Wk.18- Germans, Germans Everywhere!

Hey Y'all. Galileo here.

The German tennis revolution started way back in the early 1980s. Sylvia Hanika and the less known Eva Pfaff made Slam quarters and -in the case of lefty Hanika- even slam finals. Hanika defeated Navratilova in two straight sets in the quarters of the 1981 French. That was in two easy sets. Seeded sixth, she went on to knock out third seeded Andrea Jaeger as well. A disappointing loss to Hana Mandlikova followed that, but the Germans had emerged. Pfaff made the quarters of the 1982 Aussie. Unseeded, she beat Jo Durie and Mandlikova in her quarterfinal run. She lost to Jaeger in the quarters. This would be the beginning of more than thirty years worth of a German presence in tennis.

In the doubles at the '82 Aussie, Claudia Kohde-Kilsch and Pfaff made the finals, beating the second and third seeds. Seeded eighth, they lost to top seeded Navratilova/Shriver in the final. Kohde was just 19 when she reached that final. She would go on to win two slam doubles titles with her partner Helena Sukova -they played together a lot- and also the Olympic Bronze with Steffi Graf. She won a host of singles and doubles titles besides those and made plenty of semifinals, She was strongest between 1982 to 1988. The year after she made that breakthrough, Graf played her first match at a slam level though she retired in the first match. At her next slam tournament, Graf won through qualifying and made the second round. After that, Graf began to rise and rise. When she retired, Anke Huber was still going strong but by 2003, German tennis was in a bit of a recession.

Famously, Boris Becker won Wimby in '85. He was just seventeen. In 1991, he lost to Michael Stich in that final. Between the years of 1985 through 1989, Men's and Women's tennis in Germany was at its peak. Becker would go on to win three times at SW19, twice at Melbourne Park and once at Flushing Meadows, too. Add to that three semis at the French and Stich's successful career, German tennis was in the equivalent of a tennis boom.

Stich hit number two in the world, whilst Becker hit 12 weeks at number one. They even won three Davis Cup titles in six years (1988-1993), whilst Graf led German to victories in '87 and '92 with Kohde and Huber. Tennis was obviously very popular in Germany at that time with the Germans being so successful. There were others, of course, who were excellent players. They had strength in depth. All these great German players, and pretty much all of them with the one handed backhand. However, suddenly old age and loss of form struck- the usual, but Germany still had another batch of talented players.

But then, the next male generation failed to live up. Spearheaded by Rainer Schuettler, Nicolas Kiefer and Tommy Haas, this was still a talented generation, although not as gifted as the previous. Rainer was the first German since Becker to make the fourth round of all the slams in one year -- 2003. He made the final of the Aussie in that year. In 2008, he beat Arnaud Clement in an epic five set war to set up a semi with Rafa Nadal. It would be his last hurrah. He peaked at five in the world with four titles to his name and an appearance in the semis of the tour finals, too.

Kiefer did slightly better. He made the quarters of all the slams apart from the French. He won six titles and peaked at number four in 2000. A surprise semi at the AO in 2006 was the big highlight of his career. Seeded 21st, he shocked Juan Carlos Ferrero and Sebastien Grosjean to make the semifinals, where he lost respectably to Roger Federer in four.

But the new leader of German tennis was undoubtedly Haas. He won comeback player of the year twice. The only other player to do that was Sergi Brugera. Incidentally, Haas has a winning record against Brugera as he won the only match they ever played in two straight sets. Haas has 14 titles, which puts him eighth best among active players, and he is also eighth best among active players if you look at finals. He has reached 26 finals. His game is simple and so applicable to any surface. This accounts for his longevity. From 2004-2007, he reached the US quarters three times. He beat Marat Safin in five sets at the Open during that stretch, too. That was a truly memorable match. A surprise semi at the 2009 Wimby is also on his resume. He lost to Fed in a tight three setter there. Seeded 24th, Haas survived a five set duel with Marin Cilic, beat Igor Andreev and then upset Novak Djokovic in four tight sets. Three semis at the Aussie are big highlights, as well. He reached those in '99, '02 and '07. Like with the previous Germans, the French is not his strongest slam. Now up to thirteen in the world, it seems Haas has been a force since 1998. His journey should have a book written about it. He says he came back so his daughter could watch daddy play. It's just a feel-good story all round.

Haas has seen another two generations of German tennis players. Florian Mayer, Philipp Kohlschreiber and Philipp Petzschner, all of whom have funky backhands. Mayer is the only one with a double hander as Petzschner rarely comes over his.

So after all, it seems the past, present and future of German tennis revolves around the immortal Haas...


*WEEK 18 CHAMPIONS*
MUNICH, GERMANY
S: Tommy Haas def. Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-3/7-6
D: Nieminen/Tursunov d. Baghdatis/Butorac
OEIRAS, PORTUGAL
S: Stanislas Wawrinka def. David Ferrer 6-1/6-4
D: S.Gonzalez/Lipsky d. Qureshi/Rojer


PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Tommy Haas, GER
...If I was going to motivate people I would show them "Shawshank Redemption" and then I would tell them about Haas's career. He never gives in, never seems to get down and always seems able to make a comeback. A comeback where he defeats the world number one, wins a title and makes the final of another. He is poised to finish the year in the top ten, as well, as he has few points to defend at the slams and the Masters. Not only that, but he is a really nice guy, too...you can't help but like him. He is the kinda guy who would have the patience and the determination to spend years crafting an elaborate escape involving a movie poster, a rock hammer and a pipe.
=============================
RISER: Stanislas Wawrinka, SUI
...Tis a good week for the one-hander. Wawrinka won his fourth 250 and his third clay title here. It's his first title since Chennai 2011. He seems to be in top form this year and another deep run at the French is in the cards.
=============================
SURPRISE: Daniel Brands, GER
...Three of the four semifinalists at the BMW Open were Germans with one handed backhands. Brands beat Melzer, Monfils, a slumping Tipsy and then nearly beat Kohl, too. He just fell short in the third set breaker.
=============================
VETERAN: Tommy Robredo, ESP
...I shall continue my one hander theme. Tommy just turned 31 this month. He has also made a huge comeback. I guess some never forget how to play. He is always dangerous on clay. It took a spirited Seppi to down him here. He will be a very dangerous floater over the course of the year.
=============================
COMEBACK: David Ferrer, ESP
...A strange loss to Vavsy aside, Ferrer appeared to rise out of his slump, albeit briefly. He had to grind out a win against Roger-Vasselin but then after that sent Hanescu and Seppi packing. He should just about keep onto his fourth ranking until the French, but it will be very close.
=============================
NEW FACE: Pablo Carreño Busta, ESP
...He made his first ATP semi. I don't know much about him, unfortunately, but he is definitely one to watch for the future.
=============================
DOWN: Marin Cilic, CRO
...He lost in the second round of both the BMW Open and now Madrid, too. He's supposed to be the 12th best player on the planet. I think this is quite disappointing. I really expect better from Cilic, although to be fair Dolgo was also not great but he did at least win a few matches here.
=============================


1. BMW Open Rd.2 - Haas d. Gulbis
...6-4/6-7/6-1. A quality match which was a big morale booster for Haas. He lost to the Latvian earlier this year at Delray. He played well and managed to hold off Gulbis, who is very dangerous. I hope his ranking goes up soon. He needs to be in the latter rounds of tournaments.
=============================
2. BMW Open SF - Kohlschreiber d. Brands
...6-7/6-3/7-6. A match full of high quality rallies and tension. Brands is really putting together some impressive results. He made a semi in Doha, too.
=============================
3. Portugal Open Rd.2 - Wawrinka d. Ramos
...1-6/6-3/6-4. Vavsy came back from the dead here against a very talented clay courter. The Spanish love the dirt.
=============================




*ATP MADRID, SPAIN*
=SF=
Berdych [6] d. Dimitrov
Nadal [5] d. [2] Federer
=FINAL=
Nadal [5] d. [6] Berdych

*WTA MADRID, SPAIN*
=SF=
Williams [1] d. [3] Azarenka
Sharapova [2] d. [16] Ivanovic
=FINAL=
Williams [1] d. [2] Sharapova

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Wk.17- Nadal vs. Rosol... sort of

Hey Y'all. Galileo here.

Tipsarevic entered the Natase Open as the top seed and he also said he was fit and healthy. He lost after winning just one match. He is still clinging onto his top ten status, but barely. Rosol won his first ATP title, although I think he may have won a couple of challengers. Speaking of Rosol, Nadal won his eighth title in Barca. Paire played him closest but he didn't drop a set. Gulbis continued his upward surge. He was the top seed in the qualies and came through pretty easily, and then followed it up by beating Stepanek and Verdasco to make the third round. He lost a tightish two setter to Raonic then. Raonic has made back-to-back semis here and perhaps he could win this event in post-Nadal days. Ferrer crashed here, but Kohlschreiber won two very close three setters and benefiting from a withdrawal before being blown away by Almagro. Juan Monaco also played well and slipped under the radar a little, too.



*WEEK 17 CHAMPIONS*
BARCELONA, SPAIN
S: Rafael Nadal def. Nicolas Almagro 6-4/6-3
D: Peya/Soares d. Lindstedt/Nestor
BUCHAREST, ROMANIA
S: Lukas Rosol def. Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 6-3/6-2
D: Mirnyi/Tecau d. Dlouhy/Marach


PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Lukas Rosol, CZE
...We expect Nadal to win in Spain. We expect him to win on red clay, so Spanish red clay....well it's only going to go one way. Rosol's achievement for me is more impressive despite it being a 250 because he has been in average form since Wimbledon really, and also because the Bucharest field was so strong. He thrashed the eighth and second seeds. He also edged the third seed Seppi on three sets, including a 6-1 opening set victory. He then put away tested clay courter Lopez in two straight sets in the final. All in all a very good week.
=============================
RISER: Rafael Nadal, ESP
...Eight titles here and in Monte Carlo, 6 in Rome and 7 at the French. No one on the men's tour -- some will push the Evert argument -- has ever been as dominant on clay, possibly no one has ever been as dominant in one month or on one surface, either. He has won every clay Masters, 500 and Slam there is except for the 500 version of the Hamburg Masters tournament. I think the only person who can stop Nadal in Paris is Nadal. I don't think over five sets Djokovic can beat him on clay. Not yet.
=============================
SURPRISE: Peya/Soares, AUT/BRA
...They won the doubles title despite being unseeded. They beat Berlocq/Chardy in the opener in a tightish three setter before beating Fleming/Marray. After that they beat seeds 2 and 3 back-to-back, only losing one set. They won the final set breaker in the final 10-3, too.
=============================
VETERAN: Fernando Verdasco, ESP
...He last reached a final in 2012. He last won a title at Barcelona in 2010. He has been in a massive slump. I don't think he has won 15 matches this season yet. He has a big game, yes, but currently he is unable to put that big game down on the court. He will soon be looking at retirement as a big option. I think he has had 4 years at the top but he is finally starting to come down from those heights. He will nevertheless be a dangerous floater at the French.
=============================
COMEBACK: Ernests Gulbis, LAT
...The latest stage in the Latvian's extraordinary comeback. He is now a more consistent performer. He still has the same unpredictability about him but he seems to be back and even more dangerous after cutting out the bad habits. It took a strong showing from Raonic to finally put away Gulbis this week. He nearly beat Nadal earlier this year and I think it is only a matter of time before he wins another title. He also has a good chance to be a seed at the French, but he will be a very dangerous floater there no matter his ranking.
=============================
NEW FACE: Pablo Carreño, ESP
...He edged Haase 7-6 in the third in the first round and then he had chances against Bellucci. He eventually lost to the Brazilian in three very tight sets. He has been playing decently in low level challengers and futures. He has also appeared in Barcelona a few times, as well.
=============================
DOWN: Ferrer & Berdych, ESP/CZE
...Normally Ferrer is Mr. Consistent so the fact he has been inconsistent recently is cause for concern. He has been very up and down as of late. He will do well in Estoril, but how will he do in the Masters and at the French. He has serious points to defend there and he needs to try to hit top form once more. Berdych has been a bit average recently. That loss to Fognini was a bad one. He just barely beat Davydenko and then he crashed against Robredo, who did play quite well to be fair. Still, you'd expect Berdman to play better than that.
=============================


1. Barca QF - Raonic d. Robredo
...6-7/6-3/7-6. A great match that could have gone either way. Robredo is really getting his spark back and this was a great match because of the different styles.
=============================
2. Barca 3rd Rd - Nadal d. Paire
...7-6/6-2. I think Paire has the game to reach a slam final at some point. He will be seeded at the French, so it'll be interesting to see how well he can do at his home slam.
=============================
3. Bucharest 2nd Rd - Rosol d. Seppi
...6-1/3-6/6-3. A tightish match that Rosol came through to announce his re-emergence.
=============================




**MUNICH, GERMANY**
=SF=
Kohlschreiber [4] d. Monfils
Haas [3] d. [2] Cilic
=FINAL=
Haas [3] d. [4] Kohlschreiber

**OEIRAS, PORTUGAL**
=SF=
Ferrer [1] d. [8] Robredo
Wawrinka [2] d. [4] Fognini
=FINAL=
Ferrer [1] d. [2] Wawrinka

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Wk.16- Djokovic Masters Monte Carlo

Hey Y'all. Galileo here.

When Nadal entered Indian Wells earlier this year, the general consensus made Djokovic out to be favourite and Federer second favourite because Nadal had fitness concerns. History hath repeated itself in Monte Carlo. Amid fitness concerns for Novak, Nadal was the heavy, heavy favourite. There wasn't really a third favourite. Possibly Delpo might have been third favourite as Andy Murray is usually a little wobbly during the early stages of the clay season. However, Djokovic yet again proved that he can pretty much beat Nadal any place. It is quite ironic in a way that what Nadal was doing to Fed, is now being handed back to him. The problem Nadal has is the fact that when he hits his big shot- the forehand crosscourt to the Djokovic backhand- Djokovic isn't fazed and can stick it anywhere. It isn't very effective against the Djoker.

I do not think that Djokovic is yet the favourite to win the French despite ending Nadal's 46-match winning streak at the Rolex Masters. I think if -and when- he beats Nadal again on clay he becomes the favourite. The French Open should be a crackerjack with a hugely talented top 15 and a mis-seeded Nadal. For example, because of the seedings and rankings, any of the top three in the world ranking wise might have to play Robredo, Nalbandian, Dimitrov, Gasquet and Nadal to get to the semi-final. I don't think anyone in the world can get through those guys without dropping at least 2 or 3 sets and expending a serious amount of energy. I think that's an extreme case but there are an awful lot of floaters who are excellent on the dirt. Fabio Fognini made his first Masters semi, after making the quarters of the French a couple of years back and Fish is playing the Savannah Challenger this week, too. I think that is a smart move by Fish.



*Week 16 CHAMPIONS*
MONTE CARLO, MONACO
S: Novak Djokovic d. Rafael Nadal 6-2/7-6
D: Benneteau/Zimonjic d. Bryan/Bryan


PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Novak Djokovic, SRB
...Nadal may be my slight favourite still for the French but a lot of people have seen this as a sign that Djokovic will win the French Open and thus complete his career Grand Slam. He was hitting his backhand sweetly and his ability to grind out matches is still there. He had to grind out wins against Youzhny and Monaco, before getting past surprise package Nieminen in two much closer sets. After that, he smashed Fognini and beat Nadal in what is now a famous match. In fact , he nearly bageled Nadal in that opening set. He has now won every Masters bar Cincy. He has reached four Cincy finals, losing two to Murray and two to Fed. Anyway, he broke Nadal to love when Nadal served for the second set and it looks like the king of clay is on a slightly more unstable throne. Djokovic is taking a break while the Spaniards go to Barca, but he will be back for Madrid.
=============================
RISER: Grigor Dimitrov, BUL
...He has finally risen into the top thirty. He beat Malisse 3 and 2, then beat Tipsy 7-6 ,6-1 to reach the third round. He played Mayer, who had ground out a couple of tight three-setters, and put him to the sword 6-2, 6-4. After that he played Nadal close and even had chances of a massive upset, too. He finally lost 6-4 in the third after they split a pair of 6-2 sets. I am relieved he is ranked so high because I think it would be great for him to be seeded at the French and to avoid seeds for a few rounds. I know I'm talking about the French a lot, but it is coming up soon and I do love the French Open.
=============================
SURPRISE: Fabio Fognini, ITA
...Beating Seppi on clay is an arduous task because he plays so well on the dirt. Fognini ground him out in three high quality sets. He played with flare and surprisingly his shot selection was not too crazy. After that ,he defeated proven clay courter Ramos and then defeated Berdych fairly comfortably 4 and 2. After that, he beat a rather flat Gasquet 7-6 6-2, 7-0 in that breaker, and then played the world number one for a spot in the final. That didn't go so well unfortunately.
=============================
VETERAN: Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, FRA
...He turned 28 this April. He seems to have been around for ages but it's only been five years really since he broke out. How long does he have left? Hard to tell with Jo, but he made a Masters semi last week so presumably he has a bit left to go still. He lost to Nadal despite a spirited performance but his route there wasn't particularly difficult.
=============================
COMEBACK: Juan Monaco, ARG
...He seems to have finally emerged from a major slump. He smashed Klizan, handing him a bagel before bageling Gulbis, too. Admittedly, Gulbis came back a bit before finally losing in three, but Monaco appears to be fully back. He even took a set off Djokovic before Djoko came back to grind out a three set win. He will be a big threat at the French and at the upcoming Masters.
=============================
NEW FACE: Grigor Dimitrov, BUL
...I know I've already talked about him but he reached his maiden slam quarter here. He is therefore a fresh face, although if I was a betting man I'd put 50 on him winning a Masters one day.
=============================
DOWN: Andy Murray, GBR
...I am taking nothing away from Stan, but Murray was poor. It is very hard to lose a match 6-1, 6-2 if you're not playing badly, if you know what I mean. I have been thrashed before and each time I know I didn't play my best. We saw the worst of Murray against Wawrinka here. I found it funny when he said he was skipping Davis to focus on winning the French Open. He has more chance of winning Davis then he does of winning the French. I think he struggles to consistently hit with power and so struggles to hit through people on the clay. Also, his serve is not as effective and his good return doesn't quite have the same affect on opponents as it does on other surfaces.
=============================


1. MC QF - Nadal d. Dimitrov
...6-2/2-6/6-4. A fantastic match full of great rallies and it nearly had a massive upset, too. A sign that Dimi might finally have arrived.
=============================
2. MC 3rd Rd. - Nieminen d. Del Potro
...6-4/4-6/7-6. A great match filled with long rallies and lots of lefty angles, too. In the dusk of the dying day with the audience applauding every point, this was some match. Delpo had to be at his best here because Jarkko was playing so well but in the end, Nieminen took the epic match in a tight third set breaker.
=============================
3. MC 3rd Rd. - Gasquet d. Cilic
...7-5/6-4. I thought this would be a damp squib, but it wasn't. There were a lot of long rallies, lots of angles and dropshots. There was serve and volley and drama, too. Also these two being so close in the rankings gave this match extra spice. In the end, though, Gasquet was just too good.
=============================




*BUCHAREST, ROMANIA*
=SF=
Goffin d. [1] Tipsarevic
Seppi [3] d. Monfils
=FINAL=
Seppi [3] d. Goffin

...Hmm, a lot of the players here are in slumps, so it is difficult to pick a winner or even the finals. I think this could go to anyone frankly...

*BARCELONA, SPAIN*
=SF=
Ferrer [1] d. [4] Almagro
Nadal [2] d. [Q] Gulbis
=FINAL=
Nadal [2] d. [1] Ferrer

...Pretty standard, really. I think Gulbis will be a very low seed for the French and a semi run here would really help him toward that.

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Wk.15- The Return of Tommy

Hey Y'all. Galileo here.

My closest American friend lives in Boston and I fully understand how badly the bombings have affected America and the world. However, I think it best to try and avoid the subject for a while. Nevertheless, I am a bit distracted right now and I think I'm just gonna get on and review the week's happenings in tennis: Isner emerged from his slump, and Robredo overcame injury and a major trophy drought to win, too.



*Week 15 CHAMPIONS*
CASABLANCA, MOROCCO
S: Tommy Robredo/ESP d. Kevin Anderson/RSA
D: Knowle/Polasek d. Brown/Kas
HOUSTON, TEXAS USA
S: John Isner/USA d. Nicolas Almagro/ESP
D: Peers/J.Murray d. Bryan/Bryan


PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Tommy Robredo, ESP
...Casablanca is a beautifal city and it is also an excellent film. There is a tennis tournament there, as well. The last home winner was the flashy Moroccan Younes El Aynaoui who won it back in 2002. He defeated Youzhny and Canas in the semis and the finals to win it. Anyway, Robredo won here to take his finals record to 11-7, though it was his first title in two years. Funnily enough, his last title before that was also two years beforehand. He has battled with injuries recently but right now is at 43 in the world. If his form continues, he could be a low seed at the French and he may even be able to put together a strong run there, to the quarters or even maybe to the semi-finals. Victories over Rufin and Kamke are not so noteworthy, but bageling Paire is. The talented young Frenchman won the second set against Robredo 6-2 before crumbling to a 6-0 final set loss. After that , Tommy came back to beat Wawrinka 1-6,6-3,6-2. After beating seeds 4 and 1, he beat second seed Anderson in three tight sets to take his tenth clay court title. In fact, I think -and I couldn't find this info- that currently he is about 4th on the list of current players with the most clay titles. If you combine the amount of titles Fed and Murray have won on clay then it is the same as Robredo's total.
=============================
RISER: Juan Monaco, ARG
...When Gasquet pulled out of Davis Cup, Simon played instead. He didn't play well and France lost the tie. He lost to Monaco and although he got thrashed by Tsonga, Monaco appears to have found his mojo once more. He Beat Smyczek failry comfortably in the end and then thrashed Ginepri to make the semis. He took the first set 6-1 against Isner before losing in three epic sets. In any case, this has been a very good week for him. He looks good for the rest of the clay court season and he has points to defend so there's pressure on him to do well.
=============================
SURPRISE: John Isner, USA
...Coming in as the fifth seed without an easy draw and out of form, Isner looked set for a predictable early exit. This was not the case. He beat Harrison 7-6,6-4 to set up a clash with Sock. He came through in three incredibly tight sets. He showed a lot of fight and determination to get through to the quarters. He beat talented Lithuanian Berankis in three sets to advance to a quarterfinal with Monaco. After winning that, he then beat clay-court specialist Almagro.. Anyway, Isner beat him in two straight sets to win his 6th title. He is 6-7 in finals but has only reached two finals outside of America. He is 1-1 there.
=============================
VETERAN: Nicolas Almgro, ESP
...Almagro hasn't won a title since May last year. He has reached 19 finals and is 12-7 but he has never reached a final on a surface that isn't clay. He has been as high as nine in the world. If he could win a hard court tournament -he is aces leader in 2013 so far- late on in the year, then he really could have a shot at the year end tournament. I don't think he can get any higher than 11 or so, which is where he is, unless he can start to be successful on other surfaces.
=============================
COMEBACK: Robby Ginepri, USA
...He did nothing in 2012 -I'm unsure why- and he seems to be finding his game again. Before losing badly to Monaco, he made the quarters with a couple of solid results.
=============================
NEW FACE: Rhyne Williams, USA
...I've not mentioned him before, but he is the future of American men's tennis. He and Stephens on the WTA tour may one day be an exciting Olympic pairing for the mixed doubles. He made the semis here by beating talented dirt-ballers like Pella, Karlovic and Hidalgo. After three tight and tiring matches, he was well beaten by Almagro, but the tournament as a whole was extremely successful.
=============================
DOWN: Fernando Verdasco, ESP
...It looks like the beginning of the end of Verdasco's career. He is really starting to fade now. He lost badly to Hidalgo who he really should be thrashing. I can't help but wonder what Verdasco's career would have been like had he beaten Nadal in the semis of the Australian all those years ago. But he didn't and I think retirement beckons soon for Ferver.
=============================


1. Casablanca SF - Robredo d. Wawrinka
...1-6/6-3/6-2. This was a match with lots of high quality rallies and a fantastic comeback from the Spaniard.
=============================
2. Houston SF - Isner d. Monaco
...1-6/6-4/6-4x. Another comeback, and Isner played so well to win this one, despite falling behind.
=============================
3. Casablanca SF - Anderson d. Klizan
...2-6/6-4/6-2. Another comeback. This one was a real challenge for the South African and he only just figured out Klizan's game in time.
=============================




*MONTE CARLO*
=SF=
Del Potro [5] d. [7] Gasquet
Nadal [3] d. [2] Murray
=FINAL=
Murray [3] d. [5] Del Potro

...I am not sure how bad the Djokovic injury is but I do think Nadal will win title number nine here and possibly even without dropping a set. Can he win 10? It's likely but not certain. Thanks all and visit WTABACKSPIN.

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Miami, Pt.2 & Davis Cup Preview

Hey Y'all. Galileo here.

Murray wins another title and ascends to number two. Will he be number one Murray ? Perhaps. He played a lot of good -if not aggressive- tennis this week. He managed to beat Gasquet in a very entertaining three setter. He also edged Ferrer in a three set classic. The one-handed backhand came back into fashion, too. Murray proved yet again that when he doesn't have to play any of the top four he can win tournaments. His record against Federer is good, his record against Nadal is poor and his record against Djokovic isn't great, but he is still a very good player. He wins a lot of titles and he always puts himself up there so he can take advantage of a surprise finalist, or rather a finalist not in the top four.



*MIAMI CHAMPIONS*
S: Andy Murray/GBR def. David Ferrer/ESP 2-6/6-4/7-6
D: Qureshi/Rojer d. Fyrstenberg/Matkowski


PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Andy Murray, GBR
...As mentioned above, he had a very solid week. He beat Tomic without a lot of fuss. Tomic pretty much imploded. In fact, he imploded pretty spectacularly. Last week Dimi served for the first set against Djoko and served four doubles. This week he served for the opener against Murray and only hit three. It was still too many and Murray broke before taking the set 7-6. After that, Murray took control and won the next 6-3. Seppi seems to be arriving late on in his career and he pushed Murray. There were a few long rallies, but Murray proved too strong in the end, winning 2 and 4. Next up, Murray faced Cilic and was never threatened in a 6-4 6-3 win. Cilic strengthened his position at number 11 and could even take over Tipsy's spot in the top 10. Murray went on to play Gasquet -Gasquet is to me what Dokic is to Todd- and he beat him in three very entertaining sets. The first set was probably the set of the tournament, but Murray was strong enough mentally to come back and win the next two sets comfortably. That final against Ferrer was like a scene from the movie "Gladiator." I was almost in pain watching it. There were long rallies and drama and all kinds of crazy things. Murray complained about Ferrer receiving treatment for cramps. Ferrer challenged a call when he had match point. It went to a breaker. In the end, Murray was too good and he could be world number one come Wimbledon.
=============================
RISER: Janko Tipsarevic, SRB
...He hasn't been in as big a slump as, say, Mayer, but he has been in poor form. It was important for him to string a couple of wins here. He did so. He put away Sela without too much bother and then came back and handed Anderson a third set bagel -Serena's recipe?- before losing to Simon in an epic. He took the first set against the Frenchman but crumbled in the next two, and won only four more games.
=============================
SURPRISE: Tommy Haas, GER
...I would love to see Haas do mixed doubles with Krumm -who married a German, too, I think- because they might be the oldest mixed doubles team in the modern era. His game is still viable even after all these years. Perhaps because his game is so simple, it works so well. He bageled Sijsling but then lost the second set 7-5 before coming back to win the third 6-3. It wasn't a great start. He ousted Dolgopolov 6-3, 6-2 in a match that was a little closer than the scoreboard suggests. He then caused the biggest upset since Rosolgate. He outplayed, out-hit and out-thought the number one. He beat him 2 and 4. He used that one-handed backhand to excellent effect in cold conditions. He then survived the inevitable Djokovic fightback to enter the quarters. Simon was never really given a chance as he lost 3 and 1. He was exhausted after his exhausting fight against Tipsy. He even took the first set against Ferrer before Ferrer came back to win in three.
=============================
VETERAN: David Ferrer, ESP
...Poor Ferrer. He really had this one on his racket. He was pretty good throughout the tourney. After Turunov withdrew, he dispatched Fognini and Nishikori. He beat the Italian 6-1 7-5 before beating the Japanese man surprisingly easily 6-4 6-2. Nishikori wasn't himself, true, but Ferrer earned the win nevertheless. He out-ground Melzer in three that got progressively less competitive as it wore on. He then came back from a set down again to beat Haas. When he took the first set 6-2 against Murray he looked very good. But Muzza came back strong and just edged victory. So close yet again for Ferrer.
=============================
COMEBACK: Tomas Berdych, CZE
...He wouldn't go away. He was down a set againt Gimeno-Traver and looked heading for the door but came back to win the second set breaker before rolling through the third. Against Falla, he was down 6-2, 5-3 and he came back to win another second set breaker. He won the third 6-4 to complete a comeback. He thrashed an erratic Querrey next before finally succumbing to the flashy exciting Frenchman Gasquet.
=============================
NEW FACE: Marin Cilic, CRO
...He has reached just 6 Masters quarters in his career. Rome in 2011, Canada in 2008, Cincy and Shanghai last year, Paris in 2009 and now Miami. To be honest, his Masters record isn't great. He usually loses to a member of the big four in those quarters, though. Anyway, he is always a threat on all surfaces and he looks to be hitting form before we hit the dirt.
=============================
DOWN: Fernando Verdasco, ESP
...There are a number of slumps going on right now. This is a biggie. I think his career wouldda tuned out even better had he beaten Nadal in that Aussie Open semi. But he didn't, and after 2009-2011 he has slowly started to fall down the rankings. He will be thirty this year and he looks to be in a really bad run of form.
=============================

I'm away next week, so I will be unable to cover the Davis Cup. So I will be previewing it properly here. This link is another preview from the ATP which is pretty interesting, too.

Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre, Vancouver, Canada- Hard (indoor)
Canada vs Italy
...I think Raonic is fully fit now and should be able to beat Fognini, but Pospisil will lose to Seppi. They'll take the doubles and Raonic should be able to beat Seppi to close it out.

Taco Bell Arena, Boise, Idaho, USA - Hard (indoor)
United States vs Serbia
...They are playing at a high altitude to help the big serves and the big forehands of the US team. I think it is pretty simple here. Troicki is in a mire right now. To win, the USA will have to beat him twice and win the doubles with the Bryans. Can they do it? I say yes and I say the Americans take it 3-2.

Parque Roca, Buenos Aires, Argentina- Clay (outdoor)
Argentina vs France
...This is the only outdoor tie this round. Gasquet has pulled out with blister related issues. Delpo has also withdrawn however. The thing about the French that few other nations have is an enormous strength in depth. They are also great on all surfaces. If I was them, I would play my home ties on grass, though. Tsonga and Gasquet on grass would be a huge combination. Anyway, my pre-tournament faves the French should come through here. Tsonga will beat Berlocq., Simon will have too much for the slumping Monaco. If the French don't win the doubles -they should- and somehow Monaco beats Tsonga, then Simon will still be too good for Berlocq. The French will win at least 3-1.

National Tennis Centre, Astana, Kazakhstan- Clay (indoor)
Kazakhstan vs Czech Republic
...Eight seeded Kazakhstan take on the second seeded Czechs indoor on the dirt. I think this is really hard to pick. Looking at the teams, Kukushkin should be too strong for Hajek. Golubev too will beat Rosol. The Czechs will win the doubles but I don't think they can win both of the next two singles rubbers and Kazakhan should be able to upset the Czechs. The absence of Berdych/Stepsy has really hurt them.

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Mid-Miami Report

Hey Y'all. Galileo here.

With Fedal out, a Djokovic/Murray final looks a certainty. A lot of people at my tennis club (yes I do play, but not very well) tell me that the way he and Djoko play will hurt them in the long run. They also mention the way Federer tries to keep points short and tell me that it's much better to play like that because you get less injuries. Anyways, there are other players at Indian Wells. Cilic is seeded ninth, which surprised me, Ferrer is back to his usual consistent brilliant best and Delpo had to head home for personal reasons. Things are really starting to get down to the business end here and perhaps a Murrovic final isn't a certainty if someone can rise up. Anything could happen...



I thought I might suggest some gospel today...


PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Jurgen Melzer, AUT
...Absolutely nobody saw this coming. Delpo lost in the first round, perhaps distracted by events in his personal life, and then this quarter just opened up. Juan Monaco's continued slumps saw him lose to Ramos in three. He will drop out of the top twenty soon, and with a lot of points to defend coming up he could be in trouble. Blake beat Benny pretty easily and he's having a bit of a career resurgence as of late. With Jurgen beating Granollers, all the seeds in that section were out in the second round. Melzer actually nearly lost to Ricardas Berankis in the first round. He edged him in a third set breaker and then beat Granollers with little trouble 3 and 4. Delpo's conqueror Kamke proved a bit more of a challenge. Melzer lost the opener on a tiebreak but took the next two, winning 6-4 in the third. Unfortunately, he lost the first set to Ramos 6-2. He managed to come back and grind out the win by taking the next two 6-3, 6-3. He faces Ferrer in the quarters.
=============================
RISER: David Ferrer, ESP
...Ferrer likes to slip through tournaments unnoticed. He likes those back courts, where he can concentrate on his game and on his opponent and on the match, too, of course. His first opponent Tursunov withdrew and David then beat 32nd seed Fognini 6-1 7-5 to advance to the fourth round. He played the 13th seed Nishikori there. It was over pretty quickly. Ferry won 4 and 2 to move onto the quarterfinals. It's a great way to forget a poor week at Indian Wells and he should be able to beat Melzer.
=============================
SURPRISE: Max Mirnyi/Mikhail Youzhny, BLR/RUS
...They beat the top-seeded Bryans and then lost their second round match. Basically, they did a Rosol -- except at Wimbledon Nadal wasn't the top seed -- and lost in the next round. They defeated the Bryans 10-5 in the last set breaker but then lost to Haas/Malisse 10-8 in the last set breaker. Actually, the seeds in men's doubles have been poor over the past few weeks. The trend continued in Miami.
=============================
VETERAN: Mikhail Youzhny, RUS
...He will be 31 in about two months. He is one of the few to have made a quarterfinal at every single slam at least once. In fact, he's made the US Open semis twice. He is 1-5 in 500 tournaments but 7-5 at 250 level. He was great in 2007 and in 2010. He has been a stalwart of the tour and the Russian number one here and there, too. His career has been pretty good, but like most people his age just keeps going up.
=============================
COMEBACK: Tomas Berdych, CZE
...He is the Zombie king. He should have lost to Traver but came back to win 5-7,7-6,6-2. He served at 2-6 3-5 against Falla but came back to win 2-6,7-6,6-4. He hasn't played that well this week but is still here and is in the quarterfinals now. It hasn't been easy for him but he has managed to win two matches he should have lost. He seems to be in better form , having eased past the now engaged Querrey 6-1,6-1. If Gasquet can beat him, it is almost certain he'll be number nine on Monday. If Berdych wins, then Tipsarevic will only slip if he loses to Simon.
=============================
NEW FACE: Williams, USA
...Rhyne, that is. I don't know much about him except the name. However, except that he just turned 22 on Friday and that he is about 130 in the world. He has been coming up for a while now and if he keeps putting in the results, big things are gonna happen for him. He was fortunate enough to get a wildcard into the tournament and although he didn't beat Giraldo, he looks a big prospect for the future.
=============================
DOWN: Florian Mayer, GER
...Apart from those two Wimbledon quarters, he has been to the third round at slam level just a handful of times. He is in an almighty slump. He couldn't push Berdych all that much in Indian Wells and he crashed here, too. He barely tested Zemlja in a straight sets loss. It's almost beyond a slump now. He is playing terribly badly. Agassi decided to play challengers when he was in a slump. Perhaps Mayer should go and do the same. It may very well work.
=============================


1. Miami Rd.4 - Gasquet d. Almagro
...6-7/7-5/7-6. I just watched this. It is the best three set men's match I've seen since Federer/Delpo at last year's Olympics. It was fantastic. There were loads of 20 and 30 shot rallies. There was even a 50 shot rally or two. The entire match was played to a very high standard. Gasquet nearly choked but really both men played an incredible match and I just lost track of time watching it. It was awesome. Almagro blew a 4-1 (double break) lead in the first and then faced 15-40, 4-5 but came back to win it. Gasquet edged the second and then they exchanged one break each before Gasquet closed it out in the third set breaker.
=============================
2. Miami Rd.2 - Goffin d. Kohlschreiber
...7-6/4-6/6-2. This was an exciting match between two shot makers. Goffin continued his rise and did well in the one-handed backhand section.
=============================
3. Miami Rd.2 - Isner d. Dodig
...4-6/7-5/7-6. This was a gripping, enthralling match with a lot of twists and turns. Isner managed to come out of his slump at times too. He finally edged it 7-5 in the final set breaker but it was a very good match, if a bit edgy at time.
=============================

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Tennis is never without its fair share of excitement and the match between Frenchmen Michael Llodra and Benoit Paire was no different. During this match they got into major row in the first round match in Miami. This match was won by Llodra, 7-6 (7), 6-2.

It was reported by L’Equipe as well as the AFP that after Paire complained to the chair umpire about a certain line call, Llodra lost his cool and told him not to “act like a little s***.” Paire, who is 38th ranked, was enraged and told Llodra not to speak to him in that manner or treat him like a dog. It is alleged that Llodra responded by telling him to shut up and pointed out that he was eight years older than his opponent and he was owed respect.

Llodra said that after he rallied to win the first set Paire somehow lost concentration and said that he knew if he won the first set, he’d be in the pound seat. “He was flipping out,” Llodra said.

In a lone prior meeting in the Montpellier semi-finals last month, Paire successfully beat Llodra. Llodra was so infuriated that he refused to shake hands after the match. Paire told L’Equipe: “"Mika did everything to destabilize me while I was dominating the game quietly. He clearly and deliberately insulted me. I won’t talk to him anymore."

Scenes like the above are exactly what make the sports betting fraternity go crazy. With wild speculations being made about whether ranking is actually the advantage it appears to be. But like it or not, as long as there have been competitions with winners and losers, there has been betting. The Greeks who were the initiators of the Olympic Games take most of the credit for it. Nowadays betting is a widely accepted practice and there are many strict rules which govern it and are enforced with an iron scepter. Taking a look at RTG Casino online one can easily see how popular betting on tennis has become and thanks to the likes of Llodra and Paire, sports betting offers exciting odds and nail biting suspense.

If Llodra and Paire don’t bury the proverbial hatchet it’s suggested that they put on boxing gloves and sort it out once and for all…but the only difference that will make is that punters will then switch their bets from tennis to boxing. May the best man win.

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Indian Wells Recap & Miami Picks

Hey Y'all. Galileo here.

I always loved the month of March. I just had my birthday and the tennis is great in March, too. Acapulco is my favourite regular ATP clay court tournament and then of course it rolls into Indian Wells and Miami. In fact, all kinds of sport goes down in March, not just tennis. The ice hockey and basketball seasons are in full flow by then, too. Also, the transition from winter into spring makes this a great time of year. Anyway, since the new Pope got in, Delpo seems to have found some kind of divine inspiration. He beat Djokovic and Murray back to back. And, fine, Murray wasn't playing that well and Djoko did do a bit of a choke but he was striking the ball fantastically well. His forehand seems to be back and he has to be a contender to win at the French Open. I mean apart from Fedalovic, anyone can do well at the French. Except apparently Murray, who doesn't like clay at all. Anyway, I shall get on and do Indian Wells then do a quick draw preview for Miami.





*Wk.11 CHAMPIONS*
INDIAN WELLS, CALIFORNIA USA
S: Rafael Nadal d. Juan Martin del Potro 4-6/6-3/6-4
D: Bryan/Bryan d. Huey/Janowicz


PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Rafael Nadal, ESP
....Most everyone picked him to lose to the Goat in the quarters. He didn't, although he nearly lost to Gulbis. After edging the Latvian in three epic sets, he beat Fed comfortably 6-4, 6-2. He then put Berdych out in two tight sets before coming back from 4-6 0-2 to beat the Argentine. He has withdrawn from Miami, however. His knees seem to be holding up though. In other Nadal-related news, he is back up to number four but he may lose it this week. His forehand seemed back to it's best, but at 26 years old, how many comebacks does he have left? Another scary though is that with Rafa turning 27 in two months, Almagro turning 28 this year, Verdasco turing 29 last November and Ferrer turning 31 in two weeks Spanish Tennis might actually be in more trouble then people think. At the 2016 Miami Masters, what will the state of Spanish tennis be like? I think Ferrer and Verdasco will be retired or very close to it. I think that Almagro will be maybe 30 in the world at that point. And Nadal? At that stage he will be 29 years old. Still around? Probably. Still a factor? Possibly. Top five? Unlikely.
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RISER: Sam Querrey, USA
...The second best player with a Q in his name is now the American number one. I think he may be the 22nd or 21st different man to take the post since the rankings began. Never before has there been no American man in the top twenty. Sam beat Karlovic in two easy sets before edging Matosevic in an epic three-setter. His 6-0 7-6 defeat to Djokovic wasn't so positive, but the second set wasn't bad. I have always liked his game and this week he showed again just how good a player he is.
=============================
SURPRISE: Kevin Anderson, RSA
...South Africans do cricket and they do rugby. They have had a lot of good tennis players, as well. Anderson continued this tradition in Indian Wells. They may have fallen on hard times but he is in the form of his life. He did well in Sydney this year and got to the fourth round of the Aussie where he lost to Berdych. He is now top thirty and has a very workable draw in Miami. If he can beat Zeballos, then he may play Tipsy, who is in awful form, then Simon, Hewitt or Mayer possibly in the fourth round. Another quarter is not impossible and is in fact likely.
=============================
VETERAN: Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, FRA
...It seems like he has been around for ages. He edged Blake in a highly competitive, entertaining two setter. He dominated Fish in the two tie-breakers they played to win 7-6, 7-6. Raonic nearly had him but lost 4-6 7-5 6-4. However, when he got to the quarters to play Djoko he had nothing left and crumbled. He lost 3 and 1. He has been the French number one for some time now.
=============================
COMEBACK: Ernests Gulbis, LAT
...The comeback continues. He beat Tipsy and in the process he lost just two games. Yes, two games. It was pretty brutal. Tipsarevic is seriously out of form and how he's still number nine is a mystery. Gulbis also beat Lopez. In the third round, Ernests beat Seppi in a tight three set contest. He really should have beaten Nadal but just couldn't quite get over the finish line. He lost heartbreakingly in the end 7-5 in the third.
=============================
NEW FACE: Carlos Berlocq, ARG
...Never before here or at Miami has he made the fourth round. I don't think he's ever been to any 1000 level fourth round, either. A great fact though is this: At the 2006 Miami Masters he beat Donald Young 6-0, 6-0. In the second round he played Blake and lost 6-0, 6-0. Wow, Young must have been playing badly that day. Unfortunately, he picked up an injury and retired in the first round of Miami.
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DOWN: Doubles Seeds
...Every single one of the doubles seeds withdrew or got knocked out in the first round except the top two seeds. The second seeds however got crushed in their second round match. Even though they faced no seeds the Bryans were still pushed to three sets three times out of five matches. It was pretty disappointing to see. The Bryans have never won this event so it must have been quite a relief just to win it.
=============================


1. IW 4th Rd - Federer d. Wawrinka
...6-3/6-7/7-5. At 6-3, 6-4 Fed should have just served it out but Vavsy caught fire and forced it to a tiebreaker, which he then won. After that, he got back in the match and with some help from the umpire nearly got the win. However, he lost in the end and Fed scraped through, but with much more effort than was expected.
=============================
2. IW SF - Del Potro d. Djokovic
...4-6/6-4/6-4. What a way to end the Djoker's win streak. He came back from 0-3 in the third and even outlasted Djokovic on the baseline. It was an awesome match in every way. Delpo has a new slice on his backhand, or rather he has developed it so it really is excellent now. He really hurt Murray and Djokovic with it.
=============================
3. IW 2nd Rd - Janowicz d. Nalbandian
...7-6/4-6/6-3. I didn't see this match myself. However I did read all about it and watched a couple of highlight reels. It was an amazing match for the sheer quality of play.
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WTA MIAMI
=QF=
Williams [1] d. [5] Li/Na
Williams [19] d. Petkovic
Sharapova [3] d. Kuznetsova
Kerber [6] d. [2] Azarenka
=SF=
Williams [1] d. [19] Williams
Sharapova [3] d. [6] Kerber
=FINAL=
Williams [1] d. [3] Sharapova

I don't know how fit Azarenka is. Sometimes she really is injured and sometimes her she has an ersatz injury, too. Apart from Serena, I think this tourney is pretty open. I really believe Venus can make some noise here and Petko has a good section, too. I'm probably wrong about everything, but hey ho. I'm forewarning you both my picks will be horribly wrong, most likely, but im trying my best...

ATP MIAMI
=QF=
Djokovc [1] d. [26] Anderson
Ferrer [3] d. [5] Del Potro
Berdych [4] d. [8] Gasquet
Murray [2] d. [6] Tsonga
=SF=
Djokovc [1] d. Ferrer [3]
Berdych [4] d. Murray [2]
=FINAL=
Djokovc [1] d. [4] Murray

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Indian Wells Midways Update

Hey Y'all. Galileo here.

I haven't really done this kind of update before, so I was a bit worried about how to do it. I think I will just go through and do it as I usually do, sort of. Anyway, Federer seems to be back. Four of the top sixteen seeds have fallen, and eleven seeds in total lost before the round they were seeded to lose in. Fish is back and won an edgy match against Reynolds. He plays JWT next (note: he lost). There was an earthquake. It disrupted Nadal's massage, apparently. Andy Murray and David Ferrer again started slowly in the desert. Murray recovered, but Ferru did not. Simon escaped twice and I think he wins the Zombie award for this Masters. Anyway, I shall press on.


PLAYER OF THE FIRST WEEK: Kevin Anderson/Roger Federer, RSA/SUI
...I'll do Fed quickly first because we expect him to be brilliant. He seems back to his best and has been so far the most convincing of the top five seeds. His net-play has been great and his serving has been pretty good, too. His opposition were two players that are good at 250 and even sometimes 500 level -- Istomin and Dodig. Of the top eight seeds, he has dropped the least amount of games so far, except Nadal, whose third round opponent withdrew, and Delpo, who has played just one match. Ferrer is always a little shaky here. He has been to one QF from 11 attempts and is 9-11 lifetime. Anyway, Anderson got the predictable upset. It was still a big one, though. He came back from a first set deficit, took the second 6-4 then the next Ferrer wasn't there and Kev took it 6-3. Unlike Rosol, he won the next match. He beat Nieminen for the loss of just four games. Oh, he also beat talented Romanian Hanescu in his opener. He has a very winnable match up next against Simon. Then he plays the winner of Berdman-Gasquet. He could make the semis. Just maybe.
=============================
RISER: Ernests Gulbis, LAT
...He was seeded first in the qualies. He is also the best Latvian tennis player ever I think. Maybe for now Larisa Neiland has still had a better career, and if you include the fact she coached Svetlana Kuznetsova then her resume is very impressive indeed. Anyway, Gulbis killed Tipsarevic -- I can't think of a better way of phrasing it -- and beat Seppi in three, not to mention beating Lopez two and three. He has looked very impressive and he believes he can beat Nadal. We shall see.
=============================
SURPRISE: James Blake/Mardy Fish, USA/USA)
...Yes I know their combined age is about 70. I know they're both having mixed singles results, but somehow in the doubles they seem to be making magic. They have beaten Marrero/Verdasco and Lopez/Raonic. They have looked comfortable doing it, too. They play Huey/Janowicz for a spot in the semis.
=============================
VETERAN: Gilles Simon, FRA
...Simon will be 29 this year. I know, I hadn't realised either. He escaped several times so far and he looks there for the taking. I think Lorenzi was 4-0 up in the final set against him and he beat Paire 3-6 7-6 6-4. I think he also has a fair chance of making the semis. Essentially any one of Berdych, Gasquet, Simon and Anderson can make the semi, but I think the order I just listed them is most likely to least. Anyway, I think Simon has a couple more titles in him and possibly the quarters of a slam maybe, too.
=============================
COMEBACK: One Handed Backhand
...Henin, Federer both had one handed backhands. It seemed to be dying but currently -- in this tourney -- there seems to be a lot of it. Eight players are left in the draw who have one. I have always loved it and it is nice to see it still used even if it is a dying art.
=============================
NEW FACE: Evgeny Donskoy, RUS
...I know nothing about him except he played excellently against Murray. I haven't really seen him around much either.
=============================
DOWN: Janko Tipsarevic, SRB
...6-2,6-0. The film "Vertigo" comes to mind here. My brain is connecting a fear of falling (Tipsy is falling down the rankings) with anything it can and so it landed upon Vertigo. Anyway, he is falling and fast. He needs to be careful.

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Indian Wells Draw Preview

I'm just gonna go straight in, I think. I will kick off with the Women's draw, then the Men's and then go quarter by quarter. I will do the preview here then every couple of days I will look back and say what happened in the Men's singles.

Section One
Victoria Azarenka [1] d. Jamie Hampton

...I think Vika should have few problems here. However, her fourth round opponent could be any one of six people. I think it will be either Stephens or Hampton. I think Todd is on the right track with Hampton, though.

Section Two
Nadia Petrova [8] d. [10] Caroline Wozniacki

...It has been a while since Woz headed her own section, but nevertheless, she is seeded eighth here due to Na's dodgy ankle and a boycott. I think Cornet may test here. She lost to Wang, after all, and does look out of form. I think Wozniacki/Azarenka is a clash we have all been waiting for. They have not played for some time and not since Vika ascended to number 1, I think. I don't think it will happen here. If Petrova can get past her tricky third-rounder then I think she will make the quarters. Date-Krumm and Robson are also here.

Section Three
Lucie Safarova [16] d. Heather Watson

...This section literally belongs to anyone. Kerber is so out of form -and may be injured- that anything could happen. It also means that it is very tricky to pick. I think Watson could make a run here. Muguruza is also here amongst the lefties. Of the five left-handed seeds, three are in this section. Anyway this was so hard for me to pick but I think Watson has a massive opportunity here and the 2012 Osaka champ may just take it. Also, don't forget she made the third round of the Aussie, too.

Section Four
Samantha Stosur [7] vs. [24] Mona Barthel

...I think that is the fourth round match up but I can't pick it. Stosur will make the fourth round easily. I think Barthel will upset Ivanovic in the third round, too. Last year, a young German won Paris then surprisingly made the semis here. She lost to Azarenka. Then it was Kerber, now could it be Barthel? The winner of Stosur/Barthel will probably go on to the semis and play Vika. I can't pick that match but I think that will be the fourth round matchup.

Section 5
Petra Kvitova [5] d.[12] Dominika Cibulkova

...Pretty straightforward this one. Perhaps Shvedova may throw a spanner in the works, but I seriously doubt it.

Section 6
Agnieszka Radwanksa [3] d. [13] Maria Kirilenko

...Paszek and Prinkova are both more suited to grass than any other surfaces. Mallory Burdette is very talented and she may be able to beat vet Craybas. In fact, Burdette may be able to beat Paszek, too, but it is unlikely. Cirstea/Radwanska is almost a given, and Radwanska should win there. Kirilenko did test her at Wimbledon if I recall rightly and I think that will be a very entertaining three setter. Kiri may even nick it and cause an upset.

Section 7
Svetlana Kuznetsova d. [26] Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova

...I love the game that A-pav has. I love the way she plays and I think Sveta has the most raw talent since Serena, and perhaps has even more raw talent. Unfortunately, for most of her career her mind has been wobbly to put it kindly. If she beats Hlavackova and Jankovic, she could just get a big streak going and go all the way to the quarters. Min is a very talented young American who won a big junior title fairly recently. She may beat Lino here and challenge Errani. I haven't seen much evidence Errani is as good on the hard courts as she is on the clay. I think A-pavs can beat her and I think she will. Bartoli is also here but I don't think she will go too far.

Section 8
Maria Sharapova [2] d.[14] R.Vinci

...This is a little easier to explain. Karatantcheva/Lepchenko should be a good match and I think that Pennetta/Schiavone will be a cracker, too. I don't know how much longer either of them have in tennis but they both hold Italian tennis records. Anyway, Pova should have too much for Navarro and also too much for anyone in this section. Also, I think Sharapova can take the number two ranking here but she needs Vika to crash early.

QF-SF-F
Azarenka [1] d. Petrova [10]
Stosur [7]/ Barthel [24] d. Safarova [16]
Kvitova [5] d. Radwanska [3]
Sharapova [2] d. Kuznetsova

...I think after that, Sharapova will continue her winning streak over Petra, whilst Azarenka wins her semi. Then Vika should beat Pova because, as Todd put it, "...Vika. Maria. Hard court. Based on recent evidence, there is no other possibility."

Right I shall now do the Men's side of things.

Section 1
Novak Djokovic [1] d. Sam Querrey

...Monaco is seriously out of form. I don't think he is a factor here. Look for Fognini to trouble Djokovic for a little before losing. Maybe 6-4 6-1 or something similar. Robredo may win a couple here, but I think Querrey/Djokovic is a safe pick. Sock/Querrey will however be very interesting.

Section 2
Milos Raonic [17] d. [8] Jo-Wilfriied Tsonga

...Tsonga is having a wobbly season thus far. Apart from that one loss to Sock, Raonic has looked superb and I think he may win this tournament. I don't think he will, but he can and he might. Tsonga has been in bad form recently and has won a title, but lost in the first round twice recently. It's hard to predict him from tournament to tournament, but I think Raonic will beat him here. Fish makes his return here. Isner has a lot of points to defend, so maybe Fish can climb to American number two. Blake, Haase, Zeballos, LLodra are all also here.

Section 3
Andy Murray [3] d. [16] Kei Nishikori

...I think Nish could beat Murray. However I don't think it will actually happen. The winner of Dolgopolov/Nish will play Murray. The Dog has been really out of form lately and I think Nish will beat him and lose to Murray in three afterwards. Giraldo is also here.

Section 4
Juan Martin Del Potro [7] d. [19] Tommy Haas

...Delpo will want to avenge his upset loss earlier and beat Chardy. I think he will do so. I think Mathieu/Davydenko will be worth a watch, too. I really believe Haas can upset Almagro in a best of three match. However, JMDP should be too big a hurdle.

Section 5
Richard Gasquet [10] d. [6] Tomas Berdych

...There is so much talent here it's ridiculous. Nalbandian,Tomic, Bellucci, Goffin, Melzer and the list goes on. Florian Mayer is in a really horrendous run of form right now. He will lose to Berdych. I think Gasquet will survive the tricky opening rounds, too. Berdych has lost the last couple of times to Gasquet and I think Richard could win a few matches here.

Section 6
David Ferrer [4] d. [13] Gilles SImon

...Kohlschreiber may worry Simon but apart from that there are few guys here good enough to mount a serious challenge. Pretty straightforward here.

Section 7
Rafael Nadal [5] d. Marcos Baghdatis

...Harrison should end his five match losing streak and beat Soeda. I think Nadal should beat him easy. Malisse Youhzny is a toss up really. Baghdatis is the best of the rest here, though Seppi may win a couple. In the end, though, Nadal has an easy section.

Section 8
Roger Federer[2] d. [18] StanislasWawrinka

...Federer will avenge his upset loss to Benny by beating him here. Hewitt might beat Isner, but I think Stan is most likely to come through here. Pretty straightforward, really.

QF-SF-F
Djokovic [1] d. [17] Raonic
Murray [3] d.[7] Del Potro
Ferrer [4] d. [10] Gasquet
Federer [2] d. [5] Nadal

...I don't think Nadal can beat Fed on this surface just yet. Soon, maybe. Reaching the QF will be an achievement for Nadal. Federer and Djokovic should progress here. Djokovic should beat the Goat but it may go the other way. Visit WTABACKSPIN.

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