early to make any predictions though.
Hi abhirf, good to see you here! Hope the rest of the TT gang finds its way here…..
abhirf,
Nice to see you here. I can see why you are disappointed that Fed didn’t play here. He didn’t play last year, so this was a chance for him to pick up some much needed rankings points. However, he knows his body. If the back is bothering him, then he needs to rest up so he can be ready to defend his title at Cincy.
Heart says Andy.
Head still thinking…..:)
Agree with above though. Let’s see some play.
Oh my heart and head are in the right place alright…………..with Rafa! Agree with the picks up to semis and that’s where Rafa will upset the apple cart by seeing off Novak in straight sets, yes, you heard right, straight sets. I know it offends a lot of people’s sensibilities to even think of Rafa beating Novak on outdoor HC, but mark my words, Rafa is going to set the record straight. You can take that to the bank……….
Oh forgot to say……Rafa is winning the tourny!
ritb,
I am so glad that you are here! You are something else! It takes some guts to go out on a limb and predict Rafa beating Djoker in the semis to go on and win the tournament! Love it! I never feel comfortable making predictions before having seen any of the top guys play. I know that Delpo is in good form right now. He could be tough here. But I am not ready to write off Murray. He will be coming off the biggest victory of his career with his win at Wimbledon. That has to instill a lot of confidence.
I have to see Rafa before I will make my definitive prediction. I know that sight unseen, vamosrafa has predicted that Rafa will make it to the semis and then lose to Djoker. I initially thought that was a reasonable prediction. I can’t say more until I get a look at Rafa.
Bring on the tennis!
My take on Muzza is he is still floating on the Wimby win cloud and this is the first Tourny post the win so Montreal is where he will come down to earth! I expect him to be a danger at Flushing Meadows. However, Muzza is not going to give Delpo the quarterfinal win on a platter, and thusly I expect Delpo to be worn out by the time he faces Rafa in the final.
#IW2013Repeat
Lol RITB, no holding back here….But:
Is Rafa REALLY pumping?
And Nole REALLY slumping?
Am keeping my powder dry on this one, as I am for Mr M’s chancest
Deucy, the jury’s out on Rafa at this point until we see him in action, especially against Jerzy should both make the appointed meeting. By his own lofty standards, Nole’s been in a slump. The Madrid, Rome and RG meltdowns portend something, especially where he’s at mentally. The straight sets loss to Muzza at Wimby and Djokovic Senior’s outburst all beg a lot of questions re Nole. Maybe he resolved whatever was bothering him during the Summer but I am sceptical at this point.
Thanx @ritb and @nny. I was following this Tenngrand for quite a time, even before TT’s farewell via Ricky’s twitter account.
Yeah, really disappointed for FED. Was a great chance for him to gather some points and matchplay with the new racquet. But I respect his decision. He knows better than any one else what’s good for him and what’s not..
As far as some predicting Rafa over Nole, I wouldnt rule that out. If Rafa can play anywhere near the level he showed at IW, he definitely will have a great chance to win this one too.
I don’t understand how Djoker is tipped to beat Delpo in the final whilst Delpo would look to repeating his victory against Murray when both Djoker and Murray lost to him at IW this year. The reasoning seems inconsistent and illogical to me.
Murray has had some lucky breaks recently. His win in Miami was in a depleted field and he barely got past Ferrer. If his luck still holds, then he stands a good chance otherwise he could struggle in his Qtr. If Rafa meets a fit JJ, Rafa will have to negotiate his way past JJ’s unorthodox style, so I see JJ as the only slight obstacle for Rafa in the top half even more so than Djoker.
Montreal is usually a better indicator of form than Cincy when players are often reluctant to leave their guts on court. But it’s by no means conclusive – particularly in the case of the top 4 who’ve not played since Wimby which could make them vulnerable to on-fire players in earlier rounds.
I have to admit to a certain trepidation at the prospect of Rafa versus Jerzy whose style of play will make it difficult for Rafa to find his rhythm. If he negotiates that hurdle safely I quite fancy his chances for taking the title.
Gotta admit, am so looking forward to a Rafa/Jerzy match. However, am convinced Rafa will pass with flying colors………
RITBs right. Nole was definitely not mentally or emotionally 100% during the Spring.
I am so looking forward to seeing Rafa in action. His loss at Wimbly was devastating, not because of the loss but because it made me fear that this was going to be a repeat of what happened after a shocking early loss at Wimbly last year. I see Rafa in action, I see him playing well, I can relax and look forward to seeing him being competitive at USO. Vamos Rafa!
I’m with you there, holdserve. I honestly do not want to “suffer” another early Rafa loss so soon after Wimby.There are so many people writing Rafa off this part of the season, I feel I’m due a little gloating, just a little……………..
We Rafa fans are all due a little gloating! I hope, RITB, your prediction of Montreal win for Rafa comes true!!!
Of course the real prize is USO but Nole and Muzza are formidable and so is Delpo for whom USO is his favorite surface. Rafa is formidable too and I am confident if his knee allows him to be “competitive” (as he puts it), he is the favorite, i.e. the most likely to win ( this is for Ricky’s benefit who for some reason thinks favorite is always bookies favorite and nobody else has a right to designate a favorite!) . When he thinks he can win, he will!
I agree with the writer’s picks…they seem to be the most reasonable ones but I give delpo a really good chance of winning the event…
For rafa, I can only hope he plays good aggressive tennis to overcome JJ and wawa.. beating djo might be asking too much from rafa given he is playing his second hard court event of the year and a tournament after seven weeks…rafa has been practising quite a lot though…go champ ! IF you can bear nole here..you’l be my favorite for new york
I think Rafa is ready to spring a surprise on Djoker. He won his first HC tournament after being out 7 months, remember, a Masters 1000 to boot? If he gets past Jerzy I believe Rafa snags the whole thang…………..
I agree with RITB that andy might not be ‘in the zone’ quite yet…in the past he has had this habbit of resting on his laurels for the next 1-2 events but andy is a much more mature player now so if he is dialed in..watch out everyone !
nadline, you think JJ is a bigger threat to rafa than djoker????????
I absolutely do. To me Djoker is not much of a threat to Rafa anymore, Rafa was mentally challenged against Djoker at the onset of the gluten free train ride but Rafa’s got over that now. I don’t think Djoker really has any weapons that would truly trouble a fit and mentally stable Rafa.
On the other hand JJ has got his serve which is a threat to anyone and in Rafa’s case would upset his rythm. I would also much rather Rafa faced Djoker than Gulbis.
Muzza is hugely talented! People have known that for years but his record at slams till last year showed him to be mentally fragile. There were even theories about it. The Dunblane school massacre made him feel guilty about surviving and by failing he was kind of seeking exoneration!
Anyway, if mentally he is fine now, he has a good chance of winning USO and taking the year-end no.1.
Rafa or rather his knee is the unknown factor here. He is mentally really strong but his knee is his Achilles’ heel. He is also prodigiously talented although fans of other stars pretend to be blind and classify him as a grinder who only runs and runs.
If JJ doesn’t learn to be disciplined he is not going to be ever at the top unless there is a repeat of the 2000-2002 era. Talent without discipline can only take you so far.
I have enjoyed reading everyone’s comments about Montreal. I think Djoker over Delpo is a reasonable, but I don’t know if it’s going to come out that way. I am still not writing off Murray. When Delpo beat him at I/W he was not playing well. He took five weeks off after the AO and came back not in great form. Delpo was really on fire at I/W. He seems to be in great form now. But I think winning Wimbledon was a huge boost for Murray. So I am not going to write him off, especially without having watched anyone play.
I want to see the top guys play and then I will feel more comfortable making a prediction. Rafa is an unknown quantity right now. We have to see if he can shake off the rust here.
The only reason I see JJ as a threat to Rafa is because it’s so early in this tournament. Rafa will only have one match under his belt before a possible meetup with JJ. However, there is no way that I think JJ is a bigger threat that Djoker. Even though Djoker hasn’t played consistently well this year, he still won the AO, got to the semis of RG and the semis of Wimbledon and is still #1. We will see if he can get into better form in this hard court season. You can’t write him off either.
Djoker over Murray I think. Delpo may be tired or just want to conserve energy for Natti and USO.
I’m interested you have spelt out that results immediately prior to Slams are not always what they seem to be. I thought we were all supposed to believe all the players played to win all the time 😉
May be.. Juan martin delppotro this time :p poor delpo dimi and murray.. 🙁 all my fav players in same half 🙁
noo no Djokovic this time.. m sick of him being choosed aal time winner in every picks :/ >_<
JJ might lose against rafa.. and if rafa reached semi then I think rafa has 60:40 chances .. but if in final its delpo then I think delpo will be able to win this battle .. 🙂
Hahaha, @sana! Join the club, you are not the only one sick of Djoko being picked to win every tournament. But let’s face it, he’s earned it, so we just have to lump it I’m afraid…..
@sana,lol..so your top favourite is? delpo or murray?
@abhirf, good to see you ! ….i am sure more from TT will follow once a big match is around the corner
@NNY
Really liking your posts…you know where. 😉 So full of integrity and common sense.
Atta girl!
deucy,
Thanks so much. But I do have to say that I am not entirely comfortable being there. So I won’t be posting that much.
It means a lot coming from someone that I like and respect! 🙂
Good to see Delpo finally getting the attention he deserved from the tennis globe. Had to fight a lot for him. It was his bad luck that he had that awful wrist injury that prevented him from winning another couple of slams. I just hope that he can remain injury free from now on. This guy is the real deal on all surfaces. 🙂
@abhirf, what do you think of Jerzy Janowicz’s game, especially in relation to Delpo’s?
@ritb, I really love JJ’s game. He has got the elements and the shots to trouble and even beat the top guys though Delpo is a better all court player with better movement amongst the 2 , though JJ has a much much better serve ( imo).
The best part about Jerzy is he doesnt get bogged down by the looks of his opponents which is still a problem with the other guys outside top 4. When he made the Sf’s of the Wimby, I couldn’t understand why people went on about him that he will be bogged down by the occassion etc, etc. His on court demeanor should have suggested that what people were thinking was absolutely false.
I know his attitude does seem cocky and arrogant at times, but I think this attitude of his can also bring out some great results for him too. Probably we will have someone like McEnroe to lighten things up in this otherwise ‘too nice’ generation. He’s still young and will find a balance as he matures.
Thanks @abhirf. I also like JJ although I feel the game has moved on and a “McEnroe” attitude detracts, rather than enhances, a player’s game today. The level of play has risen so much and quality gaps are so small up to Top 50, say, such that the slightest loss of concentration has negative consequences, unless the objective of a player’s histrionics would be to destabilise the opponent’s concentration….and the jury is definitely out on the effectiveness of such a strategy.
@ritb, Maybe that will affect him, maybe not. As long as his attitude helps him not to get bogged down by the sight of his opponent like Berdy, Ferru, Tsonga, etc I’m okay with it.
As I said earlier, he will mature as he grows on tour. He will have people to guide him too. He’s still raw.
JJ definitely is not intimidated by the big boys! I didn’t see any “fear” in him when he played Muzza, Reeshad et al, and maybe this is where he goes over-board in trying to communicate lack of fear. But lack of fear is a good thing as I feel fear is what has delayed Ferru’s, Almagro’s etc, etc from penetrating that glass ceiling…..
^^ my thoughts exactly the same.
NNY: I know Rafa exited early from Wimby but dont forget neither Djokovic nor Murray have played a tournament since then so they will all be less than match sharp in the early rounds.
ed,
But with Rafa it’s so much about the time and rhythm with his shots. Remember how he looked at MC after being out for a month and skipping Miami? It took a while for him to get his game going and that was on clay, his best surface.
Djoker and Murray are both so strong on hard courts. It’s their best surface. I do agree that there will probably be some rust with their games too. But they both have done so well in this part of the season in the past.
I just have to see Rafa play. Then I will know where’s he at with his game. I am happy that he is playing doubles. That will definitely help to get him sharper.
One thing which used to puzzle me a lot earlier but not any more is why Fed fans and the media have never called Rafa Fed’s successor. Despite his haul of slams, his great record at Masters, his having been no. 1 even when the so-called GOAT was in his prime.
In 2007, the media were quick to project Nole as Fed’s successor even though he had no slams at that time. In 2009, Delpo was immediately touted as Fed’s heir after just 1 slam victory.
It puzzled me then. Not any more though.
It is clear that as neither Nole nor Delpo have a winning h2h against Fed in his prime, their accession to the throne would be seen as succession in the natural order of things but Rafa’s record against Fed in his prime implies an ouster of Fed, not a natural age based succession.
So you can see Fed fans prematurely crowning Delpo whose successes can never threaten Fed’s legacy.
Fed fans are also thrilled with Delpo’s performance this year. If Delpo becomes a real threat, the already small chance of anyone surpassing Fed’s haul because smaller still because there will be a 4 way split of slams.
Till Delpo wins at least 1 more slam I am not treating him as a threat to Muzza or Nole or Rafa. Till Delpo wins again that 1 slam victory can be seen as just a flash in the pan. Neither Nole nor Muzza are what they were in 2009. And Rafa at that time was struggling with injuries.
I remember how Muzza despite his prodigious talent and great results and being ranked constantly in the year end top 4 from 2008, was frequently discounted and fans asked what big 4, there’s only big 3. He had to prove himself by winning slams.
I don’t see Delpo as more talented than Muzza.
So he better prove himself before he can be seen as part of the big 4 or big 5 and be considered a serious slam threat to the others in this elite group.
Holdserve;
1. Good take on why Rafa has not been touted as a successor to Fed, he has leap-frogged him because of that H2H! To succeed someone implies to are behind him, Rafa is not behind Fed in spite of Fed having more Slams at this time.
2. I don’t think there is anybody out there who seriously puts Delpo in the same bracket as Muzza right now, is there? Fed fans are thrilled with anyone who shows Slam potential because that means there is another spoiler in the mix to potentially stop Rafa accumulating more Slams. Are you hearing them pan Muzza these days? No. Let hi. An a couple more Slams and I bet you they will list him as a favorite, just as they have done Novak! So, the adulation for Delpo is obvious. Also, his game is more suited to HC, so he potentially reduces Rafa’s chances of HC wins, thereby giving them ammunition to continually pigeonhole Rafa in the clay ghetto………..
There is method to the madness……..
Well, well, it’s Delpo’s game and attitude that has earned him what he deserves. I dont see any point of being a Fed fan or a Rafa fan or a Nole fan etc to acknowledge that.
If there is any 1 whom I have been furious about for beating Fed in a slam and that too in the final, it is Delpo. The guy is too lovable.
And yes, Delpo definitely is not as talented as Muzz, but neither is Rafa or Nole or Fed. Talent alone doesnt bring titles.
And Nolandy are Fedal successors. One cant label 2 players who codominated as other’s successor. That’s one of the reason why Rafa was not pipped as Fed’s successor bcoz their success has been a complementary one. Also as a fact that Rafa has been viewed as a part of both Fed and Nolandy generation, it hasn’t helped him to be the successor.
^^ Typo :p
i meant ‘If there is any 1 whom I haven’t been furious about for beating Fed in a slam and that too in the final, it is Delpo. The guy is too lovable.’
How I used to gnash my teeth as Andy was always referred to as “even Murray”! He was definitely always treated as a “hanger on.” an “afterthought” etc.
@abhirf
Delboy certainly gained another fan in that semi with Nole. I thought his attitude was brilliant. Unfortunately, I still can’t like his game because for me movement is the key to my enjoyment of the beautiful game. The movement of the A/Na/R/Ro is something that never ceases to enthral me. Why I also like Nishi/Goffin etc.
Tiggy has the same picks as Ricky, Nole over Delpo in the final:
http://www.tennis.com/pro-game/2013/08/liftoff/48641/#.UgCR1W1RCDc
A majority of pundits are picking Novak to win………..
Where is my post?
Here
My posts as ‘nadline’ don’t appear anymore they seem to disappear into space so I now post as ‘clayqueen’.
weirdness
Holdserve: Unless Roger stages a 2nd Coming right now I dont think there is even a big 4 let alone a big 5 club!
Having said that, I reckon Delpo is the most likely contender to join the Big Four. He is on an upward projectory and has beaten Djokovic, Federer and Andy since his comeback in 2011. His last win against Nadal was back in 2009 at Montreal. However, in spite of his l Slam so far he has never one a Masters so on that basis I agree with you he has still to prove himself as an elite player.
Agree with you ed251137, unless Fed makes the finals at Cincy and/or goes equally deep at USOpen 2013, I would air-brush him out of the Big 4 picture and then it would be a Big 3, Novak, Muzza and Rafa. Ferru’s lack of Slam wins makes it difficult to include him in a Big 4 picture….
I forgot to add, Delpo’s one Slam versus no Masters lends credence to the argument that Masters are as difficult to win, if not more so, than Slams.
I am not about to crown Delpo as anything until he has achieved it. When he won the 2009 USO, that was considered quite a feat because Fed and Rafa were still dominating at that time. He beat both of them, although Rafa was severely hampered with the stomach tear. Great things were predicted, but the wrist injury put an end to all of that.
I am glad to see Delpo back and playing well. He has always been quite gifted and a dangerous player. He moves better for a big man than a lot of the other big guys. He’s much more than just a big guy with a huge serve and big forehand. He has a lot of weapons. The key thing for him is to just stay healthy. Fitness has been another issue.
I believe that Delpo was ranked #5 before he went out for wrist surgery. I can see him betting back there again. For now he is a one slam wonder, but I do think that could change in the near future. It’s interesting that he has never won a Masters. Surprising.
He’s not up there yet with the top three, or should I say four? Sorry, but I don’t include Ferrer in that category. I respect what he has done, but he’s not in the same league as the top four. Now I wonder if Fed can still be included in that group. Or is it now Djoker, Rafa and Murray?
Much as a love Ferru he arrived where he is through sheer hard work but he never had that ‘star’ quality. But I was really pleased he had the satisfaction of winning the Paris Masters title at a late stage in his career as a reward for those long years slogging away as a journeyman.
Why is it called “Rogers Cup.” Lol, at least not called “Roger’s Cup.”…;)
Was there a Mr/Ms Rogers benefactor in there somewhere?
According to Wikipedia, the tournament is sponsored by Rogers.
Canadian Open (tennis)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Open_(tennis)
(You might get a response ‘Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name’ and search suggestions)
Rogers Communications
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rogers_Communications
?
Rogers Communications Inc. is a diversified public Canadian communications and media company. It operates particularly in the field of wireless communications, cable television, telephone, and Internet connectivity with significant additional telecommunications and mass media assets. The company is headquartered in the Rogers Building in Toronto, Ontario.[1]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rogers_Communications
At one time the Roger’s Cup was sponsored by FedEx! Lol
dont think Rafa and Djokovic will both make it to the semis. Either one will lose early
The answer is not very interesting. Rogers is one of the major telecoms here in Canada. It was started by a man with that last name.
Delpo has a huge wingspan which makes up partly for his movement. But I just don’t see him as the equal of Nole, Andy or Rafa.
Cheers chloro, that IS really boring, lol.
@atul, great to see you 🙂
JJ drops the first set to benneateau…i had hope with julien and he is not disappointing so far 😛
in no time julien is about to drop set 2..lol
Rafa & Pablo Andujar won their first round doubles match (against Ferrer & F.Lopez). Vamos!!!
yes, vamos !!!
J.Janowicz won the match…thanks to J.Benneteau’s double faults (3 double faults in his last service game)!
Nadal/Andjuar beat Ferrer/Lopez: 6-7 6=1 12-10
Isner had BP in the first game of the match
bummer..lol…julien blew it away…he was also up 4-2..anyway, if rafa can play some good tennis he’l overcome JJ..JJ is too erratic..but very dangerous I know
sounds like Isner had an epic choke
Gutsy play by the young Popsi (btw who looks about 16). He has an interesting all court game and I was very impressed by the way he held his nerve in the final set TB and took Isner by surprise. I was expecting Isner to be a bit weary after playing the SF and Final with only a few hours in-between but, as we have all said before, he relies too heavily on his serve and is prone to losing the plot when his opponent gets it back over the net. It will be Interesting to see how Popsi will cope with the wily old Stepanek.
There have been quite a few surprise results/upsets so far and some juicy matches coming up later today.
After seeing some snatches of the Jerzy-Benneateau match I’m feeling a lot more relaxed about the 3R encounter with Rafa.
Ricky: I asked the question the other day – why do comments show up as 2 hours in arrears of European time. What time zone are you in?
ed,
I didn’t watch the Jerzy/Benneteau match. Why are you feeling more relaxed? I did hear that Benny kind of gave it away.
what was the deal with players losing the first set and then winning with a breadstick in the 3rd?
Jerzy seemed very erratic. Too many UF errors and double faults. Benny was returning Jerzy’s serve well but then his own serve deserted him in the final set. Anyway, I’m confident Rafa will be able to handle this version of JJ with ease.
Eastern USA
ed251137 (August 7, 2013 at 4:34 am),
What ever is the reason, the time at the comments corresponds to UTC/GMT. In my opinion, it is convenient for the most of people around the globe.
Didn’t think of checking UTC/GMT. That explains it. Thanks!
ed, after initial difficulties, mine don.t seem to.
Sorry ed., read u wrong me, mine showing up 1 hour behind UK time.
Thanks vamosrafa, good to see you too:)
I you don’t see me on Tenngrand anymore it’s because I am having problems with my posts, they just don’t go through even though I get a message saying it’s a duplicated post when I try to re-post them.
Luckily, I have TalkTennis to fall back on and it’s great.
My posts are disappearing even when it says duplicate post when I try to re-post them, so if you don’t see me here again that’s why. Thankfully, I’ve got TalkTennis. Hope to see you all there one day.
I’ll miss you.
Good to see more old chums from TT arriving:-)
I trust Ricky has a list of people we don’t want to see. Couldn’t bear it if the bêtes noires came to persecute us :-
Deucey: Any news on Luckystar, Twinge etc?
I don’t think we’re going to see any bullying/abusing behaviour on here, they have to go through Ricky first!
#InRickyWeTrust
#NoWorries
@ed
Only other general site I post on is tennisx and no sign of either there….:'( unless of course twingey is in heavy disguise.
@RITB
I sincerely hope not! It was horrible. Ug.
But surely we are allowed to tease the Rickster…just a bit…;)
Even teasing each other should be okay deucy. Unfortunately there is a fine line between wit and abuse and in my experience this is something the English particularly excel at: banter. Pity they cannot translate this excellence onto the tennis courts! (Muzza is Scottish, geddit?)
Oh dear, pretty obvious I’m not English, no?
And yes, the Rickster is fair game, I hear he has some English blood lurking somewhere in his veins………….
@vamousrafa.. o.O when I see dimi he is my fav.. then I see murray Oh GOD murray is my only fav player.. then I see delpo aaahhh delpo is my fav.. now tell me who is my fav? coz I dont know 😉
@ritb where is that club 😉 what you say if its again rafa vs delpo final?? my dimi lost 🙁 n murray vs depo one man will loss again :'( poor sana 🙁
@sana, if it’s Rafa vs Delpo again, I think Rafa takes it. Delpo has got to stat showing some signs of fatigue by the time he gets to the final, no?
Where’s Twinge? I miss him!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rvob21jFFKI highlights of rafa’s doubles match !!
I really enjoyed them 😀 good stuff from all four men…rafa volleyed great and ROS and groundies were good too… CANT WAIT TO SEE HIM ! muzzz what are you doinngggg :@ :@
and if its murray vs rafa :p then?
@vamousrafa u didn’t answered my comment 🙁
hahahaha I could not figure out the answer sana lol… may be u should wait for your three favourites to go head to head against each other and then see where your support goes more ! Just keep following the players closely and u’l find your most favourite player 😀
The match up I reallyyy want to see is rafa vs murray….that for me would be the best match if he can have it in the final
VAMOSSSS !! first break point saved by rafa…hahaha hess backkkk 😀 😀 😀
when they play against each other I constantly make a sad face like 🙁
BTW I m new here .. so introduce yourself vamouseafa? age n u boy or girl? 🙂
Interesting court positioning by rafa when returning 2nd serves..on the baseline…it would be interesting to see if he sticks with it as the match progresses..I think he’l retreat somewhat at least
How’s Rafa playing?
You mean you’re not watching!!!
Rafa is not as sharp as I would have liked but he is leading 62 40 30-0
blowout city
hahaha you are funny ! oh and about me..I am a boy ! just completed my graduation and looking for a job and I live in Pakistan ..what about you?
I live in england … n if u r pakistani guy u know I m a girl 😀
I hope sana is not Sienna. She sounds like Sienna ( phonetically as well as posting style wise)
@holdserve sana is my real name 🙂 and I dont know what u r talking about :p who is sienna :O
sana, somebody from england would probably write good english. Also why do you convert vamos to vamous or vamouse? Your claim you don’t know who your fave is.
I find all the above rather suspicious.Your style of posting is similar to that of a poster called Sienna. However, I apologize if you are not Sienna.
If you are indeed not Sienna, welcome to this forum!
If you are Sienna, stay away!
haha bcoz we shifted here just a month ago me from india now in England 🙂
BTW do you work for an intelligence agency?? 😀
Did everyone see what happened with Rafa’s draw? Both Wawa and Haas are out! Paire beat Wawa and Matesovic won when Haas had to withdraw. So now if JJ wins his next match, then Rafa will play him. That might be his most challenging match until the semis.
Rafa is rusty for sure. But he got better as the match went on. At one point the commentators said that he had 7 errors on the forehand side. But he did seem to get his rhythm going with that forehand. Levine was never going to challenge Rafa. He had nine double faults in the match. So I can’t judge Rafa’s form on this match. But it’s all about match play for him.
Rafa hit a few great cc and dtl backhand shots for winners. Only a few, but that’s the shot I want to see. Serving was decent.
1st serves in – 62%
1st serves won – 76%
2nd serves won – 61%
Winners – 14
UE’s – 16
Good start for Rafa!
JJ will be hard. Who would Rafa play in the QFs?
If Rafa goes through JJ, he faces the winner of Matosevic/Paire next……..
It’s a shame that hawkeye is not working in the JJ match. So many close calls.
JJ’s playing average here, watch how his game will suddenly rise should he see Rafa across the net tomorrow…………..
one set away from JJ Rafa
back in town so will have some third-round match previews up tonight, including Rafa vs. either JJ or Dancer
Ricky (August 7, 2013 at 8:39 pm),
After playing two sets, it’s still one set away from JJ Rafa (or Dancevic Rafa?).
now one game away
JJ is into double figures on double faults, no?
hmmm So here we go.. rafa vs JJ its gonna b a great match.. rafa in 3 is my pick.. 🙂
I was so not looking forward to this match. Rafa is still working off the rust. We know that JJ will come out and play the match of his life. He would love to get a win off Rafa. I just hope that Rafa can use his smarts to handle JJ. How JJ played before means nothing. These guys always bring their best. I can see it being something like Rafa’s match with Gulbis at I/W.
@sana, yes of course I know from your name that you are a girl 🙂 okay so initially from India and now in England..good to know 🙂
I missed rafa’s match, watched till 4-2 only..will catch the remainder of the match…I am nervous about this JJ match but I am trying to see the brighter side too…if rafa can pass the JJ test, he’l be much more ready for djokovic…the gulbis test in IW proved to be advantageous for rafa…he was rusty against harrison in IW, had a walkover, and then staved off a red hot gulbis.. I am hoping he can beat JJ here
preview/pick up tonight.
I just watched highlights..GUYS, rafa played a good match ! he was trying to be really aggressive..i really liked the ROS ! yes he did miss some easy ones but I cant recall the last time rafa returned all serves so close to the baseline…he was returning 1st serves with some pace too..
He sliced often and the backhand was not tested but I liked what I saw…yes lavine did not push him but rafa was keen to punish short balls and THATS what I am looking for ! I say rafa will beat JJ !!!
how many minutes of highlights? They only show the best parts of the match unless they are like 10 minutes long.
they were 8 minutes long..ricky, yes highlights just show the best parts so that is why I am watching the repeat telecast too at the moment…. however, I liked what I saw in the highlights, what I was looking for was rafa taking the initiative to be aggressive, not standing deep behind the baseline and waiting for his opponents to make his mistakes and playing too conservatively…sometimes, rafa keeps winning but I am not satisfied because of the way he wins those matches..I am certainly liking how he approached this match ! shows his intent
You need to watch the whole match. Rafa was rusty and had a lot of UE’s with his forehand. I thought he played better in the second set. That was when he just took control and Levine couldn’t handle his forehand and kind of gave up. Levine was double faulting all over the place and that didn’t help him. This guy was never going to challenge Rafa, so I don’t read too much into it. I just don’t like Rafa bumping up against a guy like Jerzy so soon. At least he did get a workout in the match, tested his shots and got a feel for the court.
I was thinking back to I/W and how Rafa only had one match and then a walkover before he faced Gulbis. I sure hope we don’t see a match like that tomorrow! But it could happen. Jerzy may be having shoulder problems, but something happens when these guys see Rafa across the net. A tough match with Jerzy could help Rafa to get into good form, like the one with Gulbis. His draw has really opened up now. After Jerzy it’s Paire or Matesovic. No Wawa or Haas. He would have a ticket to a semifinal matchup with Djoker,
Rafa will pass the JJ test but nole..thats a different challenge ! 65:35 to nole but if rafa starts playing like IW (yes yes the conditions are diff but still) ..i would give rafa a decent chance to beat nole…plenty of tennis to be played though before we get the semis
Vamos Rafaa!
rafa vs JJ first match on central court ! followed by murray-gulbis…woah, rafa muzz would need to fend off some huge hitting tomorrow …go rafaaaaaa
nole has such an easy draw..he gets istomin…
That will be the undoing of Nole, his easy draw……..
Nadal-JJ preview and pick – https://tenngrand.com/2013/08/08/rogers-cup-r3-preview-and-pick-nadal-vs-janowicz/
Happy Birthday Roger Federer!
Long live the King! 🙂
Happy Birthday to Fed indeed! I see he is already in Cincy, practicing. I hope he does well there. The game is better with him in the mix.
On a related note, poor Ferru, he loses to Alex Bogomolov in his first match at Montreal and the whole tennis world has a collective shrug. Can you imagine the furore if it had been Rafa, Nole or Muzza who had been dumped out? I mean, people are still talking about Dodig dumping Rafa out in Toronto 2 YEARS AGO!
rewind to the wimby final, observe andy’s intensity right from game 1 and compare it to the intensity he has shown so far in this match.. stark contrast !
only 13% points played inside the baseline so far.. this is where I am always extremely proud of rafa, he has that inherent ability of keeping his intensity really high even in earlier matches of the tournaments
I was on a plane. How was the match?
you mean rafa’s match? andy’s match is still on.he got the break back !
rafa returned serve a lot in set 2..JJ served silly ,costly double faults ..good win from rafa ! won 33% points on JJ’s 1st serve.. gota improve his forehand though
Gulbis over Murray : 64 63
so gulbis wins in 2..andy was outplayed…he’l come back strong in cincy I am sure..he needs these sort of wake up calls..must be frustrating for duece and alex :/
rafa andy had to deal with these dangerous players so early on..novak got lucky by avoiding any tough matches early on.. anyway, looking forward to the other matches
Nadal out of doubles.
has he withdrawn ? Ah I was looking forward to the match as he up against aisam, my countryman 🙂 good rafa, have some rest
@vamosrafa
All too used to it m’dear….;) Perhaps he’s saving himself for the big one…;)
I just heard that Pospisil beat Berdy! Yikes! What is going on with that part of the draw? Now I am also hearing that Delpo has a back injury and may not be able to play Raonic!
Sorry to deucy and all Murray fans. I watched as much of the match as ESPN showed. They keep going back and forth with the women’s matches. So nice to see Serena winning 6-0! NOT! From what I did see, Murray’s serve wasn’t working and he seemed just lethargic out there. Gulbis is not the guy you want to play when you have been off for a while.
Murray will move on to Cincy and make a better showing there. This has been one crazy tournament so far!
NNY: I predicted earlier today Popsi was going to cause an upset. I had watched both his earlier matches and been mightily impressed at the quality of his game and how well he stood up under pressure.
#EdPatsHerselfOnTheBack:-)
del potro is being stupid , simple…I posted here some time ago that I cant understand why delpo plays washington esp now when he is a geniune contender for slams…planning 3 tournaments in a row before US open, thats stupid for some one who has a history of injuries and is not among the fittest
poor form by Raonic.
Hey Guys!!!! Good to see you on here!!! Happy as well that Rafa won his match!!! VAMOS!!!
🙁 🙁 🙁 🙁 what a sad day 🙁 🙁 🙁 All my hopes lost.. 🙁 🙁
no murray no del no dimi 🙁 🙁
thats a pity sana ! delpo had some back issues i heard? murray was just typical murray ! lol..gulbis played a great match though…so gulbis has beaten all of roger, novak and andy …rafa has survived him every time…
Istomin is playing supremely well ! 58% of his shots have been down the line shots so far :O thats quite a stat..
So what happened to Delpo who was supposed to be a finalist here? Maybe, he is saving himself for the USO! Anyway, till he proves he can match the consistency of the fab four and wins at least 1 more slam, I will continue to feel sorry for the poor Fed fans who had pinned their hopes on Delpo!
hurt back and couldn’t serve. I have no idea why the match was so close.
i think only an epic Nole-Rafa SF can save this tourney.
holdserve, Delpo wasnt even match fit to play. Dont know why he even bothered to play. It’s good that he lost early. He needed some break.
Btw, you dont feel sorry for some Rafa or Andy fans who too have pinned their hopes on him. 😉
Rafa and Andy fans had high hopes for Delpo because they like Delpo. Fed fans have been pinning their hopes on Delpo since 2009 because they fear Rafa’s impact on Fed’s legacy. Obviously more is at stake for Fed fans though with the rise of Djoko and now Muzza they probably feel more secure!
That’s the most rubbish and weird theory.
Delpo is loved by people because of his game and persona, not coz of fear of someones legacy. Be it Fed fans or Rafa fans or anybody else fans.
That’s the most rubbish and weird theory.
Delpo is loved by people because of his game and persona, not coz of fear of someones legacy. Be it Fed fans or Rafa fans or anybody else fans.
abhirf, just repeating that a theory is rubbish doesn’t make it less true. I saw how in 2009 Fed fans rushed to crown Delpo after he beat Fed just once in a slam! What was the rationale for announcing he was the next no. 1? Of course I can count on you to come up with, in your own words, “weird and rubbish ” explanations and even concocted facts ( like you did in the Fed mono myth!)
Holdserve, Sorry, I wasnt there around 2009 to see who said what. If probably they did said it, nobody knew he was going to be out for a year just after his bigeest season. I dont think anyone saw the future that time.
And, I have been more in touch with the Fed fans on different portals and many amongst them prefer a Rafa victory than Nole’s or Muzzard. And Delpo is loved for his game and persona.
and you still seem to be at your own delusional and hypothetical best, disapproving facts (Mono facts were true, you believe them or not it doesn’t matters)
And btw, whats with you not able to resist mentioning Fed in any post. :p
How do you know the Fed mono facts are true? You supported them with blatant fiction claiming you had seen a few cases of mono in India during your clinical postings!!! A few cases of mono in India in one teaching hospital in one or two years???? My friend from India has told me to ask you : which teaching hospital in India has a lab attached which has diagnostic facilities for mononucleosis and regularly tests for mono?
You did not even know why mono cases are not seen in India!!! You quoted something from a medical text without understanding that it did not apply to India!!!!
Anyway, I do not want to carry on this conversation about mono because no point in talking logic or facts to somebody like you who thinks it is ok to support his arguments with fiction and you compound your sin by making false accusations !!!
How do you know the Fed mono facts were not true?
Yeah, clearly no point in talking to someone like you who has the tendency to support your argument based on fiction and making false accusations to disgrace someone.
It is clear you don’t think Fed mono facts are true otherwise you would not have supported them with fiction! I notice you did not come out with the names of teaching hospitals in India with diagnostic facilities for mono to provide you with a few mono cases during your clinical postings! Ha ha.
One advice for you abhirf. If you have to support your arguments with fiction, at least research them, my dear, lest you be exposed in this embarrassing fashion.