Monte Carlo 1000 match thread

by lydian Mon 15 Apr - 21:35

First topic message reminder :

Thread for the week to discuss the matches outside the 606Tour and Pick threads.

Mixture of R1 and R2 (?) matches today...

[13] S. Wawrinka vs D. Istomin - 1st Round - Apr 16, 9:30 AM
F. Verdasco vs M. Matosevic - 1st Round - Apr 16, 9:30 AM
A. Ramos vs R. Stepanek - 1st Round - Apr 16, 9:30 AM
[6] Jo-Wilfried Tsonga vs Nikolay Davydenko - 2nd Round - Apr 16, 9:30 AM
[8] Janko Tipsarevic vs Grigor Dimitrov - 2nd Round - Apr 16, 9:30 AM
[7] Richard Gasquet vs Benoit Paire - 2nd Round - Apr 16, 11:00 AM
[WC] Benjamin Balleret vs Florian Mayer - 1st Round - Apr 16, 11:00 AM
[16] Philipp Kohlschreiber vs Pablo Andujar - 2nd Round - Apr 16, 11:00 AM
V. Hanescu vs M. Granollers - 1st Round - Apr 16, 11:30 AM
J. Huta Galung vs J. Melzer - 1st Round - Apr 16, 1:30 PM
K. Anderson vs J. Janowicz - 1st Round - Apr 16, 1:30 PM
[WC] G. Monfils vs A. Montanes - 1st Round - Apr 16, 1:30 PM
[10] N. Almagro vs D. Goffin - 1st Round - Apr 16, 2:00 PM
J. Isner vs E. Gulbis - 1st Round - Apr 16, 2:00 PM
[14] J. Monaco vs M. Klizan - 1st Round - Apr 16, 3:30 PM
[5] Juan Martin Del Potro vs Alexandr Dolgopolov - 2nd Round - Apr 16, 3:30 PM

http://www.atpworldtour.com/scores/schedule.aspx?year=2013&eventid=410

by lydian Fri 19 Apr - 21:43

J-Dubya is 3 points away...
Stan has served abysmally today - 42% 1st serves.

EDIT - 3 MPs...

by lydian Fri 19 Apr - 21:45

Stan saves 3 MPs to bring it to deuce...!

by Jahu Fri 19 Apr - 21:48

Come on Stan

by lydian Fri 19 Apr - 21:49

Stan holds...JWT to serve it out at 5-4...hoping Stan can flash the BH blade a few times.

by lydian Fri 19 Apr - 21:53

Bummer

by Jahu Fri 19 Apr - 21:53

Jo takes it. Shame Stan didn't do better.

by lydian Fri 19 Apr - 21:56

Too many errors from Stan today after set 1 ... he's just not consistent enough through whole events, that's his problem.

For a guy of his huge talents just 3 ATP titles is not good enough, he's probably got the best SHBH on tour, a very good FH and excellent serve...he's just not strong enough upstairs. Shame...

by Jahu Fri 19 Apr - 22:00

Yeah, one of the guys I'd like to win a few Masters or a GS

by lydian Fri 19 Apr - 22:04

That AO13 Djoko result could have changed his career but alas...he just never quite knuckled down to getting himself in supreme shape and mental fitness. Maybe he'll surprise us one day...at 28 he's in the new prime window!

by The Special Juan Fri 19 Apr - 22:25

Oh dear. You get the feeling Tsonga's going to get hammered by Nadal if he plays as streaky as he did today.

by lydian Fri 19 Apr - 22:45

Nadal takes 1st set 6-2. Looks like JK and I were wrong in our 2 "mark our words" respects! lol

by The Special Juan Fri 19 Apr - 22:53

Ridiculous decision there by Lahyani. He stops the rally about 3 shots later?

by The Special Juan Fri 19 Apr - 23:14

Dimitov's playing well.

by bogbrush Fri 19 Apr - 23:21

Eh up!

by lydian Fri 19 Apr - 23:24

Ey up indeed...knew Dimi had the game to trouble Nadal (or frankly anyone)...just needs to execute.

by bogbrush Fri 19 Apr - 23:28

Christ, Ryan's going to be in clover if this carries on.

by sirfredperry Fri 19 Apr - 23:36

Just switched on to see that final game of the second set. I still reckon Rafa will come through but it could be a cracking last set. When was the last time he lost a match at Monte Carlo - 1879 ?

by The Special Juan Fri 19 Apr - 23:43

This guy's quite good!! I don't think he'll win but his stock with me is rising.

by bogbrush Fri 19 Apr - 23:46

I have to admit nothing could make me happier than for "Baby-Fed" to come through big time. Even beating the Maestro himself I could live with, so long as it was part of a broader emergence.

The torch needs passing. We (well, I) need a SHBH at the top of the game.

Still expect Rafa to come through of course, he'll be on major attack to the backhand by now I suppose?

by lydian Fri 19 Apr - 23:57

Yeah I'm more than happy enough for Dimi to win and we see genuine new talent break through. This guy is the real deal, its just a matter of when. BTW, he hates getting called baby Fed and now snaps off heads in interviews about it! Anyway, good to ser him pushing Nadal the whole way here.

by bogbrush Fri 19 Apr - 23:58

lydian wrote:Yeah I'm more than happy enough for Dimi to win and we see genuine new talent break through. This guy is the real deal, its just a matter of when. BTW, he hates getting called baby Fed and now snaps off heads in interviews about it! Anyway, good to ser him pushing Nadal the whole way here.

Well that's good too, but it's what he is really.

by The Special Juan Fri 19 Apr - 23:59

The backhand's getting the treatment. I think Nadal will grind out the victory instead of playing light's out tennis. It'll come down to a few points here and there.

by LuvSports! Sat 20 Apr - 0:03

F****** get in there dimi ya beauty!!!!

I still dont think he will do it but what an effort just two games away!!!

by lydian Sat 20 Apr - 0:06

...and they say SHBHs cant cut it...yet in this ralley based clay event even we've had Gasquet, Wawrinka, Almagro, Dimitrov all "flashing the blade". All attacking players...its what the game needs.

I think Dimi can do this. BB, as I keep saying - this is your guy!

by bogbrush Sat 20 Apr - 0:06

The Special Juan wrote:The backhand's getting the treatment.

A left handed Fed / Dimi would really put the cat amongst Rafas pigeons. It'd be a designer-nemesis, much as Nadal himself is more or less what you'd build from scratch if you wanted to match up Federers game.

Then again, he'd go to the training ground and work something out probably.

by bogbrush Sat 20 Apr - 0:08

lydian wrote:...and they say SHBHs cant cut it...yet in this ralley based clay event even we've had Gasquet, Wawrinka, Almagro, Dimitrov all "flashing the blade". All attacking players...its what the game needs.

I think Dimi can do this. BB, as I keep saying - this is your guy!

You do, you do.

by lydian Sat 20 Apr - 0:08

ok 4-4....massive game here for Dimitrov...has he learnt from the chokes against Murray and Djoko recently? We'll find out...

by bogbrush Sat 20 Apr - 0:10

Uh-oh.....

by lydian Sat 20 Apr - 0:10

2 errors from Dimi...15-30

by lydian Sat 20 Apr - 0:12

What an up and down game...deuce

by lydian Sat 20 Apr - 0:13

Another UE....BP to Nadal

by The Special Juan Sat 20 Apr - 0:14

bogbrush wrote:
The Special Juan wrote:The backhand's getting the treatment.
A left handed Fed / Dimi would really put the cat amongst Rafas pigeons. It'd be a designer-nemesis, much as Nadal himself is more or less what you'd build from scratch if you wanted to match up Federers game.

Then again, he'd go to the training ground and work something out probably.

I was just thinking about LH SHBH players the other day and Llodra was the only one I could think of (and he's not great from the baseline). It certainly would be interesting.

by bogbrush Sat 20 Apr - 0:14

There we go.

Oh well, I don't automatically call a choke there. Credit where it's due.

by lydian Sat 20 Apr - 0:15

Dimi tamely slices into the net....5 groundstroke errors from GD in that game when the pressure counted from Nadal. Reverted to too many slices as well...

Nadal to serve it out, maybe - he gets a little tight these days too.

by lydian Sat 20 Apr - 0:17

How many BH slices for Dimi have gone in the net the past 2-3 games?

by lydian Sat 20 Apr - 0:18

30-30! Dimi finally hits a good topspin BH winner. Game on...

by lydian Sat 20 Apr - 0:19

FH out...MP Nadal

by The Special Juan Sat 20 Apr - 0:19

Whoa!

by lydian Sat 20 Apr - 0:20

Great FH...deuce...tension building!

by The Special Juan Sat 20 Apr - 0:21

Oh. Well, well played Nadal + Dimitrov. Superb match clap

by lydian Sat 20 Apr - 0:22

Wow...when does Nadal win a match with an ace!

Great match by both...this could be hardest Nadal gets pushed all clay season! clap

by sirfredperry Sat 20 Apr - 0:22

Gutsy stuff there from Dimi but Rafa cut out the unforced errors at the end. You feel he's practically unbeatable on clay.

by lydian Sat 20 Apr - 0:29

Yep, he knows when to baton down the hatches - strong match player he is. Dimitrov adds another strong performance others will take note of. To be fair it wasn't a choke from Dimi...ok he lost his serve at 4-4 but he was under enormous pressure from Nadal. The breakthrough is taking time but you really feel he's on the cusp of something big at some point this year.

by lydian Sat 20 Apr - 0:34

BB - thank goodness Dimi didn't win from a picking perspective...we live to fight on! Phew...

by bogbrush Sat 20 Apr - 0:47

Even on points though, not many get to say that after a match at MC with Nadal.

by bogbrush Sat 20 Apr - 0:48

lydian wrote:BB - thank goodness Dimi didn't win from a picking perspective...we live to fight on! Phew...

Yeah!!

by The Special Juan Sat 20 Apr - 1:43

Whoa, what's going on with The Fog?

by The Special Juan Sat 20 Apr - 2:12

I only saw from the tie-breaker onwards so I can only judge the match based on what I saw, but Fognini played some outrageous tennis!! Gasquet was too far behind the baseline and got punished for it by a truly inspired opponent.

And here's a splendid Berdych meltdown. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpHehrexIHc&feature=player_embedded

by invisiblecoolers Sat 20 Apr - 3:54

The Special Juan wrote: I only saw from the tie-breaker onwards so I can only judge the match based on what I saw, but Fognini played some outrageous tennis!! Gasquet was too far behind the baseline and got punished for it by a truly inspired opponent.

And here's a splendid Berdych meltdown. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpHehrexIHc&feature=player_embedded

So the Fognini factor on means Djoko not gonna win this tournament. Very Happy

by lydian Sat 20 Apr - 4:25

The cramping in the 3rd set also shows Dimitrov still has some physical gains to make but I think we can see there is "life" beyond Federer for his attacking style of play. I would add that the cold, damp weather today probably played its part - its unseasonably cold in Monaco at the moment and its meant to be even colder and much windier tomorrow - just 14c. Generally Nadal doesn't like colder clay conditions - he never really liked Hamburg - so Tsonga may just have a much better chance than usual.

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