Qatar/Brisbane/Chennai

First topic message reminder :

Finally, the wait is over.  The new tennis season is starting tomorrow in Brisbane, with Qatar and Chennai joining in on Monday.

Djokovic will not play until Melbourne, but Rafa, David and Andy are all in action in Qatar.  Other notables include Berdych, Davydenko, Gasquet, Gulbis and Monfils.

In Brisbane, Federer is the No 1 seed (he should enjoy it, there may not be many more tournaments like that).  Overall, the field is much weaker than in Qatar, with Nishikori seeded at No 2 and Simon at No 3.  Still, there are some interesting players to watch.  The field includes Grigorov, Duckworth and Kyrgios, as well as Cilic.

Chennai has the weakest field, with Wawrinka and Youzhny seeded at #1 and #2.  Vasek Pospisil (an ethnic Czech from Canada) and Jiri Vesely (an ethnic Czech from the Czech Republic) being the two youngsters to watch there.

Looks like Foggy retired at 5-5 2nd set so the injury is the likely reason for Yuki doing so well?

This event is jinxed, that's something like 5-6 retirements during the event and its only early on yet!

Given loads of women are also injured on WTA I wonder if many are overtraining in the short offseason to cope with the gruelling demands of the modern physical game?

Hope not, but could explain the 6-1 first set loss.
Was hoping an unpolished Indian gem had been found!

Bhambri wins by retirement. Foggy.

Looking forward to Nadal-Gulbis on a fast court. Will Gulbis put up a fight?

This is his best chance to beat rafa imo.

LuvSports! wrote: Was hoping an unpolished Indian gem had been found!

Not the Koh-i-Noor that you were expecting? He is a journeyman by definition, agreed upon previously in this thread.

Youzhny had retired too vs Sela...so that's the 2nd and 3rd seeds out early vs guys they wouldn't have problems with really...Chennai organisers must be delighted!

Yep, it's a fast court and Gulbis you just know will be all flat-guns blazing. Given Nadal still looks off his best this has to be an absolutely golden opportunity for Gulbis you feel...in fact I put Gulbis favourite based on their past matches. Nadal doesn't like playing Gulbis at all, and Ernests isn't scared of Rafa one iota, in fact I think he relishes the opportunity each time because he knows he has the weapons and game plan to down Rafa. In effect, he's a much better version of Rosol - he should be top 10 really, alas....
Should be interesting.

Quite agree that Gulbis is Top 10 material, but much the likes of Nalbandians of the world, mental strength differences become crucial at this level.

lydian wrote:Looks like Foggy retired at 5-5 2nd set so the injury is the likely reason for Yuki doing so well?

This event is jinxed, that's something like 5-6 retirements during the event and its only early on yet!

Given loads of women are also injured on WTA I wonder if many are overtraining in the short offseason to cope with the gruelling demands of the modern physical game?

4 retirements and 1 w/o in the first 18 matches.

Going back to celebrity coaches, I heard Bhambri is working with Dhumbro

Sounds good JHM...does that mean Tommy Haas is going to sign up with Mickey Maas?

Bhambri should fire DHumbro and hire Paes or Bhupathi.

Haas should try Schuettler.

lydian wrote:Sounds good JHM...does that mean Tommy Haas is going to sign up with Mickey Maas?

In cricket, Graeme Swann was coached by Donald Duck. He kept getting out for 0.

...and Aussie l'enfant terrible Bernard coached by Tomic Jerry?

Not watching but Rafa took the first set 7-5   
ANyone watching?
How are both players playing? Errors from Gulbis? Better from Rafa?

I thought this would go 3 sets, with gulbis finally getting the win!
Well he's just broken for 2-0, long way to go.

Gulbis breaks, but perhaps too early to make a difference to Nadal. Too many errors from Gulbis. Gulbis serving well, but Nadal looks good.

Similar to their matches of last year LF?

I love watching Gulbis. He throws out the percentages and just goes for it. Looks spectacular when it comes off, and you wonder why he isn't top 6.... Then he plants the next 5 attempts into the middle of the net and you understand.

Nadal gets the break back. Back on serve.

Gulbis looked much more confident last year. The IW and Rome matches were, IMO, better from Gulbis's standpoint.

Now a third set looks unlikely.

Danny_1982 wrote:I love watching Gulbis. He throws out the percentages and just goes for it. Looks spectacular when it comes off, and you wonder why he isn't top 6.... Then he plants the next 5 attempts into the middle of the net and you understand.

Did Lydian call him a better version of Rosol?

BP for Gulbis. and misses a FH on second serve. Deuce.

DF from Gulbis. 0-30. This is getting close to being done. 15-30 at 217kmph.

30-40 with FH error from Nadal. Deuce with Nadal going wide.

Nice drop and court coverage from Gulbis. Deuce.

laverfan wrote:

Danny_1982 wrote:I love watching Gulbis. He throws out the percentages and just goes for it. Looks spectacular when it comes off, and you wonder why he isn't top 6.... Then he plants the next 5 attempts into the middle of the net and you understand.

Did Lydian call him a better version of Rosol?

Yeah I'd go with that. Quite a bit better though. He has top 10 ability everywhere but between the ears for me.

Net-chord and Nadal has a break.

Gulbis can go head to head in long rallies with Rafael but when it comes down to it he is just too inconsistent. Whereas Rafael perhaps makes one error in ten it seems Gulbis makes around three mistakes in ten.

Good win for Rafa, but Gulbis wasn't as good as he can be. Rafa neither, although good at the net, but he's getting better after the first 2 mediocre matches. Gulbis makes the wrong shot selection a lot of the time...too many low % choices...if he could cut that out his results would change overnight because his matches with the top guys are always close but when the crunch comes he presses even harder. For example in the last game he went for 2 DTL BH winners...both missing narrowly. Very watchable though.

Gulbis is like 2011 Murray in a tangent universe, or a universe where everything is opposite. Where Murray couldn't let go of the percentage play, Gulbis tells safety todo one and just goes for it. Shame as his serve, movement, and front foot ability is great. Unfortunately, he plays a lot of defensive shots as though he were on the front foot.

However I get the impression that there's really no changing him. He seems very content to win or lose as long as he does it his way. I don't get the impression he stays up all night wondering what he needs to change to make a breakthrough.

Mrs_1982 likes him though. Thinks he's a loose cannon. Bad boy rogue.

Danny_1982 wrote: I don't get the impression he stays up all night wondering what he needs to change to make a breakthrough.

Gulbis's father does that on his behalf.

If he had the need/hunger he could undoubtedly reach No.1. imo .. he has extraordinary talent.. but poor attitude and application.. with no dedication. He is without doubt a rogue.. and not a lovable one either. Poor little rich boy.

Haddie-nuff wrote:If he had the need/hunger he could undoubtedly reach No.1. imo .. he has extraordinary talent.. but poor attitude and application.. with no dedication. He is without doubt a rogue.. and not a lovable one either. Poor little rich boy.

Your are being a tad bit harsh on the boy. His father's wealth is not his burden to carry. Watching him win at DelRay and LA tourneys made it clear that a bit more pushing could easily polish the rough edges. The way Piles locked up Ferrer, perhaps Gulbis needs a similar hard task master to bring forth and showcase his talent. He is 25 now and a years worth of hard work would pay handsome dividends, IMVHO. It would be very nice to see his shotmaking ability in a slam SF/F without the mental blemishes he carries today.

Well just as well LF we have different opinions and it is seldom that you and I agree ... New Year but things haven´t changed  
That imo of Gulbis and always has been

Wow gojowczyk has won 12/13 points vs rafa and leads 3-0!
Rafa tanking?

 

LuvSports! wrote:Wow gojowczyk has won 12/13 points vs rafa and leads 3-0!
Rafa tanking?

    as if

He did at the tail end of last year.
    

This is the beginning of this year and he has never won Doha... and to tank to such a low ranked player ??? give it up LS If he loses its because the lad won it

Give it up?
Tell that to these guys https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZ6GzmrGHOY !!!

 

Granollers beat Paire in chennai, he's such a poor pusher and got lucky

  
Paire served for it twice.

Nadal through in 3.

TopoftheChops wrote:Granollers beat Paire in chennai, he's such a poor pusher and got lucky

...and Paire is overrated for all the fawning over him.

LuvSports! wrote:He did at the tail end of last year. 

How so? This is almost blatant wummery, Nadal is just about the last player on tour to tank a match.

had this been anything but a final, I'd give LaMonf a good shot at beating Nadal... but in a final situation, Surely only one winner?

One thing about Monfils...he can play some exciting tennis, in an era dominated by boring robots.

shivfan wrote:One thing about Monfils...he can play some exciting tennis, in an era dominated by boring robots.

 

Haddie-nuff wrote:Well just as well LF we have different opinions and it is seldom that you and I agree ... New Year but things haven´t changed  
That imo of Gulbis and always has been

Disagreements are always welcome, H-n. I wish and hope Gulbis can do more with what he has.

IIRC, Gumy took leave of Tennis to become a parent and Canas did not last long in the stead.

lydian wrote:

LuvSports! wrote:He did at the tail end of last year. 

How so? This is almost blatant wummery, Nadal is just about the last player on tour to tank a match.

I think he tanked vs Ferrer in Paris last year.
One week he gets beat comfortably by ferrer a few days later he batters ferrer.
You won't agree but I think players tank matches sometimes. They do it with fellow countrymen imo.
This isn't wummery.

kingraf wrote:had this been anything but a final, I'd give LaMonf a good shot at beating Nadal... but in a final situation, Surely only one winner?

The 2 times that Monfils has beat Nadal it has been at Doha. Once in 2009 and the other was in 2012. So he has a chance.
But yes in a final, rafa is the hot favourite despite these losses.

LuvSports! wrote:

lydian wrote:

LuvSports! wrote:He did at the tail end of last year. 

How so? This is almost blatant wummery, Nadal is just about the last player on tour to tank a match.

I think he tanked vs Ferrer in Paris last year.
One week he gets beat comfortably by ferrer a few days later he batters ferrer.
You won't agree but I think players tank matches sometimes. They do it with fellow countrymen imo.
This isn't wummery.

Well if it isn´t you sure do a good impression