Rafael Nadal will continue his Stuttgart campaign against Gael Monfils during semifinal action on Saturday. Marin Cilic and Viktor Troicki are also aiming for a spot in the title match.
(1) Rafael Nadal vs. (4) Gael Monfils
Nadal and Monfils will be squaring off for the 13th time in their careers when they clash in the semifinals of the Mercedes Cup on Saturday. The head-to-head series stands at a dominant 10-2 in Nadal’s favor, but they have never faced each other on grass. They also have not met since early in 2014, when the Spaniard prevailed 6-1, 6-7(7), 6-2 in Doha and 6-1, 6-2, 6-3 at the Australian Open. Both of Monfils’ victories came in Doha, first in 2009 and then in 2012.
It has already been an eventful week for both players. Nadal needed three sets in each of his first two matches and he has spent a total of exactly six hours on the singles court (two hours and 40 minutes against Marcos Baghdatis; two hours and 20 minutes against Bernard Tomic). Monfils held off Andreas Haider-Maurer 7-6(6), 7-6(5) before fighting past Philipp Kohlschreiber 7-5, 3-6, 6-3 on Friday. The 16th-ranked Frenchman is a stellar 24-9 for the season. Nadal, on the other hand, has struggled from start to finish this year and his record stands at 31-10. He has to be short on confidence after failing to win a single title on European clay. The good news for Nadal is that Monfils has also worked hard through two matches and the underdog is not particularly comfortable on grass.
Pick: Nadal in 2
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(8) Viktor Troicki vs. (2) Marin Cilic
An all-seeded semifinal lineup in Stuttgart also features the ninth career meeting between Cilic and Troicki. Cilic is leading the head-to-head series 5-3, but they have never met on grass. The two competitors were familiar foes from 2008 through the start of 2011, but they have collided only once in more than four years. Cilic most recently beat Troicki 7-6(12), 6-4, 7-5, at the 2013 French Open. An especially tough test came on the Indoor hard courts of Zagreb, where the Croat survived at home 7-6(7), 6-7(8), 7-6(6).
Cilic appears to be finding at least some kind of form as he returns from an arm injury that plagued his conclusion to 2014 and the start of 2015. The reigning U.S. Open champion reached the fourth round of the French Open and so far in Stuttgart he has taken out Matthias Bachinger and Mischa Zverev (the latter in a third-set tiebreaker). Troicki booked his spot in the last four with victories over Borna Coric, Alexander Zverev, and Sam Groth, dropping just one set to Zverev in the process. The 28th-ranked Serb is 22-12 during what has been a resurgent 2015 campaign in the wake of a year-long suspension that ended last summer. Troicki will be competitive, but Cilic’s hard, flat ball-striking should make the difference on grass.
Pick: Cilic in 3
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I love how tennis is graded on a curve. Monfils is “stellar” at 24-9, Rafa is “struggling” at 31-10…Just sayin’
yep. but it is the true, no?
24-9 would be “terrible” for Djokovic. 31-10 would be “incredible” for Andreas Haider-Maurer.
So Ricky..how do you think will Djokovic fare second half after the RG loss and seeing his dream go up in flames.
RT @Tennis_Now : “@ATPWorldTour active grass-court title leaders:
Federer, 14
Hewitt, 8
Murray, 5
Nadal, 3”
Rafa’s press conference after SF at MercedesCup 2015
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOygT0O1Z5Y
Tennis TourTalk, June 13, 2015: ¤¤ “The beginning on grass is always tough. Playing two matches with three sets, too, but I was aggressive on court, trying everything to be successful on grass. I enjoy the fact that I am in a final on grass again after a few years and I try to be ready for tomorrow,” told Nadal after reaching his first grass court final since 2011.
“Of course, I always need improvement. That’s what I have had to do all my entire career. I have the motivation to come back to my best, maybe even stronger than I was before. I try the best to have a good second half of the season and to have a strong start into 2016. I am focused on that,” the former world number one said and added that there is no pressure for him anymore.
“I do not care about the expectations coming from outside. I have been playing for 13 years on the tour now. It’s not about what the people are thinking, it’s about myself. During the first half of the season, I just didn’t find myself on court. I played with too many nerves. I am starting to feel better now and played good tournaments in Monte Carlo and in Rome. I am playing well here, too. That’s the most important thing for me. My level of tennis is there. I have not forgotten how to play tennis in six months,” Nadal explained with a smile and enjoyed playing in front of about 6,000 spectators today.
“It’s always great to play with a lot of people watching the matches. This happens here every day. That’s important for the tournament but also for the players. It’s a great atmosphere and we enjoy the support from the crowd. That’s a special thing,” said Nadal. ¤¤
http://www.tennis-tourtalk.com/?p=2787