Nadal, Murray Open Play Against Colombians, How Far Will They Go And Who’ll Win The Miami Title?

by Sean Randall | March 23rd, 2012, 12:42 am
  • 90 Comments

The men’s seeds roll out on Friday in South Florida. Among those in second round action in the blazing sun and heavy humidity at the Miami Tennis Masters are tournament hopefuls Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray, JW Tsonga and Milos Raonic.

Nadal plays in the evening against Santiago Giraldo. Rafa’s still looking for that first title since the French Open and his first hardcourt victory since Tokyo in the fall of 2010. Nadal’s played well enough of late – beating those he should beat – but off his favored clay the Spaniard doesn’t seem to have that same confidence and intensity (anymore).

But Friday night against the Colombian Giraldo he should be able to kill off any bad taste left over in his mouth from his horrid play against Roger Federer last weekend.


While Nadal has been steady this season, Murray has been a mixed bag. With high hopes, Murray laid an absolute egg at Indian Wells losing meekly to Guillermo Garcia-Lopez. Now in his second home of Miami and with Ivan Lendl on his heels, I expect a better performance this week. However Murray’s draw is loaded with landmines right from the get go as tomorrow he’ll start against Girlando’s countryman, the tricky Alejandro Falla.

Falla stunned Mardy Fish at the Australian Open and nearly pulled off the upset of the decade extending Roger Federer to five sets a few years ago at Wimbledon.

Also tomorrow, darkhorses David Nalbandian, Tsonga and Gilles Simon are on the schedule.

As for a pick, Federer is still the favorite but I don’t think he’ll win it. Someone or something (a low flying plane as the joke goes) is going to get him. Winning both Indian Wells and then Miami back-to-back just sounds too tall a task even for someone as hot as Swiss.

“I’d love to win another double, Indian Wells and Miami,” said Federer who hasn’t reached the Miami final since 2006. “I’ve done it twice before. I know how to do it, but I know how difficult it is. Just because I’m playing well doesn’t mean that the rest of the group is not.”

If Federer’s the favorite but won’t win it, then is Novak Djokovic the guy? Nope, not in my mind. The defending champ has to be eager to collect a scalp like Miami, but he just seems to occupied with off court engagements and enjoying the high life of being the best tennis player in the world. Can you blame him? And really, outside his Australian Open title his play the last six months has been very “Old Nole” – only two non-Slam Top 10 wins over Tipsarevic (Dubai) and Berdych (London).

As I wrote earlier, Rafa, who’s never won Miami, just doesn’t have it on the hardcourts and Murray’s draw with Raonic, Simon and then possibly Tomas Berdych just to get the semifinals could be incredibly tough.

But I think Murray rebounds this week, beats Tsonga in the semifinals only to lose to…. Juan Martin Del Potro in the final.

That’s right, I’m picking Del Potro here. The big Argentine has had a great season and he’s more than due for a big win. I think he somehow beats a very tough David Ferrer, upsets Djokovic in a match that determines the title, and then finally gets that mythical win over Federer to reach the final where he simply overpowers the Scot.

Yeah, it’s a head scratcher. I guess you could say I got a bad case of March Madness. No better time time to get it than now!

TV coverage for the Miami Masters – aka the fifth Slam – begins Saturday on the Tennis Channel. (Imagine a Slam having no TV coverage the first three days!)


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90 Comments for Nadal, Murray Open Play Against Colombians, How Far Will They Go And Who’ll Win The Miami Title?

Eric Says:

Cute story but no way JMDP makes it to the final over Ferrer, Nole, and Federer. Maybe if one of them loses early. The obvious favorites are Roger and Nole. But I guess that’s not as cool of a story.

My gut says Rafa or Murray will walk off with the trophy.


Michael Says:

It is difficult to pick a winner in Miami. The top four have chances to win the coveted title. Roger is on fire while Nadal is hanging around and Murray is hungry. Not to mention the dark horses like Del Potro, Tsonga and even Isner. But my gut feeling tells me that Novak will win this one. He has the right game to win this tournament and his main hurdle might be Roger in the semis. But on this court, I expect him to beat Roger and then take on either Nadal or Murray to win the title. So, my pick is Novak.


Michael Says:

Murray has a tough first round. Falla is not an easy opponent and even nearly dislodged Roger at Wimbledon in 2010 in the first round. I still hope Murray might scrape through but he must be careful as he has always looked brittle in the initial round.


sar Says:

Michael, I pick him too but I was too late to get into the brackets.

Ladies, Safin is getting married!!!

http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/zgTI7HdmpDk/
Lancia+Supermodel+World+Event+Madrid/BeWdY_x5EfE/Anna+Druzyaka


jane Says:

sar, boooooo. ;)


david ossai Says:

Rafa u rack love u so much ur the best tennis player in the world & if Djokovic is playing kick his ass xoxoxo


Cecilia Says:

I guess Rafa will be the winner hope so!!!!Vamosss Nadal!!!!


Ajet Says:

I pick novak to win! have picked him also in the bracket challenge!

but sean gotta be given some props for making the wildest prediction i have ever come across!

btw where is jamie? ;)


Wog boy Says:

Michael, sar, Ajet:

I hope you are right.
I am pleased that Novak played IW better than Dubai and I expect him to play Miami better than IW and so on and so on…
This is long distance race by all meanings.


Wog boy Says:

Novak is playing Monte Carlo.
Federer is not playing Monte Carlo.


Michael Says:

Wog Boy,

This Miami is very crucial to Novak if he is to remain No.1. He just cannot afford to lose this which might put tremendous pressure when the Clay court season starts. I hope he rises up to the challenge and win this one.


Michael Says:

Wog Boy,

It is a long time since Roger played in Monte Carlo. He normally skips it. Even Novak did not play this tourney last year I think.


Michael Says:

Sar,

May be our guess proves right. Let us wait and watch.


Ajet Says:

novak must be mad already, why else he is playing monte carlo??


jc Says:

I think Nole has always played MC except last year. Made the final in ’08. Same with Roger except it was ’10. He lost to Melzer last year in the QF


Wog boy Says:

Michael, Roger played last year MC and lost in QF from Meltzer. I didn’t expect him to play this year since he is not losing to many points and needs break, I don’t remember when he was playing so many tournaments from the begining of the year. Federer is a man on a mission.
On the other hand Novak can gain a fair bit of points in MC and yes, Miami is very important.


Wog boy Says:

JC, didn’t see your post.


van orten Says:

i predict nadal breaking giraldos first service game immediatly!!!!


trufan Says:

With such a packed calendar this year due to the Olympics, Federer is smart not to play MC.

Djokovic would be desperate to get some points there to keep his No. 1 ranking. Remember, if he doesn’t win Miami, Nadal could overtake him before the French open…

Nadal will obviously play MC (until he retires!). He can go for his 8th straight win, and keep extending it to create an unbeatable record. Even he doesn’t have that streak at any other tournament, and being the really slow red clay, I would say he could win it again! And of course, he is the clay GOAT, so he will look to playing as much as possible during the clay season to get points.

I think MIami is crucial in determining who has a good chance of being No 1 by USO – all three can help themselves quite a bit by winning here (top 3 – Murray doesn’t have a shot at being No 1 – he will always choke…).

Now, Delpo is the dark horse in this race, IMO….


Wog boy Says:

Well, apart of playing that epic SF and F at AO Novak didn’t play really to much of tennis, for a differnce from Federer. With only two SF from two tournaments compare to three F from three, Novak should be as fresh as a daisy and should be raising the level of his game steadily. I don’t think he played badly at IW, he is getting there for sure.


Nirmal Kumar Says:

Novak did not play badly against Isner. Infact he looked good to win. He had more points than Isner. I don’t think it’s fair to judge Novak’s form yet. But Miami will tell us more about his form.


adam Says:

hahahah bold pick sean. stupid one if you ask me, but if your right, i guess youll be looking pretty damn good.


the_mind_reels Says:

@ Nirmal Kumar:

I mostly agree that Novak didn’t play too badly against Isner (served pretty well, though didn’t taken advantage enough on BP chances), though it seems a bit generous to say that it’s not yet fair to judge Novak’s form yet. The calendar is fully one-quarter over at this point, Novak (and the rest) have had at least 3 (outdoor) hardcourt tournaments to get their feet under them, and save for the break that he and the other top guys took after the AO, his game should be humming along at this point. How much time do you think he needs before we can reasonably judge his form?

Seems to me that his form is simply not as tip-top as it was at this point last year and that other guys have quickly taken to gunning for him because he’s at the top. The only place to go from a perfect first half of the year last year is down. I’d argue that it’s a healthier perspective (either for him, his fans, or both) to admit that the “ramp-up” into form for this year has happened, other players are pushing him more, so he just needs to adjust his tactics.

With the exception of Baghdatis, who is hit or miss these days, he shouldn’t have much trouble through the quarters of his draw.

Totally off-topic, but I’m actually curious to see how Roddick does against Muller. This probably won’t be an exciting match, but Muller has beaten Roddick before (though 7 years ago) and recently notched a good win against Tomic in IW. Roddick’s form has been in decline, so a big serve and volleyer could give him trouble, particularly on a slower court, which renders his already very passive, spin-heavy game even slower.


jane Says:

Sean, if that final of Delpo and Murray were to occur, I’d put my money on Murray to win it. Murray is 5-1 over Delpo and 4 of those matches took place in 2009, and we all know what kind of form Delpo was in in 2009. One of those wins was in Miami, where Murray beat Delpo in 3 sets, the two he won being 6-1 and 6-2. Now I know that’s history and all, but the H2H does suggest Murray has some sort of advantage there.

“With the exception of Baghdatis, who is hit or miss these days, he shouldn’t have much trouble through the quarters” – well he routed Mayer, so it’s a bit of a nerve-wracking “first” rounder for Nole, but fingers crossed.


the_mind_reels Says:

@jane:

OK, but I wouldn’t read a whole lot into Baghdatis “routing” Mayer. Mayer is a self-described claycourter who’s ranked 77 in the world. I wouldn’t give him much of a chance against a guy who’s decidedly competent on a hardcourt.

Baghdatis hasn’t beaten a top 10 player since July of last year, and he hasn’t beaten Djokovic since…ever. Novak should be fine. That said, don’t sue me if he loses :) I hope for your sake he gets through with no issues.


Brando Says:

@sar: thanks, and congrats to Marat. EASILY the most charismatic tennis player of the last 10-15 years. Miss having him on the circuit:-(


Nirmal Kumar Says:

the_mind_reels: Yeah, you many be right in a sense when we compare with his last year results, we expect more from Novak at this time.

But look at the number of tournaments which has happened so far. One GS and one Masters. There is another 3 GS and 8 masters to go. So though we are in March, per tennis calendar, we are not completed the first quarter yet. As I said, Novak has a big cushion of having won AO. If not, this would have been a sort of mini crisis already.

Let’s give him time till Miami. Let’s not be too critical. Except Roger, no one has repeated multi great years. But Roger is an exception.

You are right about Roddick. Every match is a big challenge for him nowadays. But I wish he wins this one. It’s not good to lose players like Roddick who is only 30 yrs.


Nirmal Kumar Says:

Jane: Just curious..are you Novak’s fan.


jane Says:

You’re right jc: Nole normally plays MC. Last year was the exception obviously because of the streak.


jane Says:

Nirmal Kumar, lol, yeah, obviously. I can’t tell if you’re being facetious. :) And Murray would be second favourite.


rogerafa Says:

I will be shocked if the current Baggy beats the current Novak in the slower conditions at Miami. AO, IW, Miami and the like are, by Novak’s own admission, his favorite surfaces. He is just about unbeatable on a slow hard court now. Only freakish performances like Isner’s can knock him out in such conditions. This is absolutely his territory and he loves it. He is the clear favorite to win this title unless he has a seriously bad day at the office especially in the semi final or final.


Nirmal Kumar Says:

No jane, I was not aware of it. But it’s nice to see someone having Novak and Murray as favourite as opposed to Roger or Rafa. Being their fan, I think you are going to have another great year.


jane Says:

Hope so Nirmal: I feel like, barring the upset in IW, things are on the upswing for Murray, with Lendl in his corner, etc. And as for Nole, well after last year I was prepared for him to go down this year; I never expected him to have another one of the all time great streaks or anything. So he’s lost two matches, but he won the AO. I can’t complain. Even if he doesn’t win another slam this year, he’s already won one and upped his total to five. Not too shabby.

rogerafa, your post is encouraging.


Jeanius Says:

We might need Roddick,s humor but that is about it Just read a Peter Bodo article on Nadal. Doesn’t look good for Nadal. The problem he is facing now is that his clay haven has fast become the happy hunting ground for gunslingers like Djoker. Additionally the slow conditions everywhere has attributed to their skill level. I still keep wondering why people tend to think he was about to obvertake Federer in the GS count. He should have watched his back with late bloomers like Djoker. Djoker has suddenly become his kryptonite and the clay arene is not a place where he could find rhythm anymore. The psychological scars are much deeper inflicted as what we think. Also look at Federer’s new lease on winning more as re-inventing a new approach to his game. Nadal is surely in big trouble cause his own ammunition is used against him. Gamemanship, tendonitis, bird flu and HIV Aids will be his next line of excuse. He is pretty much done and dusted. And please Nadalites, just reaching finals is not enough. He will have to win them


Sienna Says:

Great post 11:15 Jeanius. Be ware of the stick youre about to receive. But he you tell it like it is.


Colin Says:

I can’t find a free online stream for Miami, so I’m just following the score. Murray leading 4-2 with two breaks, having been broken once himself. Neither man has a good 1st serve percentage (Falla 48%, Murray 54%), but Andy is now leading 5-2, and hopefully he’ll come through. The Lendl factor is working!


Colin Says:

Andy takes the first set 6-2 after 39 minutes.


jane Says:

There aren’t any I don’t think Colin; I looked where I normally find them and there was nothing. So I just watching scores as well. Come on Andy.


jane Says:

I *am* just… Andy just saved a couple bps.


rogerafa Says:

@ jane

“rogerafa, your post is encouraging”

Gosh, you are one pessimistic(almost paranoid) fan. You almost make it sound as if Baggy is the big favorite and a Novak win will be an upset. I know Baggy is a great talent and, on his day, he can be pretty dangerous. Nothing is guaranteed, it is Novak’s first match and so on and so forth. Novak is the holder of three majors, including the 2012 AO, and easily the best player right now. He is the favorite against ANYBODY. He has deservedly earned that reputation. Two losses to players who had great days do not change much in the grand scheme.


rogerafa Says:

“The Lendl factor is working!”

Isn’t Andy good enough to win the first match of ANY tournament irrespective of Lendl’s inputs? Was he SO bad before Lendl’s entry? Has he become dramatically better after Lendl’s entry? I am afraid we tend to exaggerate the influence of a high-profile person way too much and, certainly, way too early.


jane Says:

rogerafa, not really. What I said above “he’s lost two matches, but he won the AO. I can’t complain” is very similar in fact to what you just said “Two losses to players who had great days do not change much in the grand scheme.” And many times here I have said I am not too concerned about the Isner or Murray losses. I am not saying Nole will *lose* but that I expect the Baggy match to be tough. So what? The guy’s a streaky player and he could make it a tense “nerve-wracking” one. I don’t think that is “paranoid” or even “pessimistic” to say. It could be a rout too, because Baggy can be like Nalby that way in that you never know which one will show up.


Brando Says:

@rogerafa:

COMPLETELY agree re nole being favourite against ANYBODY.

I believe he’s the fav on clay IF he plays nadal also. He beat rafa the last 2 times on clay, both straight sets, reducing rafa to moonballing and he seems to have a nice condo in rafa’s head.

He’s basically out playing rafa at his own game- long rallies, consistent from the baseline, being mentally tougher than the oponnent- along with having more technically sound groundstrokes.

Try telling rafa that he is the fav aginst nole IF they meet, going forward on clay- he will refuse to believe it.

The slow surface shall also suit nole’s game atm.

Even fed post rotterdam, dubai and IW said nole is still the man to beat.

He only lost twice. First occassion to an andy murray with over 80% 1st serves in, and then to john isner who put a great serving display in- and even then he only lost in the tie breaks!

All this doom and gloom talk regarding nole is a load of bull****!

Just because he isn’t owning the circuit like he did this time last year- a run the 1st of its kind for over 25 years- does not mean that he isn’t the top dog by a countrymile!

The chasing pack- nadal, federer, murray, del potro- have ALOT to do before they can displace djokovic from the top slot!


Colin Says:

I made that remark tongue-in-cheek, rogerafa. I don’t know about Andy’s actual play, but I think his mindset has improved. He wasn’t devastated after losing to Nole in Australia or Fed in Dubai. That’s why his loss in IW was a surprise – to most people I think.
Anyway, he’s got past Falla 6-2, 6-3 which is satisfactory.


jane Says:

I feel somewhere in between the_mind_reels and Nirmal Kumar’s posts: on the one hand, like Nirmal says, it’s pretty early, only 3 tournaments in, to really make a sure call on form, especially given that Nole won the AO and then lost only to two hot opponents, one firmly entrenched in the top five, the other in the top ten, perhaps (?) with a bullet – certainly a bullet serve. Part of me feels like Nole’s best is yet to come. On the other hand, as the_mind_reels says, maybe he won’t reach those tip-top heights this year form-wise. His serving hasn’t looked quite as good this season and he’s been hitting more errors imo (don’t have actual stat on that, but from the matches I’ve seen). I am eager to see what’s to come, but also content. He won the slam, and that’s the biggest event so far.

Colin, yeah, seemed like a good straightforward win for Muzz. I wish that were some streams though.


Brando Says:

I think murray will have an excellent tourny here. Like i said near the end of IW, i see him winning here- AT LEAST giving a good account of himself.

I remember watching his press conference post IW and rather than looking dejected, drowning in self pity like he did last year- he seemed genuinely peeved at what he had allowed to happen. That was striking for me.

After all, its only in tough times/ defeats that you can you build character, not when things are smooth sailing and going your way.

I think andy shall show a strong reaction here.

My prediction is a nole- murray final, winner in the 3, could be either atm.


Brando Says:

@Jane:

I agree nole’s best is yet too come. I personally think that anyone who tries to compare his form to last year, is already doing the easy, and quite frankly, stupid thing.

What nole did last year, in terms of results, was a complete one off kind of performance! Exactly how many players in the games history did what nole did last year in the 1st 8 months, and yet people expect more of the same? Quite ridiculous.

IF you put everything into context, and so far this year he has been brilliant for me. He won the AUS open where he was severely tested, and it took 2 brilliant performances to beat him in the other 2 tourny’s he played. And yet, evidentally, he can play better and has room to improve.

What a fantastic position to be in! Bar federer, maybe him too in all, every player without exception would love to be in his position!

IMHO, maybe there should be cause for concern ONLY IF nole is still without a trophy by the time of serbia open. And IF he reaches RG with just serbia open in his trophy cabinet since AUS, then yes maybe things are starting to change.

BUT we are a LONG WAY off from that yet. Still over 10 weeks before RG even starts!


jane Says:

Brando, fully agree that it would be unrealistic to expect the results he had last year again.

So many potentially good matches on – when does coverage begin? Does anyone know?


jane Says:

Tsonga is down 1-4 to Malisse right now. Early, though.


Nirmal Kumar Says:

Jane / Brando: I’m not sure if Novak is pacing to peak for Clay season. He should be greatly encouraged by his results last year against Nadal. Also clay was the surface where he had much easier wins against Nadal, even compared to HC.

He may just go for broke starting clay season and try to peak for FO. For me, it makes lot of sense. The two HC tournaments post AO should be considered the most worthless tournaments. They take you no where. Last year both Novak and Rafa wasted lot of their efforts in beating each other. But this year, looks like they are trying to be smarter. Not that they are tanking their matches, but they are not trying to play their best.


Jeanius Says:

I am not sure that Nole’s best is yet to come. Can he sustain the level of physicality on his winning streak last year. That remains to be seen. The additional pressure to repeat that performance …….I don’t know. Not sure if the Federer feat will be repeated. Could someone tell me where the current situation leaves Nadal. Roger is on a rollercoaster. Something tells me there is a quiet desperation from the Djoker camp, hence the Monte Carlo entry


trufan Says:

Tsonga is also a bit of a choker. I am quite hopeful that Raonic will develop, but he has ways to go. Tomic also has potential. Am not sure about Dolgopolov.

right now, of the younger crop, DelPo is the only one with real potential to win a slam this year, other than the top 3.

Berdych etc. are also just chokers. They have the game, the shots, but not the stuff between the ears to keep it together in a best of 5 slam final.

Don’t look for too many surprises. At the french, it is likely Nadal, or Nole. Fed has to get REALLY lucky to win again over there.

At Wimby, it could be Fed or Nole, with Nadal and Delpo with a slim chance.

At the USO, again, I would give Fed and Nole a good shot, and Delpo a good shot too, along with Nadal.

Murray? Nah.

Delpo must crack the top 8 to be a serious threat at slams. because once he cracks the top 8 in ranking, he is sure to reach the QF of every slam without facing any other top 8 player. Then he can create a streak or two from there. We all know that he can beat anybody on any surface if he is on, and remains consistent. Even on clay, Davis cup final – the first set against Nadal – he really BLEW him off the court 6-1.


jane Says:

Tsonga’s righted the ship.

Nirmal Kumar, you may be right. I know Nole did mention the Olympics and FO and top priorities after he defended the AO.


jane Says:

Jeanius, Nole has always played Monte Carlo, though. Last year was the only year he didn’t. So I am not sure if it speaks to desperation or just logical planning: it’s the only place he gain add points pre-AO. It makes perfect sense to play it. Plus he lives there so it’s likely a comfortable place to return to/play.


carlo Says:

Have to say I love Sean’s pick for a Murray-Delpo final!

jane –

Have no clue why the black-out/ no coverage of early round matches. You would think ESPN3 would at least offer something but no, nothing. And they successfully eliminate live streams from the usual reliable sites. grrr….

Coverage starts tomorrow, but I don’t know how well-covered that will be. As of now, I can watch a challenger in Bath or Marrakesh, but nothing from Miami. sheesh.


Jeanius Says:

@ Jane: it surely makes sense Jane. I am not so sure Jane. You are sentimental about it instead of pointing out the strategic approach from Djoker. Bear in mind that he has lost about 1000 points. You must bear in mind that ranking determines to a great extent the draw. I think he’d rather prefer a Nadal than a Federer final. Watch this space ……


Nirmal Kumar Says:

I believe going forward, MC entries will depend on the players success in the post AO HC tournaments. If they guys are successful, ie win one of them, it makes sense for them to skip it. MC is not a mandatory tournament any more. But if they do not have big success in HC, they could include MC. That’s what Novak is doing now. Had he won Dubai and IW, I’m sure he would have skipped MC. But I don’t think Novak is going to panic as we assume. Still the season is soooooooo long, there is lot of time. Note, he is the GS champ of the only GS played yet. That’s HUGE.

MV will be a flexi option for the players going forward. Only Nadal would keep it as a mandatory tournament, since clay is his lifeline.


Ajet Says:

reading some of the doom and gloom predictions of rafa make you think that he hasn’t reached slam finals for years now, lol! ;)

rafa may as well start reading the ”genius” posts here about his decline, for a good laugh!


jane Says:

Jeanius, as I mentioned, it’s the only place he can add points, so it makes logical sense. Nothing “sentimental” about that. But the other factors, i.e., that he’s always played Monte Carlo but for last year and that he lives there, may be relevant too. I just don’t think he’s at the point of “desperation.” He has no reason to be. While I agree with you that he’d perhaps prefer a Nadal versus a Fed final given recent results versus them, then again, it’s the FO. Who is the toughest to beat there?


jane Says:

True, Ajet – Rafa has reached the last four slam finals in a row! That’s more than any other player including Djoko. So even though Rafa won only one out of the four, he’s still putting himself in the finals each time.


Brando Says:

@Jane:

I’d have to agree with jeanius. I think nole much rather face rafa at RG than fed.

It is true that rafa is a beast at RG, but equally- and more importantly- recently nole has seemingly mastered nadal.

It doesn’t matter what your surname is and what stadium you are playing it- what matters big time is if you feel you can beat the opponent that you are about to face or if you doubt that you can beat him.

IF rafa faced nole tomorrow at RG he would be doubting himself. Fed on the other hand would fancy his chances.


Jeanius Says:

Ok Rafa is not in decline. He just hast won a title in 11 months and recently got beaten by Fed, who by the way was his punching bag. You are right, the season is long. Just a pity the entire year is not a claycourt season …….. And Djoker is waiting in the wings. I would like to be in Fed’s position. His every move is questioned. He has indeed become a dangerous floater in the Top 4


Fot Says:

Some folks still think that Miami is a bigger tournament than Indian Wells. Uhm…the prize money and the television schedule begs to differ! lol!

At least we SAW early round matches in Indian Wells. This is a Master’s event in Miami and we’ve already missed matches by Venus, Serena, Murray, Nadal, etc. Thank goodness Roger doesn’t play until tomorrow so I’ll get to see him (I hope!).


Jeanius Says:

I would rather be 30 and winning than 25 and on the verge of a physical and psychological breakdown with excuses to support my present state. All his years of wheeling and dealing. Maybe he should defect to India and disappear. Just kidding people. LOL


jane Says:

Fed’s not a “floater”, lol! He’s a contender every time.

Brando, I get it, what you’re saying.


Ajet Says:

of course, getting beaten at IW semi is so much more important than getting beaten at AO semis!!!

and fed too was on a kind of resurrection last year, giving away two sets lead to lose in slams!

and from the blogs here, it’s clear that only federer’s being so unjustly questioned for not being able to reach slam finals in 2011/12 as he used to do in his prime from 2004-07 or even from 2008 FO upto 2010 AO; but it’s most just and reasonable to question nadal for having reached 4 consecutive slams for the first time in his career(and not just that, nadal should also be questoned for reaching all the 4 finals of the season-beginning masters even, for the first time in his career), LOL!


trufan Says:

What I would love to see is a Rafa-Nole showdown at the FO final.

So far, rafa has only faced Federer (4 times), or players like Soderling and Gaudio. We know how Federer’s one handed backhanded gives him trouble against a lefty on clay. Rafa has never really beaten a big grand slam winner without this handicap for his french title. Lets see him do that.

Now he can’t even count on outlasting Nole, since Nole will go toe to toe with him for 6 hours!


Ajet Says:

”pure genius” ones sure know when to deflect to india so that they can make the most of it(just ask madam sonia, lol)! ;)


Jeanius Says:

Jane I don’t expect you to understand. Given Feds recent GS results he isn’t a real contender. I hope u understand that. That’s why I made that statement. I think in India reaching a final = winning a final.


Jeanius Says:

Ajet weren’t u the one attacking Sienna in earlier posts and I think you were quite personal right


trufan Says:

Wow, some of you guys are sick. Stick to tennis and comments about tennis and players….


Ajet Says:

Jeanius:

I don’t blame you for not remembering that sienna has even once called me a joke of a poster before, in that post on that blog which you were referring to, i just gave her back what she threw at me! people like you have selective memory!

sienna and I are mutually disrespectful, so it’s fine!

”I think in India reaching a final = winning a final.”

and wow, you’re so well aware of what’s happening in india! may be the effect of one of your kind(read madam sonia) being allowed into india is showing here!

and don’t confuse sienna with sonia, lol! ;)


jane Says:

Jeanius, I get it what you’re saying about Fed’s more recent results at slams, i.e., not reaching a lot of the finals. But I usually think of a “floater” as someone more random in the draw, and usually lower ranked than number 3 in the world as well. To me, Fed is still a top favourite for most slams, even given his recent results. That’s all I meant.


Colin Says:

On the matter of the lack of streams for Miami – I’m not sure but I think we may be able to watch after the weekend. It seems it’s simply not being televised yet, so there isn’t anything for the streaming sites to pirate!


Dan Martin Says:

http://tennisabides.com/2012/03/23/sony-ericssonmiami-predictions-3-23-2012/ I hate to keep posting my picks here, but a lot of people here click and seem to enjoy them.


Jeanius Says:

Jane there is no precise definition for a floater. I used it for the mere fact that either Nadal or Novak could draw him. Do I see a light from Jane, do I see one……….

Ajet all I am saying is don’t get personal. We are here to “socialize” if you get what I am saying. Stop the slurring and behave in a mature way.

India–Rafa Nadal Foundation. The rest I leave to you Ajet


Wog boy Says:

Wow, Venus bageled Kvitova in third set!


Jeanius Says:

Wog boy what is the time now in Srbija


Wog boy Says:

I live in Sydney, Aussieland and here is saturday 2pm, in Serbia is saturday 4am.


Wog boy Says:

Jeanius, btw how come you did spell “Srbija” way we do?


jane Says:

I think of a floater as someone who could cause an upset in a draw, a dangerous “floater” or a “dark horse”. But whatever. You see Fed a “floater.” I see him as a contender. Matter of perspective and opinion. He was just in the FO final last year, and in the semis of the past two slams as well.


Jeanius Says:

Wog boy why not. Just giving respect to your language


Dan Martin Says:

13-3 in my ATP picks today much better than days 1 and 2


Wog boy Says:

Jeanius, I didn’t buy it :)


Jeanius Says:

Serious Wog boy. Nevertheless I like Novak bloggers, especially you and Jane. Believe it or not


Jeanius Says:

Great posts from you and unbiased


Michael Says:

Wog Boy,

Yeah, the last time Roger did play it only to lose very early. I do not think he is comfortable there although he made two finals to be beaten by Nadal.


Nirmal Kumar Says:

Jeanius: I just can’t believe we put Tsonga and Roger together as floater. I do not understand your criteria for Contendor and floater, but per you looks like it has to be the last GS champion. Maybe my understanding is wrong.

But for me, Contendor is a guy who has won GS in the current era, beaten the other GS champions in GS and been in to the Semis consistently in the GS.

In that way I would put Murray, Federer, Novak and Rafa as the contenders for the title. Rest of the top 10 would be the floaters.


Angel Says:

Nirmal, they don’t have any criteria they just hate Federer and always underestimate him, even if the World of Tennis just ackwoledge him as the Greatest Of All Times. (and he still could win something big even if you discarded all the way)


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