ATP 1000: Monte Carlo (Daily Order Of Play)!

First topic message reminder :

Monte Carlo.... tennis is finally coming home!

After weeks of sleepless nights caused by travelless jetlag, tennis caravan is back to where it belongs and looks best: Europe!

Ahead are a few potentially historically huge months:

Novak Djokovic could be the first man after Rod Laver to hold all 4 slam titles.

He could also be the first man to achieve the Golden slam, if he wins the gold at the Olympics.

All grand dreams, very difficult to achieve, yet, for this grand dreamer, nothing is impossible

Back to Monte Carlo, and the first 1000 Masters even on clay:

Bar Federer's last minute wild-card change of mind, all the best players are in town:

*Legendary Rafael Nadal with his mind-boggling 7 straight tournament wins.
*Novak Djokovic with his mind-boggling 7 straight finals wins over Nadal
*Andy Murray , pressure free and hungry. Could surprise many.
*David Ferrer, the eternal bridesmaid...will give someone a great workout in the semi-final!
*Delpo? No Federer in the draw, may release the "old" smooth powerhouse.

and.....

everybody else except the Biggest clay question mark called Isner, who withdrew from the tournament needing rest and preparation for the remainder of the season.

Official website:

http://www.monte-carlorolexmasters.com/


The Draw:

http://www.monte-carlorolexmasters.com/Share/Event-Draws.aspx?Year=2012&Draw=ms

Easier to follow, PDF version of the draw:

http://www.atpworldtour.com/posting/2012/410/mds.pdf

Order of play for Wednesday, 17th of April (no PDF version yet):

http://www.atpworldtour.com/Scores/schedule.aspx?EventId=410&Year=2012&Seq=5

Set in the glorious scenery of glittering, breath-taking sparkling Medditeranean vista, I will be there daily in spirit sighing and dreaming....

For Monte Carlo with its vintage charm, class and timeless air of dolce vita is my favourite tournament (let's leave that heart-breaker called Wimbledon out of this conversation just this once!)

I have bought a large vintage poster of Monte Carlo recently, and it hangs framed behind my desk reminding me of those days when the world took its time....and nobody moaned that much ....and ladies wore dresses when they played....and looked and behaved like ladies ....

http://img2.photographersdirect.com/img/16398/wm/pd1802170.jpg

Now, let's get into the mood, shall we?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFabjc6mFk4


AND, last but not the least...

GO NOLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!1

lydian wrote:That was truly, really truly, abject from Donald Young...

where are you watching Young?

Tomic serving for the first set

It's going to be tough for Murray to win slams when Tomic improves. He is the player who retrieves with most ease of all players, helped by a great sense of anticipation (better than Murray in my view), moves naturally better than Murray and can pull the trigger with flatter shots.

He will be a threat to Djoko too. I don;t like his game but he certainly makes it llok like easier than the current top retrievers.

Tomic takes the first set thank to the early break in the first. C'mon Denis!

Tenez wrote:It's going to be tough for Murray to win slams when Tomic improves. He is the player who retrieves with most ease of all players, helped by a great sense of anticipation (better than Murray in my view), moves naturally better than Murray and can pull the trigger with flatter shots.

He will be a threat to Djoko too. I don;t like his game but he certainly makes it llok like easier than the current top retrievers.

I know, but don't think he's a threat for Nole yet. Murray deals with him easily, too. I think Tomic doesn't handle their pace and baseline consistency that well.

It is hard to see Tomic actually challenge Murray or Djoko. First he needs mental fortitude. Something I think he lacks in spades.

Tenez wrote:Only fans don't want to see the motives behind all things.

"Only fans"? Meaning me. There was no need for that point to be made. You're the one calling Nadal's draw suspect on the back of zero evidence. I take it my "failure" in your eyes is that I dont see the motive, that I dont see the reasoning behind your conspiracy theory against Nadal? But oh, I see the motive behind your theories alright...after all, you've told us many times on this forum how Nadal is the death of tennis right? I would think that enough motive to want to question everything around Nadal - his statements, his actions, his style of play - and now even his draw. Is there anything Nadal does that is acceptable to you?

Tomic is a predictable winner here, Istomin is too rigid for clay-play.

I thnk he is very strong mentally and he is going to improve very fast on his baseline game.

I like his easy power best. Broke Istomin again....

If he lets something like his dad at courtside bother him, I can't see him making any waves.

noleisthebest wrote:

lydian wrote:That was truly, really truly, abject from Donald Young...

where are you watching Young?

Saw it on FromSport.

that FH topspin dropshot that Tomic plays is pretty remarkable. It earns him the break in set 2 and don't think Istomin will come back now. Wonder if Tomic will genuinely challenge this clay season...

[quote="lydian"]

Tenez wrote: Is there anything Nadal does that is acceptable to you?

im interested to hear this one Tenez, the floor is yours.

Easy win for Tomic, Istomin def not as good on clay.

Verdasco struggling to dispose of Rochus... locked at 1-1 in the third set.

lydian wrote: Is there anything Nadal does that is acceptable to you?

Don't you know Nadal yet? He does everything that is "acceptable" to him. End of! The list is long of things he does but should not do to advantge him. We don;t want to go there, do we? If he can get a better draw, I don;t think he will prevent it.

Tenez wrote: Don't you know Nadal yet? He does everything that is "acceptable" to him. End of! The list is long of things he does to advantge him. We don;t want to go there, do we? If he can get a better draw, I don;t think he will prevent it.

"End of"? lol...well if you say so.
"If he can get a better draw"....what are you talking about? The draw is the draw. Oh sorry I forgot, Nadal slipped a white envelope to the committee asking for an easy draw and having no integrity they duly obliged right?
"I dont think he will prevent it"...prevent what? A rigged draw you have no proof of?

Ridiculous! Presumably Murray's bag is also full of white envelopes given the easy clay runs he had last year?

"Dear Organising Committee, can you please fix it for me to avoid any decent claycourters until the finals?"

Yes but not as ridiculous as seing the rule being broken on every point and not having a referee having the guts to apply it. Why that?

When Nadal slips down the ranking, watch his draws getting tougher.

Stay tuned.

Tenez wrote:Yes but not as ridiculous as seing the rule being broken on every point and not having a referee having the guts to apply it. Why that?

When Nadal slips down the ranking, watch his draws getting tougher.

Stay tuned.

What does Nole need to do to get kind draws, there's nowhere left to go up in the rankings....
BTW, I have noticed that every time Nole has a particularly bad draw, it usually opens up beautifully for him

lydian wrote:"Dear Organising Committee, can you please fix it for me to avoid any decent claycourters until the finals?"

You would not need to write a letter to the organisers of a non-compulsory TMS1000. Everything is understood beforehand and when it;s not clear what the top players want you can have Kraji asking Nadal which balls he wants to play with.

YOu really want to believe it's all transparent. Listen to Becker!

noleisthebest wrote:

Tenez wrote:Yes but not as ridiculous as seing the rule being broken on every point and not having a referee having the guts to apply it. Why that?

When Nadal slips down the ranking, watch his draws getting tougher.

Stay tuned.

What does Nole need to do to get kind draws, there's nowhere left to go up in the rankings....
BTW, I have noticed that every time Nole has a particularly bad draw, it usually opens up beautifully for him

Told you. He needs that X factor.

Tenez wrote:

noleisthebest wrote:

Tenez wrote:Yes but not as ridiculous as seing the rule being broken on every point and not having a referee having the guts to apply it. Why that?

When Nadal slips down the ranking, watch his draws getting tougher.

Stay tuned.

What does Nole need to do to get kind draws, there's nowhere left to go up in the rankings....
BTW, I have noticed that every time Nole has a particularly bad draw, it usually opens up beautifully for him

Told you. He needs that X factor.

ah well, time's on his side and so is moi

Nadal looks pretty friendly with the organiser!

http://www.atpworldtour.com/#ooid=81c3BnNDor0gS6txuQ8RSp0ofs5f8cqw

Tenez wrote:Nadal looks pretty friendly with the organiser!

http://www.atpworldtour.com/#ooid=81c3BnNDor0gS6txuQ8RSp0ofs5f8cqw

That's the tournament director, former tournament winner, as well....
Yeah, it does look a bit cheesy...but they have to look after the 7 time champ....I wish they kept it behind the closed doors, though. Sometimes, ignorance truly IS bliss

Order of play out for tomorrow (no PDF version yet)!
http://www.atpworldtour.com/Scores/schedule.aspx?EventId=410&Year=2012&Seq=4
Court Central:

Llodra- Houdini (aka Fognini)
Murray - Troicki (the battle of haircuts, how low can you go)
Kohlschreiber - Tsonga
Monaco - Haase

Court des Princes:

Bellucci - Andersen
Verdasco - Dodig
Nishikori - Ramos
Bolelli - Cilic

Notable others:

Wavrinka - Deliciano
Youzhny - Gill

Raonic battling it out against Montanes in the third set, after losing the first.

Montanes was playing a blinder for set and a bit and his game went down the toilet quicker than a dodgy curry!!!

legendkillarV2 wrote:Montanes was playing a blinder for set and a bit and his game went down the toilet quicker than a dodgy curry!!!

Well, he's back, Raonic serving to stay in the match.

Raonic out, Clay definitely not his surface, his game looked toothless in the last set: short, loopy balls, quite amazing to see.

Too many UEs from Raonic.

A game won by the power of moonball

legendkillarV2 wrote:A game won by the power of moonball

Or you might argue a game won using the right strategy for clay...

lydian wrote:

legendkillarV2 wrote:A game won by the power of moonball

Or you might argue a game won using the right strategy for clay...

Montanes moonballed the hell out of Raonic in that 3rd. A stiff learning curve for Raonic.

legendkillarV2 wrote:

lydian wrote:

legendkillarV2 wrote:A game won by the power of moonball

Or you might argue a game won using the right strategy for clay...

Montanes moonballed the hell out of Raonic in that 3rd. A stiff learning curve for Raonic.

I don't know if we were watching the same end of 3rd set, but it was Raonic who was chasing the ball and moonballing it back. Montanes was good.

Raonic moonball???

Some of his FH's against the moonball looked half a smash and half a FH.

Not sure what 3rd set you were watching. When tired let's revert to power of the moon.

Buongiorno a tutti

Beautiful sunny day in Monte Carlo, I'm sipping my second triple espresso and watching Belucci blast Anderson away.
To glorious Monte Carlo and the sumptuous game called tennis

Anderson looking awkward just like Raonic yesterday, you can tell the two of them haven't played on clay in their formative years.

I'm sipping my second triple espresso and watching Belucci blast Anderson away.

Isn't it a bit early in the day for matches to start?

No wonder Federer and Isner chose to not enter!

Josiah Maiestas wrote:

I'm sipping my second triple espresso and watching Belucci blast Anderson away.

Isn't it a bit early in the day for matches to start?

No wonder Federer and Isner chose to not enter!

well, they have to finish play during daylight Murray Troicki next. should be interesting.

I love clay tennis for those spectacular drop-shots!

woow, that's a lot of talk about the draw..
Yes, Nadal is one lucky dog when it to the draws but does it really matter on clay? Ferrer, Tsonga, Verdasco, Berdych, Murray? He'll get to the final anyway folks. If he'll meet Djoko, he'll be the underdog but it wouldn't surpise me if Nadal wins this time. Djoko'd better be entirely gluten free.

Fognini kicking Llodras @ss 7:5 4:2.

Jahu wrote:Fognini kicking Llodras @ss 7:5 4:2.

Let us pray there are no Chinese-looking women cheering for Fognini in the stands.

Would love to see Belluci Ferrer in the next round, should be a cracker!

I had another look at the ATP ranking situation for next Monday, 23 April:

Federer:
not playing this week, his points will stay the same i.e. 8880.

Nadal:
currently has 9215, but 500 points from Barcelona will be dropped, as well as possibly 280 Davis Cup points (replaced by MC points) = 8435.
His points will depend on his result in Monte-Carlo
R32: 8435 + 280 (DC) = 8715
R16: 8435 + 280 (DC) = 8715
QF: 8435 + 280 (DC) = 8715
SF: 8435 + 360 (MC) = 8795
RU: 8435 + 600 (MC) = 9035
W: 8435 + 1000 (MC) = 9435

Conclusion: Nadal must reach the final of Monte-Carlo to defend his #2 ranking.

Note: Nadal is playing in Barcelona next week and Federer isn't playing, so should Nadal drop to #3 next Monday, he can easily climb back to #2 the following week.

prostaff85 wrote:Conclusion: Nadal must reach the final of Monte-Carlo to defend his #2 ranking.

Well with his draw, I cannot see what coudl prevent it.

Bellucci is back from his slump

prostaff85 wrote:I had another look at the ATP ranking situation for next Monday, 23 April:

Federer:
not playing this week, his points will stay the same i.e. 8880.

Nadal:
currently has 9215, but 500 points from Barcelona will be dropped, as well as possibly 280 Davis Cup points (replaced by MC points) = 8435.
His points will depend on his result in Monte-Carlo
R32: 8435 + 280 (DC) = 8715
R16: 8435 + 280 (DC) = 8715
QF: 8435 + 280 (DC) = 8715
SF: 8435 + 360 (MC) = 8795
RU: 8435 + 600 (MC) = 9035
W: 8435 + 1000 (MC) = 9435

Conclusion: Nadal must reach the final of Monte-Carlo to defend his #2 ranking.

Note: Nadal is playing in Barcelona next week and Federer isn't playing, so should Nadal drop to #3 next Monday, he can easily climb back to #2 the following week.

What with those dodgy left knee ?

Houdini wins to give a w/o another day

Murray has started like a train here and is just toying with Troicki, showing that clay doesn't need to be all about big forehands