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Day 5 @MutuaMadridOpen: Nadal and Djokovic survive scares as Wawrinka Is Ousted

Posted by Admin on May 11, 2017
Posted in: ATP, Madrid, Niall Clarke, On Site. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Day 5 at Madrid Open: Nadal and Djokovic survive scares as Wawrinka Is Ousted
Niall Clarke, Tennis Atlantic

Wawrinka Sent Home By Paire

Day five ended with one of the biggest shocks of the tournament so far as third seed Stan Wawrinka was knocked out of the tournament by his good friend Benoit Paire.

It was an entertaining affair with two of the tour’s best shotmakers trading blow for blow. Wawrinka got out of the gates quickly with a break and had two opportunities to go a double break up in the first. However Paire started to grow into the match as the set wore on, and the Frenchman was able to break back at 4-2. Wawrinka earned break points in the following game, but Paire saved them before earning a break himself at 5-5. The world number 52 served out the set 7-5 to take the lead in the match.
His momentum was seemingly altered when rain disrupted play and forced the roof to be closed, and Stan took advantage with a break of serve. The Swiss failed to serve the set out though with a loose game, but immediately broke the following game to take the match to a decider.

Paire came alive in the third set, showing what he can do when his mind is in the right place. He hit winners from all areas of the court and dominated the final set with a double break. The Frenchman successfully served out the match to cap off one of his best performances for a long time.

“I am really happy because it is never easy to play against a good friend.” Paire said post match.
“I think it was more difficult for him today because we are very close and to play each other in the second round was not a good role for us, but I am happy because today I won and I played a good match.”
Not only has the week been positive for Paire on the tennis court, he also celebrated his 28th birthday on Tuesday. How did he celebrate?
“I had a good dinner with my girlfriend.” Paire said with a smile
“It was a good thing for me, I wanted just to have rest because I was playing the day after my birthday, so it was the week of my birthday we are going to say and I hope it will be a good week.” Paire moves on to face Pablo Cuevas in the third round after he ousted Nicolas Mahut earlier in the day

Nadal outlasts Fognini to set up Kyrgios clash

In a epic hour battle on Manolo Santana stadium, Rafael Nadal outlasted Fabio Fognini in three sets to book a third round match against Nick Kyrgios.

The Spaniard was largely outplayed by the Italian in the first set, but Fognini failed to take advantage of the many opportunities that came his way. The world number 29 was twice a break up in the set and even served for it at 5-4, but as can often be the case his brilliance was mixed in with madness and Nadal ended up taking the set in a tiebreaker 7-3.
The second set was what the first set should have really been for Fognini. This time when he got the break of serve he was able to hold throughout despite facing two break back points in the fifth game. The Italian served out the set to take us to a decider with the match on a knife’s edge.

The crowd were expectedly Pro-Nadal and cheered every point he won and nervously sat on their hands when he lost one. As the middle of the set approached Nadal pounced and earned a break of serve, but Fognini would not go away. As Nadal served for the match at 5-3, the Fognini that had won the second set started to reappear and the Italian earned two break back points. The First was saved with a thumping forehand, but the second went astray and we were back on serve. Nadal pushed again for the finish, earning match-point on the Fognini serve but the Italian saved it with another big forehand. But his brilliance was swiftly followed by mediocrity, and three errors later Rafa was victorious.

“I think that even though I played really badly, my attitude has been very positive.” Nadal said post match.
“My attitude and the will to win today’s match was there. My level of tennis was not so high today, but I managed to make it through the first round. It was uncomfortable. “Luckily I was able to win, and tomorrow I have another opportunity. Hopefully I’m ready to do much better than today.”

The world number four goes on to face another dangerous opponent in Kyrgios who famously beat Nadal at Wimbledon 2014. The Australian made quick work of Ryan Harrison, defeating him 6-3 6-3 in less than an hour.
It promises to be a blockbuster showdown on Thursday, one Kyrgios is looking forward to.

“I played Rafa last year in Rome, we had a battle there, 6-4 in the third and we obviously had that battle at Wimbledon too.” Kyrgios said post match. “I think every time we play each other, the surface plays a factor, but when playing playing each other and competing against each other we both want to win really bad. It is going to be an exciting match either way”

Djokovic survives Almagro

Novak Djokovic battled from a break down in the final set to overcome an inspired Nico Almagro to make the third round of the Mutua Madrid Open.

The Serb was 3-0 down in the decider but came back to win 6-1, 4-6, 7-5 in a dramatic two hour and … minute match on Manolo Santana stadium.

Djokovic looked wobbly in his opening service game, double faulting and hitting some tight errors. Almagro found himself a break up early, but Djokovic recovered to take the next six games as the Spaniard struggled to find the court.

The second set as a much different story. With nothing to lose and the home crowd behind him, Almagro began to play inspired tennis, hitting winners off both wings and serving big. He eventually got his reward in the final game of set where he broke to take it 6-4.
The form continued into the third where the world number 76 broke again, showing signs of the player that won 13 ATP World Tour titles. But just like many times in the past, nerves began to get the better of the Spaniard. He was broken back at 3-1, then once against a 5-5 as the pressure began to tell. Djokovic would successfully serve out the match to escape a tough opener against an inspired Almagro.

“Well, this was the fourth match on the clay court season for me this year, and all of them went 7-5 or 6-4 in the third set. Every match more or less that I’ve played was quite close, dramatic as well. I guess I’m supposed to be tested in every match on clay.” Djokovic said post match.
“From positive side, from that perspective, is good for psychological aspects and mental strength and getting confidence back. Obviously when you’re not winning too many matches, you have to build the confidence level. So to win the matches like this definitely helps confidence.

“I thought that for almost two sets I’ve played really well. Had 15-40 two times in the second set to finish off the match in straight sets. But, you know, I didn’t use my opportunities. He served well. Then he started to swing through the ball. Four games in a row he played really, really well.

“It’s tough to play Nico on any surface. Especially here where it’s altitude, it played quicker a little bit. He loves playing on clay. He was obviously motivated. He has a lot of strength in his shots, a lot of precision. He can, from both corners, hit equally well. If he doesn’t make many mistakes, he can really beat anyone. I could feel his very high quality, especially the end of the second set and the beginning of the third.

“But I hung in there and I knew that eventually I’m going to get my chances and going to get some looks on the second serves. When they’re presented, you know, I was ready to use them, which I did.” Djokovic faces Feliciano Lopez next after the Spaniard beat Gilles Simon 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(3).

Kerber retires against Bouchard

Top seed Angelique Kerber is out of the Mutua Madrid Open after retiring 6-3, 5-0 down against Eugenie Bouchard.
The German did not hold serve once during the match which was largely dominated by the Canadian, then pulled up with a leg injury that ultimately forced her to retire from the match.

“I don’t know what’s exactly. I know it’s the left hamstring.” Said Kerber post match.
“I just felt it in the last game. I think it was not the last point, but the point, like, before. So yeah.
I think now I will just check it. I will check it maybe tonight or tomorrow. I will see. I hope it’s not too serious. But, yeah, I can feel it a little bit.”

Bouchard faces Svetlana Kuznetsova in the quarter finals. The Russian defeated Qiang Wang in straight sets earlier in the day.

Tsonga withdraws from Madrid. Ferrer advances to face Nishikori

Jo Wilfried Tsonga has withdrawn from the Mutua Madrid Open due to a right shoulder injury.
The Frenchman was scheduled to face Spain’s David Ferrer second on Arantxa Sanchez court, but withdrew just hours before his round of 32 match.
“The problem is I stretch a muscle in my shoulders. I don’t want to take any risk.” Tsonga said in a press conference.
“It’s something I did, I think, last week on the practice. I had little bit of pain from the match of Kuznetsov.

“Yeah, like I said, I don’t want to take any risk anymore because there is other tournament in few weeks. I want to play them 100%. So no risk for me.”
The 10th seed is unsure whether or not he will play Rome next week, but this could hinder the Frenchman’s plans to be fully fit for his home grand slam.
“You know, for me, for the moment I will see on the next few days, how it goes. I’ll take, of course, a decision later if I go or not.” Tsonga added.

With a right calf strain earlier in the season followed by the birth of his first child, Tsonga has not played much tennis in 2017, and we are unsure how long he will be out with the shoulder injury. As for Ferrer, the Spaniard goes into the third round to face Kei Nishikori.
The Japanese, who stated pre-tournament that he is not 100%, got off to a slow start against the in-form Diego Schwartzman, but recovered from a set down to win 1-6, 6-0, 6-4 on Arantxa Sanchez court. The sixth seed looked almost dead on his feet in the first set which was dominated by the Argentine, but he recovered to take the second set 6-0. The third was the most competitive set with Nishikori failing to serve it out at 5-3. The Japanese did not let that detour him on his path to victory as he broke the very next game to seal his passage into round three.

“It was a very tough one.” Nishikori said in his post match press conference.
“He obviously playing good, very solid from baseline. He was very aggressive in the first set. But second set I start grinding little more, and playing little smarter, I think. I have to say little bit lucky for me. There was couple net and on the lines. Sometimes I need some luck to win.

“But second and third I’m very happy with my tennis. Play really good tennis.”
This was Nishikori’s first appearance on clay after recent injury woes have kept him out of action for a number of weeks. The sixth seed claimed prior to the tournament that he will not risk anything this week and will see how it goes. But after his win against Schwartzman he feels better physically.
“(I) Felt pretty good. Yeah, that was my first match of the clay. In the beginning I wasn’t playing hundred percent. But second and third I was feeling pretty good on the court, moving well. So I was very happy.” Nishikori added.

Mladenovic eases into quarter finals- speaks Dodin and Sharapova

Kristina Mladenovic’s great year continues after defeating Oceane Dodin 6-2, 6-1 to make the quarter finals of the Madrid Open.
The Frenchwoman had the measure of her compatriot throughout, returning and serving well on her way to an easy victory. Mladenovic had been critical of Dodin’s decision to not play Fed Cup, but felt there was not tension between the two players.
“I always say out loud what I think.” Said Mladenovic.
“No, as I said in my interview before the match, on my side there’s absolutely no tension. I mean, you know, I just speak out what I think.

“I still think this. But I think this girl is playing great tennis. She has a huge qualities. She’s young. I think if she’s working in the right direction, she can play really well. I mean, she proved it this week. She beat such a great players.

“You know, on the court I didn’t feel any tension. I’m there to focus on myself, to win my matches, no matter who is on the other side of the net. I’m just very happy to get there, be in the quarters.

“I’m sure there wasn’t anything negative out there on the court. We both played well, had a great attitude. Overall she’s having a great attitude on the court, even if I’m not talking to her a lot.

“The Fed Cup topic is something else. Hopefully one day she will be on the other side. I mean, the girls that understand this spirit, hopefully she can see good things about it.”

Mladenovic also weighed in on Bouchard’s comments about receiving support for her match against Maria Sharapova.
“I did receive a lot of messages before my match against Maria in Stuttgart and also afterwards. In Stuttgart, it was semifinals, the locker room was quite empty, so I didn’t speak to anyone.

“Here, of course I watched their match. I was finishing mine. I saw the last couple games on TV. I mean, this year, I’m in the beautiful locker room upstairs, in the top 16, Genie’s not. I didn’t see her. No, I didn’t, no.”
Mladenovic moves on to face Sorana Cirstea in the quarter finals after the Romanian dispatched Misaki Doi in three sets.

WTA Round up

Anastasija Sevastova is through to her first WTA Premier quarter final after a straight sets win over Lara Arruabarrena.
The Latvian had to stave off a fight back from the Spaniard is the first set as her 5-2 lead was brought back to 5-5. Sevastova remained cool enough to restore her lead immediately however and served out the set 7-5. The second set was much more plain sailing for the world number 22 who broke twice without facing a single break point to take the set 6-3 and book her quarter final spot against Kiki Bertens.

The Dutchwoman continued her good run of form in Madrid with another straight sets win, this time against Irina Begu. Bertens took the first set 6-1, but was made to work much harder for the second by her Romanian opponent. Bertens eventually took the set 7-5 and sealed her place in the last eight.

Simona Halep was tested by Sam Stosur but pulled through 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 to set up a quarter final match against Coco Vandeweghe who defeated Carla Suarez Navarro in three sets.

ATP Round up

Milos Raonic got his Madrid campaign off to a comfortable start with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Gilles Muller. The Canadian broke once in each set and did not face a single break point en route to the third round where he will face David Goffin.
“I have to be happy with it (his performance). I did a lot of good things, created a lot of opportunities.” Raonic said post match.
“I did not really face any break points on my service games and did not get behind, so I am very please with my first match given how different the conditions are here compared to last week.”

Tomas Berdych is also through to the third round after a straight sets win over Robin Haase. The Czech took the first set on a tiebreaker 7-5, but the second was much more comfortable and he sealed it 6-3 to set up a match with Alexander Zverev who beat Istanbul champion Marin Cilic in three sets. Grigor Dimitrov overcame the big serve about Ivo Karlovic in a 6-3, 7-5 victory. The Bulgarian faces Dominic Thiem in the third round.

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2016 @MutuaMadridOpen Day 4 Recap

Posted by Admin on May 3, 2016
Posted in: ATP, Madrid, Niall Clarke, On Site, WTA. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

2016 Mutua Madrid Open Day 4 Recap
Niall Clarke, Tennis Atlantic

Day four of the Mutua Madrid Open saw two of the top seeds start their tournaments and Juan Martin Del Potro score the biggest win since his return this year.

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Del Potro defeats Thiem
It was arguably the pick of the round one matches as Del Potro defeated the in form Dominic Thiem in straight sets 7-6(5), 6-3. The Argentine missed numerous break points in the opening set but managed to squeeze out the tiebreak 7-5. Del Potro carried the momentum into the second set where he earned an early break. Thiem fought valiantly to try save the match in the final game, but Del Potro hung on to claim his biggest win since his return to the tour this year.

The former US Open Champion had wrist surgery and has been struggling to hit topspin backhands since his return due to the pain. However in this match he noticeably hit more than usual, something he commented on post match.
“I think I improved a lot since my last match in Munich.” Said Del Potro.

“Today I hit it really well. I’m growing up with my backhand. I’m getting confidence with my backhand, too.”
“I need more matches, more progress with these guys to improve that shot. I’m still calm. I can keep patient. I want to be hitting backhands in a good way. Maybe in the second part of the year would be nice for me.”
With Roger Federer’s withdrawal, the draw has potentially opened up for 27 year old who faces Jack Sock in the next. If he is able to get past the American, either Marcel Granollers or Joao Sousa will await him.
Del Potro is only choosing to think about the present though, and enjoying a big victory.

“It’s quite difficult because I was fighting one of the best opponents that I can have.” He added.
“I knew how well I was playing and my conditions these days, and I am missing a lot of what I need be to at the highest level, the level I want to be, because I’ve been through very difficult things in the past years.

“First of all, being in a competition like this, for me, it’s a lot of merit. If I’m able to win matches, even better. Even more emotional. That’s why sometimes it’s difficult to handle the emotions.

“But I think that today I have a lot of joy. I’m very happy. It’s because some great things are happening to me right now. I wasn’t crying because I had to leave or because my wrist were hurting or anything. I was just very happy about it.”

Nadal and others make it through
A packed crowd in Manolo Santana witnessed the successful return of Rafael Nadal to the Caja Magica as he was able to defeat Andrey Kuznetsov 6-3, 6-3.
An early break set the tone for Nadal who went through the match without dropping serve. One break was enough for the first set, then another two sealed the second for a rather comfortable straight sets victory.
Nadal highlighted his serve as an important factor in his win: “I served well in Monte-Carlo and in Barcelona. Here, as I said before, the altitude, perhaps it helps you a little bit so that your serve is a little bit more effective.

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“The serve is — depending on which tournament it’s not so decisive, but in this tournament it is. Whoever serves well here is going to do well. I think I have been solid with my serve. I obtained a lot of results. I have to try to keep the percentage up. During the previous training sessions I also served well. This is important to have options to do good. I’m happy and delighted and hope I’ll be able to continue.”

Andy Murray was pushed by Radek Stepanek but the Brit found a way to come through in three sets 7-6,3-6, 6-1. The defending champion acknowledged the difficulty of the victory post match.

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“Well, he played very well. I mean, it was not easy. He obviously started the match a little bit better than me. I was playing a little bit too flat, so I think he obviously likes it when it’s like that, when the ball is bouncing a bit lower.
“He was hitting the ball big up the lines. He hit a lot of lines the first set and a half to get himself in a good position.
“In the second set, the game where he broke me, I hit good second serves and he hit like four or five clean return winners in that game. Nothing you could do there. He was just going big and it was going in.
“Third set I started to play with a little bit more height. I was playing a little bit more spin, which made it harder for him. When I was getting the ball up high he started making a few more mistakes.
“Yeah, tough, tough match.”

Nick Kyrgios set up a mouth-watering clash with Stan Wawrinka by defeating Gaudio Pella 7-6, 6-4. Fabio Fognini was also in good form when he dispatched Bernard Tomic 6-2, 6-4.
It was a good day for the Americans as there were victories for Jack Sock and Denis Kudla. Both came from a set down to beat Benoit Paire and Ivo Karlovic respectively.
There were also victories in the men’s for Milos Raonic, Albert Ramos, Gael Monfils, Roberto Bautista Agut, Pablo Carreno-Busta, Borna Coric and Pablo Cuevas.

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WTA
Simona Halep began proceedings with a 6-1, 6-1 victory over Karin Knapp on Manolo Santana. She was followed on court by Carla Suarez Navarro who defeated Sabine Lisicki 6-3, 6-2 despite not feeling well.
“I think I have a cold.” Said the eighth seed.
“But it’s true that when you go out there under the sun you can have a little bit of a headache when you have a cold. Also because all of the drugs that I had before going out there my stomach was hurting a little bit.”
When asked about whether she considered withdrawing, Suarez Navarro replied: “No, no. Here in Madrid I didn’t think about it. But it’s true that perhaps if I had been in another tournament I would’ve quit. I would’ve thought about it. Of course we are in a mandatory tournament, a very important tournament here at home. I would’ve thought about it for sure. At least say, Hey — ask me team, I don’t feel very well. What do you think, guys?

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“Being here in Madrid I have never thought about that. It hasn’t come in my mind.”
There was an exit of another seed, only this time it was by default. Lucie Safarova pulled out of her match against Sam Stosur, as did Camila Giorgi. Timea Bacsinszky fought to win a tough three setter with Ekaterina Makarova. Dominika Cibulkova backed up her first round upset over Agnieszka Radwanska by coming from behind to defeat Caroline Garcia 0-6, 6-3, 6-4. Garcia was overwhelmed after suffering the defeat.

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2016 ATP Madrid (@MutuaMadridOpen) Preview and Predictions

Posted by Admin on May 1, 2016
Posted in: ATP, Madrid, Steen Kirby. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

2016 ATP Madrid Preview and Predictions
Steen Kirby and Niall Clarke, Tennis Atlantic

It’s time for the second clay court masters tournament of the season, as most of the world’s top players will descend on the capital of Spain to duel in the magic box. Tennis Atlantic is excited to once again have credentialed coverage from the Mutua Madrid Open, as Niall Clarke will be providing you with reports on the day’s matchplay. Here is a preview and prediction for the ATP side of the tournament.

Mutua Madrid Open
ATP World Tour Masters 1000*
Madrid, Spain
May 1-8, 2016
Surface: Clay
Prize Money: €4,771,360

*denotes joint ATP/WTA event

Top 8 seeds (who all receive first round byes) (ATP ranking in parentheses)
1: Novak Djokovic (1)
2: Andy Murray (2)
3: Roger Federer (3)
4: Stan Wawrinka (4)
5: Rafael Nadal (5)
6: Kei Nishikori (6)
7: Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (7)
8: Tomas Berdych (8)

Marin Cilic, John Isner, young gun Alexander Zverev, and Martin Klizan are the only notable players missing from the tournament. Jiri Vesely, who recently stunned Novak Djokovic on clay in Monte Carlo, is also absent.

First round matchups to watch:

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(WC)Nicolas Almagro vs. Borna Coric

Madrid features some great first round matchups, and this is certainly one of them. The veteran Spaniard Almagro just won the title in Estoril, and is clearly comfortable both on clay, and in Madrid. He’s experiencing a bit of a career resurgence right now, and would like to keep the momentum going. Borna Coric was a quarterfinalist in Estoril, and also a finalist in Casablanca, as the Croatian young gun continues to steadily improve his standing on the ATP tour.

Given the fatigue factor, I favor Coric to win this, as Almagro is coming off of a three set final.

Leonardo Mayer vs. Feliciano Lopez

Mayer beat Lopez in Madrid last year, and he comes off the quarters in Estoril. Lopez has a semifinal in Houston, and won a round in Barcelona, so while he’s no clay court specialist, he is playing at a home tournament, and has a bit of momentum working in his favor. This should be a close match, as the baseliner Mayer will play a more traditional clay court game, while Lopez will look to be aggressive. This one could go either way, but I narrowly favor Lopez.

Philipp Kohlschreiber vs. Pablo Cuevas

Kohlschreiber is 32, and 7-1 in his last two tournaments, thus his clay court form is great, but he should be on upset alert given the fatigue factor, against an accomplished clay courter in Cuevas. This is a tough first round match for the Munich champion, as Cuevas keeps the ball in play, and is 2-2 in his last four clay court matches, after a strong Golden Swing earlier this season. Cuevas should grind Kohlschreiber down, and pull an upset.

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(12)David Goffin vs. (Q)Lucas Pouille

David Goffin drew the toughest qualifier, as Lucas Pouille is nearly into the top 50 at 22, and beat him in Brisbane this year in a huge upset. Pouille is 8-2 in his last 10 matches, and reached a clay court final in Bucharest recently. He’s rapidly improving his game that has plenty of weapons, while Goffin has limped to a disappointing 3-2 record on clay this Spring, and does not appear to be dialed in thus far on the surface.

Goffin was once in great form, and he could still win this match, but a Pouille win wouldn’t surprise me, and this match should feature incredible ball striking.

(14)Dominic Thiem vs. Juan Martin Del Potro 

The Munich finalist Thiem is 5-2 on spring clay thus far, and looks to be playing well. I have him making a deep run here, and this match against Del Potro could turn into a mere formality. However, he could be suffering from fatigue after playing the Munich final, and the big hitting Del Potro is slowly finding form. Del Potro won a pair of matches in Munich, and is at least a credible ATP level player right now. The style contrast will be interesting.

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Jack Sock vs. Benoit Paire

Houston finalist Jack Sock is making his debut this season on European clay. Unlike many of the American players, he can play well on the surface, and certainly has a chance to win this match against Paire. The Frenchman has made consecutive semifinals in Barcelona, and Estoril, he’s inconsistent usually, but he’s found form as of late.

Sock will contest this match hard, but I have Paire better on clay, and advancing.

(WC)Pablo Carreno Busta vs. Grigor Dimitrov

A hobbled Grigor Dimitrov suffered defeat in the ATP Istanbul final, and appeared to be extremely upset  and frustrated with himself. The Bulgarian #1 is 3-0 against PCB though, and the Spaniard is coming off of his own ATP final in Estoril. PCB played well in Estoril, scoring four wins, three of which came over solid ATP players, and he also has a clay quarterfinal in Casablanca this year.

Dimitrov is 4-2 on spring clay, and should be the favorite, but I’m not sure where his head will be for this match.

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Djokovic’s Quarter

Novak Djokovic hasn’t won the Madrid Masters since 2011, and he suffered his first clay loss of the season to Jiri Vesely in Monte Carlo. That was a stunning defeat, but you have to assume the world #1 will recover, and go relatively far in Madrid, if not win the tournament. Djokovic will open with the Almagro/Coric winner, Coric could give him a good test, but he should win that match and then defeat Roberto Bautista Agut to reach the quarters. The Spaniard opens with qualifier Santiago Giraldo with either Mayer or Lopez to follow. RBA is normally solid on clay though he lost in Barcelona, thus he’s the favorite for a third round spot.

Milos Raonic hasn’t lost before the quarterfinals in a tournament this season, he should be able to continue that streak with wins over Thomaz Bellucci, Alexandr Dolgopolov, and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, though Tsonga is by far the toughest opponent of that group. Bellucci has been struggling mightily, Dolgopolov just beat Steve Johnson in a round 1 three setter and is unpredictable, coming off a quarterfinal in Barcelona. Tsonga was a semifinalist in Monte Carlo, where he beat Roger Federer,  and he should be able to get past Istanbul quarterfinalist Albert Ramos (or Jeremy Chardy), in round 2.

Raonic beat Tsonga in 2014 on clay, and his strong and consistent play is why I have him reaching the quarters.

Wawrinka’s Quarter

Stan Wawrinka has been in poor form in recent months, most recently dropping a quarterfinal match in Monte Carlo. However, he’s a solid clay court player and a former Madrid finalist. One of the most anticipated matches of round 2 should be Wawrinka against Nick Kyrgios. Kyrgios has reached consecutive semifinals, including on clay in Estoril. He’ll need to defeat Bucharest quarterfinalist Guido Pella first. Wawrinka and Kyrgios have a heated rivalry, though they have only met three times, given this is clay, I give Wawrinka a slight edge to advance, but wouldn’t be surprised if Kyrgios won.

Pablo Cuevas is my dark horse pick to reach the third round, after Kohlschreiber, he’s likely to face Gael Monfils. Monfils has been in great form and reached the final in Monte Carlo, but he has was injured and had to withdrawal from Munich. His opening round opponent Kevin Anderson has been injured himself, and thus he should win that match, but I don’t trust Monfils to consistently be able to post solid performances yet, and Cuevas excels at keeping the ball in play and grinding through matches. Wawrinka or Kyrgios should defeat Cuevas in round three though, Monfils is a bit of a wild card in this section too, full of talented, but wildly varying performers.

Kei Nishikori, a finalist in Barcelona, and a former finalist in Madrid, should be the favorite to win this quarter. Nishikori does not have an easy draw, but he’s reached consecutive ATP finals, demonstrating the tremendous form he’s riding right now. Barcelona quarterfinalist and Munich semifinalist Fabio Fognini is also playing well, and he should dispatch a struggling Bernard Tomic in round 1. Tomic has lost three straight.

Richard Gasquet is set to face Nishikori in round 3, Gasquet opens with qualifier Roberto Carballes Baena, with Fernando Verdasco to follow. Verdasco just beat Juan Monaco in round 1 and took the title in Bucharest. The veteran Spaniard is playing at home, and is in form, while Gasquet isn’t in great form, but his superior talent should get him through the first two rounds, before falling to Nishikori. Gasquet is 6-0 against Nishikori but has never faced him on clay.

Federer’s Quarter

Roger Federer is a three time champion in Madrid, and came off the Monte Carlo quarterfinals after returning from injury. Federer is perhaps the highest seed most likely to exit before the quarterfinals as I have him losing to the talented, and in-form Dominic Thiem. Federer will open with either Joao Sousa or Nicolas Mahut, both players are struggling, and that means Federer should win with ease. Thiem will face the Sock/Paire winner after Del Potro, he could lose that match if he’s fatigued, but his great form has me picking him to go as far as the quarterfinals.

Rafael Nadal has four career titles in Madrid, and is defending finals points here as well. He should easily defeat either Andrey Kuznetsov or Viktor Troicki, most likely Kuznetsov as he comes off a quarterfinal in Barcelona. Nadal against Goffin is my pick for the third round. After Pouille, Goffin will face Pierre-Hugues Herbert, or Sam Querrey in round 2. The qualifier Herbert has been in great form (qualified for all Masters singles draws this season), particularly in doubles, and he could spring a surprise. Querrey reached the quarterfinals in Houston, but is usually poor on clay. Nadal should demolish Goffin or Pouille to reach the quarters.

Murray’s Quarter

Andy Murray is the defending champion, and he has a rather easy draw to get back to the quarterfinals at least. The weakest section of the draw features Vasek Pospisil or qualifier Radek Stepanek as Murray’s first opponent, with most likely Gilles Simon to feature in round 3, though Simon has to defeat veteran Marcos Baghdatis and PCB/Dimitrov first. Simon has never played Baghdatis on clay, and he’s 3-2 in his last five matches on the surface. Baghdatis is normally poor on clay. PCB is an interesting dark horse here, but I presume fatigue will end his march. Dimitrov’s lack of focus should help Simon advance, before falling to Murray, who reached the semis in Monte Carlo, his only stint on clay this season.

Tomas Berdych and David Ferrer are the top seeds in the competitive section above Murray. Berdych is a former Madrid finalist, while Ferrer was twice a semifinalist at home in Spain. It’ll be Berdych against either qualifier Denis Istomin, or a struggling Teymuraz Gabashvili in round 2, while Ferrer opens with countryman Guillermo Garcia-Lopez. Ferrer won both meetings against GGL last year in dominating fashion, GGL has a quarterfinal and a semifinal in recent weeks on clay, and Ferrer has been struggling, but the talent gap is still there. Ferrer against qualifier Denis Kudla is my pick for round 2, Kudla has a recent challenger semi on clay, while Ivo Karlovic snapped a long losing streak to reach the semis in Istanbul in improbable fashion. The veteran likely loses in the opening round this time.

Ferrer and Berdych have a competitive h2h, Berdych did lose in the opening round of Monte Carlo, but I have a feeling he’ll rebound and do well in Madrid with his power game.

Dark Horse: Pablo Cuevas and Lucas Pouille

If you’re looking for unseeded players in the top and bottom half who might make a splash, look no farther than Cuevas, who should face opponents at less than 100% until he faces Wawrinka/Kyrgios round 3, and Pouille, who has to defeat Goffin, and Herbert/Querrey to setup an interesting third round match with Nadal. Nadal and Wawrinka/Kyrgios should both prevail, stopping either player from reaching the second week, but they are both clay court threats.

Predictions

Quarters
Djokovic d. Raonic
Nishikori d. Wawrinka
Nadal d. Thiem
Murray d. Berdych

On clay, Djokovic, and Nadal are both clear favorites, though Thiem has a win over Nadal this year, Rafa got him back in Monte Carlo. Nishikori is in better form than Wawrinka, and Murray should have the edge over Berdych given the surface and stage.

Semis
Djokovic d. Nishikori
Nadal d. Murray

Nishikori seems to lack the staying power to compete with Djokovic from the baseline, while Nadal is a cut above Murray on clay right now, as he demonstrated in the Monte Carlo semi.

Final
Djokovic d. Nadal

A possible preview to the French Open “final” before the final, Djokovic has won six straight against Rafa, including two matches this year, and most of their contests haven’t even been close. Nadal has won two straight tournaments on clay (Monte Carlo and Barcelona), but he did so without facing Djokovic, and until he proves to me that the current Rafa can defeat the current Novak, I have to pick Djokovic to win this title.

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Steen Kirby (Marseille)

WTA Action Starts in Earnest @MutuaMadridOpen 2016

Posted by Admin on May 1, 2016
Posted in: ATP, Madrid, Niall Clarke, On Site, WTA. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

WTA Action Starts in Earnest at Mutua Madrid Open 2016
Niall Clarke, Tennis Atlantic

Our Tennis Atlantic journalist Niall Clarke has this report from his first day of on-site coverage in Madrid.

There was an early upset in the WTA side of the draw as second seed Angelique Kerber suffered a 6-4, 6-2 defeat to Barbora Strycova. The German made many uncharacteristic errors and cited fatigue as an issue post match.
“To Be honest I am really tired. I didn’t play my best tennis today and I made a lot of unforced errors. I tried in the second set to find my rhythm and come back, but I was not able to play my game today.”

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Roberta Vinci was another upset victim after being dispatched by Danka Kovinic. The Montenegrin took the opening set 6-4 after a long game whilst serving it out. The second set was full of service breaks but Kovinic was able to claim it 6-2 to further shake up the top quarter after Sara Errani’s exit on Saturday.
There was no upsets for the Spanish number one and two as Garbine Muguruza and Carla Suarez Navarro both won on Manolo Santana court. Muguruza won in straight sets 6-2, 7-5, whilst Suarez Navarro came from behind to beat Timea Babos 3-6, 6-2, 6-3.

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Karolina Pliskova and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova raced to 6-2, 6-1 victories each at the start of the days play. The Czech will meet America’s Christina McHale in round two and the Russian will face Camila Giorgi. Defending champion Petra Kvitova also emerged victorious in straight sets as did Simona Halep.

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There were three British players in action, starting with Heather Watson who lost a grueling two set match to Daria Gavrilova. The Australian eventually pulled through 7-5, 6-4.
Watson said post match: “First of all, coming into this tournament I didn’t have the preparation I wanted, I have been injured, and I only practiced three days before the tournament so I was very happy to get through my first round (of qualification). It was a tough second round of qualies, I thought my opponent played really well. Today I thought I played better than the other matches, but I am just not match fit and I was too inconsistent. I had a lot of break point chances, and we had a lot of games that went to deuce and I struggled to close them out.”
Johanna Konta did not fare any better as she was forced to retire 6-4, 2-1 down to Caroline Garcia. Laura Robson put up a good effort but was overwhelmed by Victoria Azarenka 6-4,6-2.

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ATP qualifiers book main draw place

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It was also the last day of qualifying on the men’s side of the draw. Santiago Giraldo was the first to make it through with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Dusan Lajovic. Lucas Pouille joined the Colombian shortly after with a 6-3, (5) 6-7, 6-1 victory over Spain’s Adrian Menendez-Maceiras.

Dennis Kudla secured another American name into the draw with a dramatic three set victory over Benjamin Becker. Pierre Hughes Herbert and Radek Stepanek also qualified with straight set victories. Denis Istomin needed three sets to knockout Mikhail Kukushkin.

The main draw got under way with Fernando Verdasco’s clash with Juan Monaco. The Spaniard was down a break in the opening set but came back to take the match 7-5, 7-6(3). Alexandr Dolgopolov came from a set down to defeat Steve Johnson, 3-6, 6-3 7-6(4).

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Nadal, Murray Set Up Mouthwatering 2015 @MutuaMadridOpen ATP Final

Posted by Admin on May 9, 2015
Posted in: ATP, Madrid, Niall Clarke, On Site. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Nadal, Murray Set Up Mouthwatering 2015 Madrid Open ATP Final
Niall Clarke, Tennis Atlantic

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It was mens semi-finals day at the Mutua Madrid Open, with four of the world’s best fighting it out for a place in Sunday’s final.

Rafael Nadal vs Tomas Berdych

Play started with the defending champion and home crowd favourite Rafael Nadal vs Tomas Berdych.

The Spaniard won 17 straight times against the Czech before Berdych finally halted that losing streak at the Australian Open.

Berdych’s new found confidence against Nadal was apparent in the opening games, holding serve easy and hitting some good winners. However Nadal soon got a look in at 3-3, forcing the first break point of the match. Berdych saved it with an ace. Berdych’s serve came under more scrutiny towards the end of the set, and he found himself a break point down for the second time at 5-5. This time it was a big second serve that came to the rescue, as Nadal couldn’t return it.

A high quality first set fittingly ended with a tiebreak, and with momentum mostly on his side, Rafa took control. Some big forehands from the defending champion gave him an unassailable lead, and the set was soon his. 7-3 in the tiebreak to Nadal.

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Nadal wielded the first break point of the second set, but like the previous two occasions Berdych saved it. Only this time Berdych saved it with a big forehand winner. The pressure was still on, and in the following point Nadal forced a fourth break point of the match. This time, the defending champion was successful, and thus the first break of the match went to the Spaniard.

As the crowd waved, Berdych saw his chances of rescuing himself disappear. At 4-1, the Czech found himself under constant pressure, and despite being able to save three break points, Berdych ship eventually sank. The world number seven double faulted on break point and from then it was academic. Nadal easily closed out the match, holding serve to love and being the first man to book his place in Sunday’s final.

Berdych played at a good level in the first set, but as the match wore on it was clear that Nadal was finding his game, and after the first break of serve the Czech’s confidence sunk.

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Nadal pointed out post-match that this was his best performance for a long time.

“Well it went fine. Went really good. I think I played a very good match, best match of the tournament without a doubt.”

“Much more than that, I think it has been a long time since I played at that level. In General I’m very happy.”

Nadal improves to 19-4 against Berdych, and his title defence continues against Andy Murray.

Kei Nishikori vs Andy Murray

Andy Murray booked his second clay court final in as many weeks after a straight sets victory over Kei Nishikori.

The Brit looked to be aggressive on the return and get Nishikori moving off the bat. His first break point opportunity came at 1-1 in the first set, but on that occasion he failed to convert. At 3-3, Murray made no mistake and took the lead in the match. A second break secured the set 6-3.

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Nishikori would up his level at the start of the second set, returning better and hitting less unforced errors. He managed to break Murray for the first time at 1-1, but Murray broke straight back. The match stayed with serve until at 5-4, where Murray made another successful move. A net-cord shot went wrong for Kei, and he found himself out of the tournament.

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The Japanese star blamed the amount of unforced errors for his loss.

“Well there was too many unforced errors from me.” Nishikori said. “I don’t think I played too bad, but to beat Andy I was missing too much.”

“I thought I was doing well a couple of times, but overall I think he maintained his concentration pretty well.”

Andy Murray believed that he has upped his level since the last time these two met.

“I think last year I struggled a lot against the top players.” The British number one said.

“I wasn’t so confident playing against them. I still felt I wasn’t quite where I needed to be with my game. In the off season I put in a lot of hard work on my game and made a few changes and tried to get back to playing the way that I was playing when I was most successful.”

“I think today I was pretty aggressive. I tried to dictate a lot of the points, especially when he was serving and it worked well.”

Murray will now head into his second straight Clay court final. Only this time he faces the king of clay Rafael Nadal. Tomorrow will be an interesting final, and with Murray’s new found confidence on clay, maybe he can finally defeat Nadal on the surface for the first time.

Niall Clarke (Sofia)

2015 Madrid Open Friday Recap (@MutuaMadridOpen)

Posted by Admin on May 9, 2015
Posted in: ATP, Madrid, Niall Clarke, On Site, WTA. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

2015 Madrid Open Friday Recap
Niall Clarke, Tennis Atlantic

Kuznetsova upset Sharapova (photo credit: Niall Clarke)

Kuznetsova upset Sharapova (photo credit: Niall Clarke)

The 2015 Mutua Madrid Open careened towards a conclusion on Friday as eight men, and four women took centre stage on Manolo Santana.

Maria Sharapova vs Svetlana Kuznetsova

The day began with the first women’s semi-final, and it was an all-Russian affair as defending champion Maria Sharapova faced surprise semi-finalist Svetlana Kuznetsova. Kuznetsova might have been a surprise inclusion in the semi-finals, but she was not to be under-estimated. The 29 year old has previously won two grand slam titles, including the French Open back in 2009.

Kuznetsova can play on clay, and she certainly showed that today. She came out of the blocks quickly, breaking at 2-1 and immediately putting Sharapova under pressure. The break advantage was then doubled at 4-2. The unseeded player then served out the set successfully, and in turn gave Sharapova no choice but to play three sets again if she wanted to win.

Kuznetsova had no intention of going the distance though. The world number 29 saved break point at 2-1, before finally sealing a break advantage herself at 2-2. The 2009 Roland Garros champion continued to apply the pressure on Sharapova’s serve at 4-2, but the world number three saved all three break points. From that point it was just about closing it out for Kuznetsova, and she did it without any issue what so ever. The upset was complete, and Svetlana Kuznetsova became the first player to advance to the finals 6-2 6-4.

Serena Williams vs Petra Kvitova

The upsets just kept coming on Manolo Santana as Serena Williams was dumped out by Petra Kvitova 6-2, 6-3.

The world number one couldn’t find her serve, and coupled with Kvitova’s brilliant play from the baseline we had another one sided semi-final. Kvitova had never beaten Serena in five attempts before today, but during the match you could sense that it was finally going to be Petra’s time against the world number one.

The Czech’s game was on point from the start, and a rattled Williams couldn’t find any rhythm of her own. A double break put the set beyond Serena, and Petra served it out to take it 6-2. As well as Kvitova was playing, Serena was off her game. Un-characteristic errors flew off the racket of the top seed, and her hopes of a final birth were fading. Serena had enough fight to break back at 5-2, but ultimately Petra wasn’t to be denied. Another break of serve sealed it for the world number four.

Despite the late break of serve from Serena, Kvitova ensures she remained calm. “I had 5-2, and I knew I was going to serve on more time, and with new balls. I was serving at 5-2 with the old balls and it was really tight.” “I wasn’t like ‘Oh my god’, but of course I would like to be out of the court soon. Actually in the end I broke her serve to win the match, and that was probably the easier way.”

The Czech’s whole game was on fire the whole match, but she pointed out that her serve was particularly good at 3-1 in the second set. “I think in the end of the second set she was trying to fight back. I think it was 3-1 or something like that. She had a few breaks points and I served well and played well that game. I saved my serve, which I think was very important in that moment.” Kvitova will now play Kuznetsova in the final.

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Serena Williams will now move on to Rome, where she will be looking to go at least one step further than Madrid. Despite the performance today, the world number one remained positive about her tournament as a whole. “I thought I had a really good event. You know, like I said, I didn’t come here expecting to necessarily hold the trophy and I’m not. So, you know, I did the best that I could in every match, and that’s all I could do. “

Rafael Nadal vs Grigor Dimitrov

Rafael Nadal was the first player to book his place in the semi-finals with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Grigor Dimitrov.

The Spaniard applied the pressure early on the Dimitrov serve, forcing three break points, all of which were saved by the Bulgarian. In his next service game however, Dimitrov wilted, and a fantastic passing shot from Nadal gave the defending champion the lead. The lead didn’t last long however as Dimitrov broke back the following game. Unfortunately, his own service troubles came back to haunt him again at 2-2, and Rafa was able to re-take the lead. The Spaniard faced more scrutiny on serve at 3-2, but this time he managed to save the two break points and keep ahead in the set. From there Nadal was able to close it out 6-3.

The second set was not as simple as Rafa would have liked. The Spaniard lost serve in his second service game of the set. Unfortunately for Dimitrov, he was playing Nadal in Madrid and the Spanish pressure soon took its toll. Nadal broke back at 3-2, prompting a racket smash from the Bulgarian due to his missed opportunity. With the crowd getting more and more solidly behind their man, Nadal pushed for the win at 5-4, and on the second match point, the king of clay proved his worth once again.

Nadal wasn’t at his best today, and I feel Dimitrov should have taken advantage of that. He won’t get many better chances to score his first win over Rafa. I think Dimitrov sensed it too hence the frustration in the middle of the second set.

Rafa in action (photo credit: Niall Clarke)

Rafa in action (photo credit: Niall Clarke)

John Isner vs Tomas Berdych

Tomas Berdych set up a semi-final showdown with Rafael Nadal after a come from behind 3-6, 7-6, 7-6 victory.

Isner started the match on fire. The American hit some clean return winners, good volleys and some well executed drop shots in the opening set. Isner’s form certainly took Berdych by surprise, as the Czech looked shocked at what he was seeing. An impressive return game from Isner was the difference in the opening set, which the big American took 6-3. In the second set Berdych began serving and returning better, and forced a break point early. However Isner hit a ridiculous second serve that literally bounced over Berdych to save it. As seems to be inevitable with Isner, the set went to a tiebreak, which was closely contested. Berdych saved match point on his own serve before taking it 9-7.

The final set was even, and fittingly went to another tiebreak. But unlike the majority of the set, the tiebreak was not at all even. Berdych played strong whilst Isner seemed to fall off the rails, hence the one sided 7-1 score-line.

Berdych toppled Isner (photo credit: Niall Clarke)

Berdych toppled Isner (photo credit: Niall Clarke)

Berdych faces Nadal next, most likely a lot more confident than their previous meetings. After a 17 match losing streak, the Czech finally got a win over Rafa at the Australian Open. He will be looking to repeat that performance tomorrow.

Andy Murray vs Milos Raonic

Andy Murray advanced to the semi-finals of the Mutua Madrid Open with a straight sets victory over Milos Raonic. The Canadian was clearly bothered by a foot injury that forced him to withdraw from Rome next week, and Murray (ever the opportunist) looked to exploit that my moving Raonic around the court, side and side, front to back and any other direction you can think of. Raonic looked to compensate for his lack of movement by hitting huge serves averaging around the 220-230 KMH mark. Murray patiently waited for his opportunity that arose at 4-4 when he finally managed to break serve. The Brit successfully served out the set to give himself a 1-0 advantage.

The second set went much the same, with Raonic bombing serves and forehands, whilst Murray looked to use his variety to move the Canadian around. It looked like a potential tiebreak was on the horizon, but Murray had other ideas. The world number three broke against at 5-5, and then successfully served the match out to claim victory.

Raonic vs. magic Murray (photo credit: Niall Clarke)

Raonic vs. magic Murray (photo credit: Niall Clarke)

Murray will now face Kei Nishikori in the semi-finals.

Raonic will now skip Rome in hope that his injured foot will heal. Murray stated post match that the injury altered his game plan and that he tried to capitalise on Raonic’s lack of movement. “It certainly altered the way I played the match a little bit.” Murray said. “It’s tough because he’s still serving like 220-230 kilometres an hour in altitude and going for big second serves as well.” “I felt when I was serving, I played the match well. Made him do a lot of moving.  He seemed to be moving okay side to side, it was moving forward that was causing him the issues.” “So I tried to exploit that a little bit. Yeah it was still a tricky match because in those conditions you’re still able to serve like that and get a lot of free points and make it tough.”

Murray def. Raonic 6-4, 7-5.

Kei Nishikori vs David Ferrer

David Ferrer’s hopes of a masters title in his home country were thwarted by Kei Nishikori in the final match on Manolo Santana. The Japanese star dispatched of the Spaniard in straight sets 6-4, 6-2 and will now play Andy Murray in Saturday’s semi finals.

Ferrer was the one that started the better, holding to love in the opening game and then breaking the world number five in the following game. Nishikori is known as one of the best returners on tour, so despite the early break advantage nobody was writing Nishikori out of the set. He proved that theory to be correct in the following game, breaking back to level the match. Nishikori then got a lead of his own at 3-3, breaking Ferrer and holding serve to give himself the opportunity to serve the set out. Ferrer had chances to break back as Nishikori struggled to close it out, but the Japanese eventually got it done after saving two break points.

The second set opened with three consecutive breaks of serve. Both players are known for their fantastic returning abilities, so it was to be expected that there would be plenty of breaks of serve. Nishikori came out of that flurry with the lead, and from there he took control. The world number five broke again at 3-1, and then served out the match with no trouble to book a semi final place.

Nishikori def. Ferrer 6-4, 6-2

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Niall Clarke (Sofia)