Rome Masters - Day 3 thread

[lydian]

OK...some good matches to turn into today starting around now!

CENTRALE Start 12:00 noon
Marcel Granollers (ESP) v [WC] Fabio Fognini (ITA) ... this on centre? zzzz, Granola Bar munches on...Fognini in 3 (Italian crowd effect)
[3] Roger Federer (SUI) v Carlos Berlocq (ARG) ...Carlos who? Early shower for the Maestro.

Not Before 7:30 PM
Florian Mayer (GER) v [2] Rafael Nadal (ESP) ...Nadal will want revenge for that loss to Mayer late last year, and has a clay point to prove.

SUPERTENNIS ARENA Start 11:00 am
[10] Juan Martin Del Potro (ARG) v Mikhail Youzhny (RUS) ...nice match! JMDP again as last week.
[16] Richard Gasquet (FRA) v [WC] Paolo Lorenzi (ITA) ...Gasquet in straights

Not Before 7:00 PM
Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI) v [8] Janko Tipsarevic (SRB) ...nice match #2! This will go to the wire. Stan in 3.

PIETRANGELI Start 11:00 am
[7] Tomas Berdych (CZE) v Lukasz Kubot (POL) ...straights to BirdMan.
[9] John Isner (USA) v Andreas Seppi (ITA) ...good support for Seppi but blown off court by 231 aces from the human telegraph pole.

COURT 1 Start 11:00 am
Radek Stepanek (CZE) v [14] Juan Monaco (ARG) ...I can see Stepanek sneaking this one...
[Q] Sam Querrey (USA) v [12] Nicolas Almagro (ESP) ...Mugro all the way here. Querrey seems to be going backwards...career in doubles beckons.

COURT 4 Not Before 2:00 PM
[Q] Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (ESP) v [11] Gilles Simon (FRA) ...See-Mon all the way.

Do you see any upsets or quirks?

[barrystar]

Funny - Rome so far has been a total snore-fest. I had the scoreboard up yesterday and not one of the matches seemed to hold the faintest glimmer of interest. Perhaps it's too many dodgy Italian players on Centre. Anyway, the tournament's certain to heat up over the next few days. Last chance before RG and all that.

[reckoner]

Nice article lydian... and I 100% agree with your picks. I'll try to be more controversial in the next round...

[lydian]

Cheers both...yes barry, not much to savour so far although I enjoyed a few flashes of brilliance from Tomic last night, he's clearly got something in his game thats going to be good in future and he's got good hands too. His father looks a 'right one' though...

Surprisingly Monaco takes the first set.
Granola gnawed his way through the first set too...oh please no more tomorrow, I cant stand Tumbleweed Tennis.

[luciusmann]

Do we know if Fed is definitely playing then? I haven't seen any news on it. The schedule says he is...

[lydian]

Yes he is lucuismann

Oh dear Fognini 2 pts from the exit door...
Turbot is a set and a break down.

[lydian]

This was the link posted yesterday confirming...with a pic of the man himself near the Coliseum.

http://www.tennis-x.com/xblog/2012-05-15/9556.php

[luciusmann]

That's great news!

The sooner that match is finished, the sooner Fed comes on, which probably will be a straight forward win but I'd still like to see how Fed does on the red stuff.

[lydian]

Yep, hope his hip stays firm though given he was taking anti-inflams!

[sirfredperry]

What odds could you get on Fed being beaten here.? At least he's on in a few minutes. I was worried that first match was gonna be a longey. Wonder what it's like for the guys in the locker room not knowing exactly when they're going to get on ? Must be great having a fixed time rather than, say, being third match on like Murray yesterday.

[barrystar]

At least there's no risk any longer of the Fognini effect determining the ultimate winner....

[lags72]

Ladbrokes will give you 16/1 on that. Not as much as I would have thought.

But then Berlocq does seem to spend as much of his year as possible on clay. Even in November

(a measly 1/100 on a Fed win .....)

[lydian]

And they're off...30-15 Fed 1st game.
Monaco rolling over Turbot...5-1 in 2nd
Delpo vs Yooooozny just starting too,

[luciusmann]

I wouldn't bet on Fed losing today, if that's the odds you wanted sfp.

Fed's already wrapped up 90% of the points so far and taken a break too.

Maybe in the third round.......although Ferrero hasn't beaten Fed since 2003 so not sure if that's worth a punt either...

[barrystar]

Aye - and they're not hanging around either, 7 minutes for 3 games!

[barrystar]

Wierd, Fed just handed 2bp's on his serve at 4-2, back to deuce now.

[sirfredperry]

Just switched office TV on to watch one game only to see Fed slide to 15-40. So switched off and now he's saved that game and it's 5-2, so will continue to follow scores electronically, I think.

[bogbrush]

Easy for Fed, he's popped back into 2nd gear.

[lags72]

memo to Carlos : if you get yourself 2 bp's against the Swiss one, and on your best surface ........ be sure to make 'em count ....

(from Chapter 1 of the How to Beat Roger Federer manual)

[reckoner]

Federer a set and a break up at 6-3 3-2

JMDP up 6-4

Simon, Almugro up a break in the first.

[bogbrush]

Fed in a scrap now.

[lags72]

Seems like Carlos was listening to me ....

[bogbrush]

Reminds me how wonderful clay moonball tennis isn't.

[reckoner]

GSM TMF

[barrystar]

Decent 1hr 10min practice on the different surface against a guy who's played an awful lot of clay court tennis this year.

[lags72]

Yep, in fact I've counted 13 clay tournies for Berlocq since last year's USO !

[bogbrush]

Boy, he really is an old school deep high hitter isn't he?

[reckoner]

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1163398-roger-federer-french-open-heartbreak-makes-him-underrated-and-dangerous

bit of a florid style but the article's heart is in the right place

[luciusmann]

Looks like Fed will cruise to the Quarters when he will face a possible challenge from Isner/Wawrinka/Tipsarevic. I only really see Isner as a challenger, the other two have only ever managed one solitary win each over Fed.

It really would be a highlight of the season if Fed passes the Quarters and faces Djokovic in the Semis. They only played once on clay last year and we know who won....anyway, won't get ahead of myself just yet!

[reckoner]

Yup best to keep your powder dry...

[Josiah Maiestas]

As an eternal optimist I reckon Sam Querrey should retire instantly then get hired by Walmart

[reckoner]

Costco FTW!

[Josiah Maiestas]

Berdych v Almagro 3rd round...again!

[lags72]

Very quiet here ...... no Rome fans around ...??

Rafa through, and levels up his h2h with Mayer in the process !

[spuranik]

And Stan as well... With the usual fest of DTL backhand winners.

[lags72]

Seppi taking out Isner must be upset of the day surely. Can the home crowd push him on even further ...??

[spuranik]

Seppi taking out Isner must be upset of the day surely. Can the home crowd push him on even further ...??

Stan played well today... If he plays the way he did today, it would be difficult for Seppi.

[laverfan]

Seppi taking out Isner must be upset of the day surely. Can the home crowd push him on even further ...??

Isner blew his chances in the second set. Bps 2/2 and the TB was dismal with FH errors. . More than likely, Stan, on a roll, will take Seppi out for a date with his illustrious Swiss doubles partner.

[laverfan]

If I may jump the gun, looking forward to a potential Federer-Djokovic duel on the swirling sands of Rome.

[lags72]

Hmmm .... yes time for another Fed / Djoker encounter, but you could well be jumping the gun there a tad, laverfan !!

The draw does look pretty kind, but I just have a hunch that things may catch up with Federer before then, and that he might be due for for another Miami-style interruption to his run - currently standing at an impressive 45-3

[luciusmann]

Isner was the only person I thought would be a danger for Federer and he's out. Stan has only ever beaten Fed once, although it was on clay....but you have to dig deep and you see it was 3 years ago!

I agree laverfan, a potential Federer-Djokovic duel really would be something. The fact these two guys don't like each other much and take their matches against each other so seriously really adds an electric charge to the match (more so than a Federer-Nadal match)!

[laverfan]

Ferrero can be a handful on his good day. Federer being broken by Berlocq in the second set was pretty strange.

It would be good to a Federer-Djokovic match.

[luciusmann]

I agree, Ferrero maybe old, but no push over, he had won the French Open after all.

Having said that though...last time he beat Fed? 2003. Lost every single once since...

Strangely, he's lost all his clay court matches (3) with Federer even though the sole slam he's won was on clay!

It was strange he got broken in the second set, but it was clear that Berlocq was playing more solidly and a momentarily lapse in concentration was all it took. I doubt it suggests more than that.

[lags72]

Yeah that break in the second was a bit odd, seemed to go against the general momentum of the match - although he did have 2 bps before that game and failed to convert. One of the livetext reports even described the break as 'amazing'. But Berlocq has been virtually living on clay ever since last year's US Open, so perhaps not that weird

[Josiah Maiestas]

Ive watched Seppi loads of times, he does have very flaws which makes me wonder why he doesn't much in 1000's and GS!

His mentality is a bit like Llodra though.. not being too bothered if he's making errors, has a nice serve technique and closes the net well!

[Sponsored content]