French Open: The Circus Is in Town

Hey Y'all. Galileo here.

First an apology. The last two days have been difficult. I've struggled to even watch a match. But I'm here now and I shall recap day five before doing day six properly.

Nadal was dominant against Almagro. Almagro played better than he has done for some time. But Nadal is rising to a different level. He dismissed Almagro 6-4, 6-3, 6-1. Nothing the righty could do. He was competitive for a while but he got worn down. Nadal gets Kuznetsov, then Coric or Sock. Murray looked in trouble against Sousa but edged through 6-2, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1. Nobody is better at winning when playing badly, because Murray very rarely hits his best. He has shown up here in average form.

Isner lost in four sets to Chardy, which essentially throws open Murray's section. A semi-final run for Kyrgios is not out of the question. Murray may well struggle against Goffin if he does get past Kyrgios. Kyrgios will have no fear and he loves a stage. There is a chance of upset there.

Oh, and Djokovic won. But he did drop nine games. Still, Nadal seems to be gathering momentum. That quarterfinal match could define careers.
So let's get to day six...

*Suicide Pick*
We all know how this works. Pick a player to win each round but you cannot pick them again. I'm in a little late but the first round is still going. Well, I blew the Barthel pick which is frustrating but I survive in the men's singles.

Men's Singles 1r: Verdasco [32] d. Daniel [Q]
Men's Singles 2r: Cilic [9] d. Arnaboldi [Q]
Men's Singles 3r: Ferrer [7] d. Bolelli
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Women's Singles Barthel d. Pania (x)


PHILIPPE CHATRIER: FEDERER D. DZUMHUR
...Damir is a dirty name in WTA circles and in fact has a special place in BACKSPIN'S office of evil. On the ATP the name Damir is not as sullied. And Damir could prove to be Bosnia and Herzegovina's best player ever if current trends continue. He just had his best performance here at the French and other similar performances are surely just a matter of time. But he is playing of the greatest clay courters and of the greatest full stop. It was never going to be easy. Despite a bright start, Damir knew he was likely out of his league. And so it proved to be with Federer 6-4, 6-2, 6-3. Federer hit 4 aces and 38 total winners on his way to the fourth round. Damir hit 26 winners and more winners than errors. But it was not enough. Federer moves on smoothly. Federer didn't want Monfils. Monfils has been abysmal lately, carried by the crowd and his opponent's ability to choke. Against Federer he will no doubt turn up for the whole match. If Federer wins that, the final likely beckons. Whether or not he wins it should prove to be an entertaining affair.
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PHILIPPE CHATRIER: TSONGA D. ANDUJAR
...An entertaining three set match proved to be a fitting end to the sixth day on Chatrier. Tsonga and Andujar played some fantastic rallies and used their tennis brains as well as their tennis arms. Andujar on a different day could have had the upset, but Tsonga was just so composed. Composed and exciting. It is a dangerous combination. The Frenchy needed two and a half hours to come through 7-6[3], 6-4, 6-3. Tsonga hit 41 winners with 11 aces in there, too. He also won 44% of his opponent's service points. It wasn't about the percentages, though, it was about the tactics and long rallies. It was about the war of the drop shots. It was about angles and it was better than some of the five setters we've had.
Berdych/Tsonga. On clay. In Paris. With the French Crowd. Berdych has a 6-2 head to head record. How about you call that one?
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SUZANNE LENGLEN: SIMON D. MAHUT
...Mahut performs above and beyond here. He always does well on grass but in Paris he also seems to find his mojo. He seems to be able to feed off the positive crowd energy. But Simon calls France home, too. The French crowd don't like him as much because, rather than inspire, he outspires. Simon broke nine times in a 6-2, 6-7[6], 6-7[8], 6-3, 6-1 victory. For a player with a big serve and great service game, Mahut was unable to use that ability effectively. Simon ground his opponent into the red dust. Incredibly, Mahut went to the net 104 times. He may only have won the point 51 times but the aggression was still the right play. Simon takes on Wawrinka with a good chance to make only his second slam quarterfinal. If you like entertainment then you will want Wawrinka to win. If you like watching paint dry then Simon is your man.
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SUZANNE LENGLEN: GASQUET D. BERLOCQ
...This match carried over from day five. Berlocq got lucky on a line call and the crowd booed before Berlocq defied two thousand French people to take it to five. Berlocq has an awkward game which is horrible to get early on. Late in the day, Gasquet and his Argentinian partner took to the court to duke it out. Gasquet grabbed the advantage as his opponent crumbled. It looked good for the experienced Frenchman but then Berlocq came back and forced a fifth. Gasquet and Berlocq accepted the decision to call time, which was met with no argument from either player. On the next day, Gasquet came out and won 6-1. The Frenchman showed rare composure to win in straight sets. The big South African Anderson will be more of a challenge.
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COURT ONE: MONFILS D. CUEVAS
...Monfils should be out. He was awful. Abysmal. Poor. And very, very, very lucky. Down two sets to one and a double break in the fourth he looked down and out. Then the crowed carried him through to a 4-6, 7-6[1], 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 flukey victory. Monfils won 161 points and his opponent 160, but stats don't matter. Monfils is utterly infuriating. He may well beat Federer in the fourth. It will happen only because it makes no sense. Monfils gave up for entire stretches of that match. He missed loads of shots in a row and he served badly. Cuevas played the match of his life. He was perfect until the fifth set. Cuevas hit his forehand and served well, too. The two of them duked it out for hours. Monfils advances to the third round, but not deservedly. Still, that fourth round match is going to be an absolute spectacle. But what does Monfils have left? Not physically, but mentally. Does he have any mental fight left?
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OUTER COURT SELECTION: BERDYCH D. PAIRE
...Paire has reawakened some of the old magic. Not enough to make a big run, but enough to look vaguely like he used to. He may have found some form going into Wimbledon. If he can win a small title and make third round runs at the next two slams, as well. He will be well set up to make a run in 2016. Well, he should be, but he is French. So who knows? Berdych won 6-1, 6-7[5], 6-3, 6-4. Pair managed to jam him for the last three sets but Berdych was never going to lose once he took the first. Paire hit some gorgeous drop shots and played out of his mind.
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Any other notes?

* - Monfils being a good sport and overruling the umpire in favour of his opponent
* - Tomic and Kokkinakis played an epic. Great match. Different result on grass, though.
* - Nadal, Djokovic and Federer have dropped no sets thus far
* - Casey Dellacqua plays Linette/Cornet on court three tomorrow at eleven.

Well, I'm out for now.

Thanks all and visit WTA BACKSPIN please.

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