Murray Falls Flat; Nadal, Federer, Djokovic Today in Montreal; Clijsters Re-Injured

by Sean Randall | August 10th, 2011, 9:54 am
  • 210 Comments

That was some title defense by Andy Murray yesterday. The Scot who had won the Canadian Open the last two years managed just four games in a lackluster 6-3, 6-1 loss to Kevin Anderson in his first match at Montreal.

Murray is on record saying he didn’t want to peak before the US Open and based on his result yesterday I’d say he’s on plan because that wasn’t a peak. That was awful.

“Sometimes you can make mistakes with your preparation,” Murray said. “But I’ve done pretty similar stuff to what I’ve always done coming in here. It’s just a really bad day. It’s happened to me a couple times this year and also last year, as well.


“I just felt very slow. Today I couldn’t get anything going. I started both sets really, really badly which doesn’t help against someone that serves like Kevin. Every time he came to the net, I was a bit late getting to the ball. I was getting behind very early in all of the rallies and didn’t move particularly well.”

Remarkably, Murray has had a horrible run in the Tennis Masters hardcourts this season going winless in Indian Wells, Miami and now Montreal.

In fact, Murray’s last hardcourt tournament match win came against David Ferrer in the January Australian Open semifinals!

Murray still has Cincinnati next week before the US Open. But first he’ll still have doubles in Montreal with brother Jamie.

Novak Djokovic was also scheduled to play Tuesday but rain washed away his long-awaited first official match as a No. 1. Today, Djokovic joins Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal on a loaded schedule chock full of good matches.

While the top names should be pull through (any of top three could drop a set I think), there are some excellent matches on the outer courts including Bernard Tomic v. JW Tsonga, Tomas Berdych v. Alexandr Dolgopolov and Marin Cilic v. Juan Martin Del Potro.

The women are in Toronto where Kim Clijsters most recent comeback bid ended again in injury. Clijsters was leading qualifier Jie Zheng of China 6-3, 1-2 when she pulled out with a stomach tear.

“During my warm-up today I felt my left stomach muscle really, really tight,” Clijsters said. “Before the match I got taped to try and protect the muscle as much as possible, but it just went worse and worse. I already had an ultrasound here on-site, and I have a partial tear in my left stomach muscle.

“I have a few weeks until the US Open. I’ll do everything to be ready.”

With her lack of match play and recent spate of injuries it’s unlikely Clijsters, if she even plays the Open, will be able to win a third straight in New York.

Serena Williams continues to look dominant – though not in peak form, she says! – and after destroying Alona Bondarenko she’ll play Julia Goerges today.

“I definitely want to get better on a few things. I want to try to do more and play harder,” Williams said yesterday. “I would hate to be Grand Slam ready right now, seeing that the US Open is not right now. So I will try to peak at the right time.”

World No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki, Maria Sharapova and Victoria Azarenka are all in action today.

Tennis Channel has live coverage of both Toronto and Montreal starting at 1pm. With all the star power today it will be interesting/frustrating to see which tournament/stars they show.

ESPN3.com also will have live streaming.

WEDNESDAY MONTREAL SCHEDULE

CENTRAL start 12:00 noon
[3] R Federer (SUI) vs [WC] V Pospisil (CAN)
M Baghdatis (CYP) vs J Isner (USA) – To Finish / 36 01
[1] N Djokovic (SRB) vs N Davydenko (RUS)
I Dodig (CRO) vs [2] R Nadal (ESP)
[6] M Fish (USA) vs F Lopez (ESP) or R Stepanek (CZE)

BN COURT start 12:00 noon
[WC] B Tomic (AUS) vs [13] J Tsonga (FRA)
[15] F Verdasco (ESP) vs [Q] T Kamke (GER) – To Finish / 57 63 22
[Q] A Bogomolov Jr. (USA) vs [5] G Monfils (FRA)
M Cilic (CRO) vs [16] J Del Potro (ARG)
[WC] E Gulbis (LAT) vs M Llodra (FRA)

COURT 9 start 12:00 noon
[7] T Berdych (CZE) vs A Dolgopolov (UKR)
F Lopez (ESP) vs R Stepanek (CZE) – To Finish / 64 46 23
[10] R Gasquet (FRA) vs T Bellucci (BRA)
[15] F Verdasco (ESP) or [Q] T Kamke (GER) vs J Tipsarevic (SRB)
[7] M Fyrstenberg (POL) / M Matkowski (POL) vs N Djokovic (SRB) / J Tipsarevic (SRB) – After Suitable Rest

TORONTO WEDNESDAY SCHEDULE

Centre Court (from 11.00hrs)
1. Peng Shuai vs. Li Na
2. Caroline Wozniacki vs. Roberta Vinci (NB 13.00hrs)
3. Julia Goerges vs. Serena Williams (NB 15.00hrs)
4. Maria Sharapova vs. Bojana Jovanovski (NB 19.00hrs)
5. Stéphanie Dubois vs. Victoria Azarenka


You Might Like:
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Ivanovic Says ‘F**** You,’ Clijsters Favored Next Week at WTA Montreal
Andy Murray Officially Withdraws From Canadian Open Montreal, Rafael Nadal With No. 1 Shot Next Week
Kim Clijsters Will Miss French Open, Clay Season
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210 Comments for Murray Falls Flat; Nadal, Federer, Djokovic Today in Montreal; Clijsters Re-Injured

Brando Says:

Read somewhere that Murray has not won a SINGLE match on a hardcourt since the aus open semi final against ferrer. I’m assuming that this refers to outdoor hard since there was the recent davis cup matches that he played on indoor (?) if true that is virtually for 6 WHOLE months! He urgently needs a good run at cincy, semi finals at least in order to go to the US open with some confidence and momentum.


jane Says:

Nice that Popsicle has kept it fairly close versus Fed today.


jane Says:

Pospisl has a great serve, he is good a net from all his doubles play, and he is not bad from the back court either. He also showed some mental toughness in his matches here. I hope he can continue to do well. He is only 21 so if he can break into the top 100 and start getting into some events who knows? He could have a decent career methinks.


jane Says:

Awww Fed said nice things re: Pospisl, hope he takes some inspiration from that. Tsonga is through in straights over Tomic, but he and Fed don’t meet next do they? Have to look at the draw.


grendel Says:

Pop was in with a chance against Federer. Twice running he came back from 0-30 to hold; if he could have done it once more, he’d have got himself a tiebreak. In his first service game in 2nd set, he was 40-0 and had an easy smash to put away – netted it. Couldn’t stop thinking about it, perhaps, and lost the game. And that was the match. Quite a nice looking player.
These new Canadian and Aussie tennis players all come from East Europe, judging by their names. What does that say about the natives?


jane Says:

^ Thanks for the article grendel. Too bad that Reed has to defend his opinions in the piece itself. I liked the comment at Tennis.com, which advised not to panic unless the same happens at Cincy. So I am going with that. Besides, Andy can still get in some matches/practice in the doubles here.

Nole, finally! I am curious to see his form after the long break, the t.v. shows, etc. Hope he can pick up where he left off, or close enough anyhow.

I would like to know where commentator Peter Burwash is this year; I enjoy his input every year and am sorely missing it.


Brando Says:

Thanks for the article Grendel. Nice read. Only point I want to make regarding it is that the likes of reed and Murray supporters need to stop making the excuse that he plays in a tough era with 3 multiple grand slam champions. So what if there are 3! It didn’t stop del potro winning the USO did it? There were also 3 multiple champions when Lendl came on the scene, same for Sampras wasn’t it? And when has Murray or for that matter ANYONE had to face all 3 at a slam? At most you have to play 2 out of 3 in a slam, and gues what it is the same for the big 3 themselves !!! To murray’s credit I have never really seen him complain about this, he should just knuckle down and keep on trying and trying, and then see what it brings……


Dory Says:

Such a long wait to see Nole after Wimby but at last the king is on court!!!


jane Says:

Nole looks rusty so far. Love-40 for Davy.


Dory Says:

Seems to be rusty after a LONG break.


jane Says:

Davy is digging in really hard, but I am surprised Nole hasn’t done more off the return. And waaaaaay toooo many errors thus far from Nole’s side.


jane Says:

God, difficult to watch. Nole is so flat.


jane Says:

Momentum shift. Nole gets both breaks back! Phew.


Dory Says:

Djoko is a bit slow after the long break and Davy we know is someone who takes the ball very early rushing poor Nole into errors.


jane Says:

Egads, Nole broken again. :/


jane Says:

Crazy match: break, break, breakity, break!


jane Says:

Gasquet is hammering Bellucci.


TMAK Says:

Did Nole just wake up?


Duro Says:

Awoken fully.


Kimberly Says:

wozniaki needs a new gameplan. everyone seems to have gotten her number. Her keep enough balls in play strategy not working as of late.


TMAK Says:

Yes he did! 1-0.


jane Says:

Davy was so inconsistent this set, moments of great play and then some that were, equally, not-so-great, whereas I don’t think Nole has hit full speed yet. He is still in third gear, trying to find some rhythm, from what I can tell. Encouraging to see that he still has full-on determination and that he didn’t let a two break lead get him down. He really hung tough to take it 7-5.


Dory Says:

Btw was there any discussion at the start of the week on how magically again Federer landed in Djokovic’s side of the draw? ATP is fixing the draws for almost all tourneys now I’m convinced. It’s not random. They ALWAYS want Nadal and Federer in the opposite sides. It will be the same for US Open.


Brando Says:

@ dory re draw I was surprised too, but I think it will be a one off. I think either one of djokovic or nadal will prefer Murray than federer at USO.


Kimberly Says:

@ brando, assuming Murray gets there at this rate


Brando Says:

@ kimberly, that’s exactly the reason for their preference :-)


Tennislover Says:

As gifted as Murray is, I think there was no need for Reed to bring in Roddick, Hewitt and Courier. He is being a bit unfair to them. Apart from belonging to different generations, they were perfectly legitimate major winners when they won their respective titles. Roddick, for instance, beat Murray quite brilliantly when Murray was arguably in the form of his life at the 2009 Wimby. One could argue that only a Roddick could have stopped Murray that year. Courier and Hewitt were ranked number one for quite a while. I am not a fan of either of these three players and I prefer Murray’s tennis but his talent can be appreciated without belittling the achievements of others.


Kimberly Says:

although his serve was so bad, can’t see him doing that on a best of five, you figure he would pull it together.

I feel the old nerves returning as Nadal’s match nears. Forgot what they felt like.


jane Says:

Dory, I believe it is 13 out of the last 15 draws that Fed is on Nole’s side. Something like that anyhow. Their side of the draw is loaded. If Nole makes it through this, he has Delpo or Cilic next, and then if he wins, Monfils or Isner.. Fed has to face Tsonga next, and if he wins that, likely Gasquet. So it will take some serious hitting & battling for both to get to the quarters. The other side is considerably lighter imo, and now Muzza’s out too.

Nole’s attitude today is good, it seems, very positive.His frustration has been expressed via smiles, not rolling eyes, etc. And he even gives Davy kudos for the great play. I like it. :)


jane Says:

Good point Tennislover.


Dory Says:

So 13 out of 15! Isn’t that suspicious and annoying? And nothing seems to change the trend. Now Nadal and Djokovic have switched ranking positions still Federer is always in Djokovic’s side. Only if Djoko and Federer become No.1 and 2 respectively, then I can expect Nadal to have to defeat them both to win a tournament.


Kimberly Says:

Dory, Nadal played Fed but then lost to Djoko in both Madrid and Miami. I think he was supposed to in Rome again but Fed fell to Gasquet.


Duro Says:

I will believe it only when they broadcast it live. Talking about the draws. It’s not the ATP, it’s the tournaments and their officials.


jane Says:

Nole’s flubbed a few net points today, but Davy’s flubbed some even more drastically. It must be strange playing in sun with thunder and lightning at the same time!


jane Says:

Well, 49-1. :) But not an easy win by any stretch of the imagination. You could see that Davy still has flashes of that 2009 play that had him beating all the top players, but he is also incredibly inconsistent, or he was today. I guess he can build on the positives, like how he played those first five or six games when he was dominating. He takes the ball VERY early sometimes, as Dory already pointed out. Wow.


Brando Says:

Good win for djokovic. Davydenko never really looked like he could capitalise on the breaks he got. If del potro does play djokovic I fancy his chances alot more- post Wimbledon he’s atleast got some matches in.


Duro Says:

49-1, plus 2 from last year, plus 3 from Perth, it’s 54-1 sequence. And if the damn Fognini didn’t retire before the match, it would be 42-0 from the beginning of the year, 44 overall, 47 if we count The Hopman Cup. It would be the best result of all time, that’s how Nole’s achievement would be and is great. Who would ever remember Gillermo Villas? If it wasn’t about Nole, no one would mention him ever again.

No1-vak Djokovic, ladies and gentlemen…


jane Says:

Duro, Villas won four slams and a YEC. I think people would still remember him. ;) Maybe you mean his longest streak, in which case I take your point.


jane Says:

Murray bros win but all other matches are delayed.


tennisfan Says:

Roger has won today and I think he looks good. Here is something good for federer fans:
Will Roger Federer Bounce Back And The Myth of Age 30? http://bit.ly/mUlKHO


Duro Says:

Well, Jane, kind of… ;-)


jane Says:

Oops no, Verdasco-Tipsy are playing.


jane Says:

Delpo-Cilic are back on too.


grendel Says:

“. It would be the best result of all time, that’s how Nole’s achievement would be and is great.” (Duro)

“…it’s one of the best achievements in all sports, not just tennis..” Pete Sampras on Djokovic (http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/tennis/mats-wilander/article/239/)

This is Sampras being interviewed by Wilander about the prospects of the top 3 – a surprise, btw, to see Wilander looking a little taller than Sampras, but no surprise to see the Swede giving Sampras the old oil and Sampras,a stealthy panther in his day, giving a pussycat smile in response. And Sampras is not above a little sly flattery himself; he doesn’t actually say Federer is the best player in the world, but he says that Federer thinks he is. Now, now Pete.

Actually, Sampras is complimentary to all 3, and you have to dig a bit to gauge what he really thinks. He is very warm about Nadal, and I think he expects Nadal to win the US. He talks fondly about Federer and earnestly opines that he has another slam in him. Sufficiently vague to be safe territory this; nobody wants to get caught out if Federer suddenly wins another slam. “Ah, you see” the old legends quaver away,”always knew he had another one in him…”

But does Sampras think Fed’ll win another one? No, I don’t think he does – but he understands that the unexpected can happen, and like a good bookie, covers himself. As for Djokovic, he seems more puzzled than anything else – almost as if he’s achieved his world shattering form behind closed doors, a sort of cosmic oversight, which suggests a certain amount of caution is in order before coming to any firm conclusions….


grendel Says:

Well, Georges has taken Serena to a tie break (7-7 at moment)having lost first set 1-6. And Petkovic is 4-4 in the second with Arn. Serena 8-7 and serving at match point.


Kimberly Says:

Serena takes it. I think she is going to wipe the floor with Zheng if she plays any kind of decent tennis.


grendel Says:

Serena has won, and Petkovic still serving at deuce 4-4. She seems to have been serving at deuce 4-4 for a long time now. Hope she wins, as she is due to face Kvitova with whom, for some reason, she is sometimes confused – it’s the names, dear, these East Europeans, I mean – . But Kvitova is in another league to Petkovic.


grendel Says:

Still deuce at 4-4. Scoreboard must be frozen? But no, advantage Arn. Ah, back to deuce. This must be some game. Seems a bit like an Andy Wharhole movie.


grendel Says:

Advantage – Arn.


grendel Says:

Deuce.


grendel Says:

Petkovic has won the bloody game – confess to disappointment. This endless deuce thing was proving to be a kind of meditation. However, Arn is serving at 4-5.


grendel Says:

Deuce – happy days.


Kimberly Says:

sharpaova and nadal soon. ahhhhhhh. breath.


Kimmi Says:

greandel – sooo funny :) did she manage to win the game?


Kimmi Says:

At least Julia gave a fight in the second set..the talent is there.

OK,sharpie!!

Congrats to new numero uno..i saw davy game him a hard time but like usual he turned it around.

Federer,please show tsonga you are still da man.


Kimmi Says:

“gave”


Kimmi Says:

what happened to wozniacki? she was 5-1 up in the second set…eeeeek!!

Now, sharapova looks good in this outfit.


jane Says:

Yes, I like the colour, kind of brownish-plum hue. Poor Sharpie. She must be so disappointed that Serena, her kryptonite, is back. I hope we get to see how Kvitova manages against Serena. Julia did give a good fight today, but she kind of blew it in the tiebreak, and she’d fought so hard to get there.


jane Says:

Hmm, Cilic won the first set 6-3 and Nadal was ahead 1-0 but now the matches are interrupted again, draaaaag. :(


jane Says:

Matches back on again. Maybe it was just the scores that were interrupted. I am watching ladies so don’t know.

Sharpie has had 3 doubles this game.


jane Says:

Rafa’s cruising versus Dodig. Cilic and Delpo still on serve in the second.

This Serbian teenager is showing some potential versus Maria.


mat4 Says:

Hello, Jane! Glad to read you!


jane Says:

Hmmm, Cilic broke Delpo. Might be Cilic versus Djoko next round, and not Delpo. But still a challenge. Marin looked good in the Umag final last week, though in the end his errors hurt him.


jane Says:

Hey mat4, did you watch Nole’s match today?


jane Says:

Tipsy with a break over Hotsauce; Troicki with a break over Isner.


Brando Says:

Dont know if you guys are watching it but cilic is playing really well against del potro


mat4 Says:

Yes, Jane, I did. He was horrible, honestly. He didn’t play that bad since… last year.


jane Says:

^ I thought he was good mentally but the rest of the game needs to catch up. Would you say third gear throughout? Neutral? Reverse? Lol. Seriously, he is lucky Davy was so inconsistent. On the other hand, it didn’t allow Nole to find any sort of rhythm because you never knew what you were going to get (to borrow from Forest Gump – though dislike that film). I don’t care if Nole wins here, but it would be nice if he could reach the semis and at least match next year’s points.


jane Says:

Oops meant last year’s points. Cilic to try to serve it out and meet Nole next round.


jane Says:

Oh no! Rain again for the men?


mat4 Says:

He played better after the first few games, and changed a bit his strokes, playing more off pace and down the middle. Davy has problems from the middle, trying to make the play.

Overall, I think he was slowly improving, finding the range, finding the serve, flattening his FH. Although Davy played awful, after the first 5 games it was 61 61.


jane Says:

Brando I am just following scores for the guy’s matches as I have been watching Sharpie on t.v.


mat4 Says:

I didn’t notice, just read what you meant, not what you wrote.

Two years ago, I thought Cilic was the player of the future. He played a balanced and dynamic game.


mat4 Says:

But he plays perhaps too flat, and when he is off, makes too many errors. He seems to be without a plan B. Hope he will find his 2009 form.


Kimmi Says:

delpo seem to be going downhill than upward. good for cilic though..need to serve it out.


jane Says:

Mat4, what do you think of Nole’s game matching up with Cilic’s. Seems to me they have not played for a while. Nole is 5-0 but there was a really close one at the USO 2008.


Kimmi Says:

cilic wins. bad for delpo. things are not clicking this american hardcourts season.

i should forget about my bracket now..


mat4 Says:

Didn’t know that Jovanovski was coached by her father.


jane Says:

Kimmi, it is interesting that the two guys to beat Delpo are the peers who broke through with him: Gulbis and Cilic. Maybe they are ready for some accolades too.


jane Says:

Seems so common for the lady tennis players to be coached by their father’s.


Kimmi Says:

nole is matching up well with everyone and their dog right now. even if he is not playing well, he knows how to win.

I wish fed was like that..oh well his days are gone coz tsonga beat him really badly at wimbledon. hope fed has forgotten that match. it can stay in your mind forever.


Kimmi Says:

funny that scream from Jovanovski, it kind of makes a song with sharapova grunt.


Kimmi Says:

how did i pick verdasco instead of tipsy..really?


Brando Says:

Had high hopes for JMDP post wimbledon display, but he hasn’t really kicked on this hardcourt season. for me he needs to get to qtrs/SF at cincy and maybe beat one of the top 4 in order to go to USO with a genuine chance of winning it or even getting to the semi finals


Kimmi Says:

oops dodig breaks back..


Brando Says:

also i got to add that djokovic really likes playing the taller player’s doesn’t he? for example he is 9-0 against del po/cilic.


mat4 Says:

Jovanovski has a good game, but I think she’s under big pressure to make the final breakthrough.


Brando Says:

looks like tipsarevic now, a set and a break. would be interesting to see how nadal-tipsarevic would unravel as a match post ‘photogate’ :-)


Kimmi Says:

“so much love in toronto” says sharapova


steve-o Says:

I never know who to root for between Del Potro and Cilic, but I’m glad Cilic got a good win. Still sad for Del Potro, though.


Kimmi Says:

dodig serve has been clicking in this second set.


jane Says:

Kimmi, “how did i pick verdasco instead of tipsy..really?”

I did the same, thinking Hotsauce just made a final so maybe… But I did hesitate.


mat4 Says:

Jane, sorry, I am working on my son’s netbook and the screen is so tiny I missed your question.

I watched them a few times, and, under normal circumstances, I think that Cilic isn’t serving hard enough to put Djoko under pressure. Just like Kimmi said, Nole’s changes of direction create a lot of difficulties to taller players. Then, Cilic plays usually with a lot of risk, and is a bit shaky in tense situations.

At the USO 2008, it was a good, tense match. Beijing 2009 was their best encounter, with Cilic playing his best tennis. Last year, in the David Cup, it was a beat down, Cilic showing his worst.


mat4 Says:

@Kimmi:

Sometimes I thing Sharapova is better than a million $. But just sometimes… I am getting old.


Kimmi Says:

uncharacteristic errors from rafa..hmmm! then dodig instead of teking his chances.

rafa should just take him out of his misery.


Brando Says:

dodig serving really well, nervy toe break maybe?


mat4 Says:

Tipsy is very gifted in choking. Especially against Verdasco.


Kimmi Says:

dodig at least takes it to the tie break, where is a toss up.hmm!

mat4 – well, she looks good on whatever she wears. her face is just OK to me too. today though there was so much love for her in toronto she says. So i dont think it matters so much what we think


Kimmi Says:

verdasco!! maybe there is hope. c’moooon hot sauce


Kimmi Says:

there are all playing badly these first round matches. rafa is rusty too.


mat4 Says:

Of course it doesn’t matter. It never does.


jane Says:

Goooo Gulbis!!! I picked him to get to Fish and lose, but who knows. Now that Muzza’s out there is a chance for any of these guys to get deep.


Kimmi Says:

rafa famous passing shot..he is happy.


Kimmi Says:

isner is losing too. I pick fish jane. verdasco is losing..oh boy. going down down to china town.

Go rafa..save me.


mat4 Says:

Dodig plays with a lot of heart.


jane Says:

Thanks for your reply mat4. I am hoping Nole wins one more Masters this year so he can break the record and win 5 in a year.


Kimmi Says:

wow! dodig with the volley. 2 set points


Kimmi Says:

wow! serve and volley has worked for dodig..that last one had lots of guts.


jane Says:

Whoa, Dodig with a set. He was the only guy to get a set from Nole at the AO this year. I think hard courts are his surface.


mat4 Says:

@Kimmi:

Rafa plays well. What a backhand!

But another great serve from Dodig.

I like this player. He matured slowly, against the odds.


dari Says:

no cake walks for anybody today, huh?
even rafa losing a set. dodig will take it to anybody though, when he can.
anybody else thought rafa was looking extra handsome, or it just has been a while?


Brando Says:

well played by Dodig! Tipsarevic also wins. hopefully if rafa can get through this one he should then be able to get a good number of matches in from this tourny pre USO


Kimmi Says:

verdasco breaks back..go take the tie break nando..go go go!


mat4 Says:

@Jane:

We waited so long… why be modest? I hope he will win it all… in the next few years… at least…


Kimmi Says:

brando which match r u watching. tipsy has not won..YET! and i am cheering for verdasco loudly.


jane Says:

I picked Troicki I think, so goooo Troicki.


Kimmi Says:

Troicki is refusing to lose to isner twice..good for him.


Brando Says:

kimmi, that match i was checking on atp web live score, tipsarevic had 2 match points and then screen frooze….


mat4 Says:

Watching a bit of Gulbis… Impressed.


jane Says:

Mat4, lol, true. We were stalled at number 3 for how long? Four years and running, so the more the merrier in some ways. But i can’t help it that I’d like to see others winning some stuff too, like Muzza’s slam and Gulbis or Cilic a Masters, and another slam for Delpo, and I love the Frenchies, Gasquet, Monfils, and Tsonga. :) There are plenty of events to go around. But I definitely want to see Nole get a French Open and a USO Open. It would be fantastic if he could finish with 6-8 slams, 8 would put him in Agassi and JMac territory.


Kimmi Says:

C’mon nando. 2 set points


Kimmi Says:

yay! verdasco. third set


jane Says:

I have been so impressed with Gulbis. Loved the way he fought at L.A.


Brando Says:

@jane, i think djoko will easy get 8 slams, i’d say 10 overall. he’s a different player now, only 24, he has 14 slams until he turns 28 which is usually when players start to dip so winning half of them certainly 5 is very likely atm, IMO


Kimmi Says:

troicki wins. good for u jane for picking him. I thought isner would continue with his demolishion job in montreal. i forgot that montreal is master series. they never do well him and querrey in MS


Kimmi Says:

rafa breaks..easily.

ok, rafa steam roll him.


jane Says:

Canas looks so excited about his protoge. Lodra packs it in!


Kimmi Says:

llodra just retired..gulbis through


jane Says:

Kimmi, Isner did have to play Baggy earlier today so to be fair that might’ve been a factor. Although oddly Isner was complaining the court is too FAST of all things. You would think with his serve he’d love a fast court, but I guess movement is then a factor in terms of setting up his shots.


jane Says:

Anyone have a stream of Tipsy vs. Hotsauce? That is the one I wanna watch!


Brando Says:

@jane, havent tried to find it by try mp2p


mat4 Says:

@Jane:

Raja and Rafa should have thought about this too. After all, they were the one sweeping all the GS. ;-)

Joking aside, I don’t like Gulbis, he has disappointed me to many times.

I do like Gasquet, but Monfils? The only man on earth without a shadow of a brain? You can’t be serious… Tsonga, though, is finally maturing the way he should have a few years ago.

Cilic could make a name for himself, Del Po almost certainly will. Andy still has the will to win GS. So, there will be a lot of work for Nole.


dari Says:

Well done by dodig to stay in the point when rafa tried to go behind him!


Brando Says:

rafa NEEDS TO STEP IT UP! dodig could win this


jane Says:

Mat4, lol, maybe I have a soft spot for la Monf because of his exuberance. And Gulbis has so much talent, so much. He is a “cataclysm in repose” to quote Marquez. I cannot help rooting for mavericks like that. Just something about their devil-may-care attitude. I always wait for the flash out of the blue,and I really can’t explain it better than that. Like a good storm. I appreciate geniuses who don’t always fulfill their potential (probably cut them too much slack whereas others chide and give up on them), just as much as I admire the plodders and hard workers who perhaps over-achieve.


jane Says:

Tipsy is close now. Brando, thanks but I couldn’t find anything. I appreciate the recommend anyhow.


Kimmi Says:

the only thing that can save dodig is big serve..no serve he loses


Kimmi Says:

there he got it…


mat4 Says:

@Jane,

on the other side, I have sympathy for all the Dodig, Devvarman, Troicki or Andujar of this world, guys who are not on the front page, who often don’t have money to hire a good coach, who made their way against the odds, unnoticed by the fans.


tennisfansince76 Says:

i am glad to see Tipsy pulled out his match against hot sauce. after his AO match against HS where he blew match pts he had the 1000 yard stare of a man who needs to be put on suicide watch


skeezerweezer Says:

RE; Rafa’s match. Why all the drama? Should be waltzing here.


mat4 Says:

That’s also why I don’t like Frenchies: it is too easy for them, with all the help provided by the FFT. Did you know that Tsonga wasn’t even watching and analysing his matches: his coach did all the job for him.


Kimmi Says:

DRAMARAMA


dari Says:

are you serious, dodig broke back?
only half the job done…


mat4 Says:

Hi Skeezer! Glad you’re here too.

Dodig breaks!


mat4 Says:

Though, I don’t root for Rafa to lose here. Don’t want to hear Nole won because he had a second fiddle in the final. :-)


jane Says:

Wow, credit to Dodig: he is surely persistent tonight.


Kimmi Says:

This match is an accident for rafa


jane Says:

I hear you Mat4. I love an underdog and as far as my students go, I will take a room full of hard workers over a room full of lazy know-it-alls any day, if you get my comparison.


mat4 Says:

@Kimmi:

For Dodig too…


mat4 Says:

Rafa has clearly worked on his BH.


jane Says:

At this point this match deserves a third set tiebreaker. It shoudln’t end any other way methinks.


skeezerweezer Says:

Rafa playin for show….accommodating the fans. No ditzin Dodig, he gave Nole a cool match once, but Rafa is just at 5 cloud levels higher….


Kimmi Says:

“Rafa has clearly worked on his BH”

Normally its been working well against others but against THE NOLE, he will get back each one of them until rafa makes an error


jane Says:

Lol, skeeze: you may be right. But maybe Dodig is a willing player, and you can never trust a player.


mat4 Says:

@Jane:

I have the impression you teach literature. I teach grammar. That could make the difference.


jane Says:

Ha ha I think you may be onto something mat4. :D


Kimmi Says:

TB..ole ole ole oi oi oi


Brando Says:

@mat4, what rafa needs to improve more than anything against djokovic is his mind more than the rest i feel. he openly admits that he gets nervous against him at most key moments in his recent matches


dari Says:

It doesn’t really matter if rafa wins this or not, but i cant believe dodig is still out there.
Is this the twilight zone? Nope just Canada ;)
TB


jane Says:

Fully expecting Rafa to dominate the tiebreak. He is clearly making more errors than normal. But Dodig is dogged.


Brando Says:

wow… dodig.


jane Says:

Rafa wearing Madal face. 2 all.


Ben Pronin Says:

This whole tournament has just been one giant WTF!


jane Says:

Dodig with the running tumble! He is giving his all, that is for sure,


mat4 Says:

Jane, what’s “Madal”?


Kimmi Says:

match point

and he wins

murray, this is the way to lose a match


mat4 Says:

Now I see…


skeezerweezer Says:

RAFA. WTF? After ions on HC, still does not seem comfortable. OMINOUS. Unless of course he gets a “cup cake” draw.

Dodig! I respect thee, oh heart of the Lion!!!! I eat my hat gladly :)

Wow…


Kimmi Says:

it must be the foot :)


Daniel Says:

OMG, Nadal has just lost a first round match in what, 3-4 years?! The last time I think it was Rome 2008 to Ferrero, due to blisters. Am I right?!


dari Says:

Well that’s how you win a match point.
So weird.
Murray loss not so bad anymore.
Hope the other two don’t fall out tomorrow!
An A-bomb just blew open that half of draw


steve-o Says:

Congrats to Dodig!


jane Says:

Wow. I am stunned. Gobsmacked. Never saw THAT coming, especially that last forehand winner on match point!

Commiserations Rafa & Rafa fans.

But what a win by Dodig. Wow. MAJOR kudos to him, and may he capitalize on it, That side of the draw is pretty much wide open!


skeezerweezer Says:

Hey there mat4, jane, dari, kimmi, :). Haven’t been able to post much lately but am reading all. Keep it up!:)


dari Says:

You’re right though, kimmi, at least rafa lost in third set tb, unlike Murray.
Well, its a happy day for dodig!


Kimmi Says:

those who had muzza winning the bracket..dont be too sad, those who pick rafa will be right behind you.

rafa was up a break in the second. rafa was up a break in the beginning of the third set. rafa was up a break again to serve for the match..

rafa was up on tie break..

DODIC..Respect.


jane Says:

Mat4, it is a name I think contador came up with (she is our best nickname creator) for when Rafa puts on his most determined, maybe even angry, face, like “don’t mess with me” or “say hello to my little friend”. I could be a pun on matador as well. Just a nick for Rafa’s determined expression, when he really buckles down and whacks those forehands. And Look Out Opponent. But Dodig wasn’t backing off, as his running tumble showed; he knew he was in with a shot, and a good one apparently.


mat4 Says:

@Brando:

You are right, about the state of mind, of course. But Rafa’s BH was not bad, either.

Dodig played boldly to win, with a lot of courage and determination. He deserved it! It was his win, not Rafa’s loss.


Daniel Says:

Similarities with when Federer lost 2008 Wimbledon final and lost a bizarre match to Simon and then to Karlovic in Cinicy in 3 sets 2 tiebresaks noit being broken in that match, anyone?!

Nadal’s performance in Cincy will tell how shaken his self trust really is, which by the way is his worst surface/tourney in the entire tennis calender. The sole tourney where he never made a final, all others he already achieve a final, including WTF and all masters.


Kimberly Says:

Wow, diappointing however, I will console myself had this been best of five DOdig would have never won, he was completely exhausted.

Nadal didn’t play awful but poor shot selection and unforced errors at some key moments. ANd Dodig showed some gutsy play. That last point was amazing.

Kind of take offense at comparing it to Murray. Murray no showed at his match. Rafa really tried.


jane Says:

I feel sad for Kimberly. :( But Kimberly, wherever you are, at least Sharapova won. And maybe Rafa needs this rest pre-USO defense. He said he didn’t feel as ready as he wanted to be. And sometimes they run into guys in the zone. When Nole was down 2 break in set one I thought he’d be heading to Cincy early.

Hey skeeze: try to pop in when you can.


Tennis Vagabond Says:

What an opportunity for Gulbis!


dari Says:

hola, skeezer!
I forgot the bummer that is del piteous loss, too!
Whacky tourney. And fish and Feli still due.
Later guys


Dory Says:

Tough for Nadal fans today but Dodig played solid. Totally strange results in this tourney! Both defending champ Murray and Nadal lose the first match they play!! And JMDP also lost to Cilic!


Kimberly Says:

I was about to say I was sad not to be able to watch him for the rest of the week, but then I realized I was going to Disney and wouldn’t watch him anyway.

Anyway, not the way to try to recover the #1 ranking and regain confidence! Very disappointed. Maybe Fish can get to the finals?


dari Says:

that’s supposed to say del POTRO.
auto correct error, not a nick name attempt!


Brando Says:

WOW! congratulations to dodig, its his day period! as for rafa, pleased he fought till the end but he needs to improve urgently. only positive for him is that except for federer all of top4 seems rusty


puckbandit Says:

Wow, always felt that Nadal was going to pull through. the tourney sponsors must be drinking heavily at this point with both Murray and Rafa out so early.

Difference between Rafa and Murray losses was that at least Rafa showed up to play. Similarity was both showed rust and poor timing on what would usually be easy shots. Their inconsistency plus a hot player serving well did them each in.


jane Says:

Go Fish & Gulbis. Do something to salvage the sea of red that is now the bottom of my bracket.


mat4 Says:

@Jane:

A few french nicknames: Nole – Onelungonly, Djokoboss, Nalby: Nalbelly… Try to remember some others.


jane Says:

I agree puckbandit. Frankly, Nole was lucky that Davy couldn’t stay consistently hot or he could be out too. Even Fed had his moments versus Pospisl. Next rounds won’t be easy for either Fed or Nole.


Brando Says:

its not a total disaster for rafa losing here. fact is he won the 1st set comfortably, took it to the tiebreak in set 2,3 after being a break up in both. he seemed a little rusty, and playing at cincy next is another chance to get good match practise pre USO. ultimately the only reason he really lost was that dodig was better than him on the day.


mat4 Says:

@Daniel:

If I remember well, Rafa never made the final in Paris. But I could be wrong.


mat4 Says:

Sorry, he made it in 2007.


jane Says:

And Rafa lost by an inch, too. It was a crapshoot, a third set tiebreak, though I thought he’d take it.


Kimberly Says:

Suffice it ton say rafa, del potro, wozniaki, clijsters and Murray have already filled the trunk for next week.

At least fish is winning.


Kimberly Says:

Jane, thank u for your sweet comment!


jane Says:

No prob Kimberly. Fish is looking like a good bet to do well on the bottom. He is cruising versus FLo so far.


Kimberly Says:

Fish playing well but not needing to do much. Feliciano really flat.


andrea Says:

huh? nadal out so early…and murray….what are we going to do with you??? will you ever make us proud? and the 30 year old keeps on going…go figure.


Seth Says:

Nadal lost his opening match? Sense of schadenfreude ensues.


ding dong Says:

Me thinks Nadal is scared of getting Djoker in the final. Nadal is a mental wreck. But he will get out of this slump with MTO’s, broken foot, bird flu, inflammation of the knee-caps, ulcersssssssssssssssssssss!!!!!!!


alison hodge Says:

although i was dissapointed about rafas loss, i think it was the same as the murray match,a case of been under cooked,rafa lost last year,at both the rogers cup and at cincy,but then went on to win the us open,so i dont think there is anything to panic about,and with delpo also going out,and all the top players looking rusty,i dont think anyone can take anything for granted,i would say this though,at least rafa fought all the way,but andy just capitulated.


alison hodge Says:

with rafa and andy gone,the draw is now wide open on that side,i wonder how this bodes for the final,as nole and roger cannot face each other as they are on the same side,either of them are most likely a shoo in for the final,the question now is who they will face,as nole and roger will most likely face each other in the semis, that will probably be the most exciting match,i just hope we see a decent final,not an anti climax.


ding dong Says:

alison i think things are different this year for rafa.novak wasnt on a high last year this time. rafa had less to deal with. is it maybe an accumulation of the rafa losses that kicked in here?


alison hodge Says:

rep ding dong i agree nole has been the best player this year,rafa has been the second best player this year,im not saying other wise,however to take nothing away from ivan dodig,i wouldnt reed too much into this result,theres a long way to go yet,to say rafa had less to deal with,as nole wasnt on a high,what do you think he was on after beating roger at the us open last year,rafa was superb at the us open last year,but some will peope will never give him any credit.


Max Dwight Says:

This time Murray deserves smack… US is now a damned country for Murray to play tennis. Last 3 MS here He lost in the 1st round in all of them. K.A outplayed him completely. Murray hasn’t won a match in a hardcourt tournament since the AO semi-final back in Januaar 2011.
Looking at his record this year, Murray hasn’t beaten anyone inside the top 7 and has only won two matches against top 10 players (Ferrer 7 @ Aus and Roddick 10 @ Queens). He’s definitely had a lot of draws open up for him this year, so in spite of deep runs in the Slams it’s difficult to argue that he is playing at the same level where he was winning Masters 1000 events by beating the top three guys. I think the British media should stop hyping Murray up..
Anderson played a great match – congrats to him. Murray started abysmally and got worse from there. Got what he deserved from the match. Murray wasn’t prepared for this match at all.
I knew he’d give Murray trouble today. I’m actually pretty impressed with Anderson’s game.

He doesn’t seem like a one-dimensional player at all. He can rally from the back of the court and he’s also got a great return of serve. If you serve AND return well and you can rally from the back of the court as well as go to the net,
you’re in good shape.
The lopsided scoreline might conceivably inspire the assumption that Anderson’s serve was impregnable, and certainly the combination of steepling bounce and 65% didn’t make Murray’s task easy. But the South African served only 5 aces, so the Scot’s task was at least feasible. Really, it was Anderson’s willingness to press the attack behind the serve and the return that proved decisive.


Tennis Vagabond Says:

MD- you’ve got your tennis stats down but I suggest you consult a world atlas to clear up your geography.

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