Topic: ATP Dubai 500 - 2/18-4/3/2012

[Dallas]

Top Seeds:
1. Djokovic
2. Federer
3. Murray
4. Tsonga
5. Berdych
6. Fish
7. tipsarevic
8. Del Potro

Results today:

Novak d Stebe 64 62
Lacko d Bubka 26 62 76(14)
Golubev d M. Djokovic 63 62
Rosol d Mannario 62 62
Fish d Beck 61 61

[Babblelot]

M. Djokovic -- how did Marco get into Dubai? Did he qualify?

[Alex]

M. Djokovic -- how did Marco get into Dubai? Did he qualify?

nop, his big brother got him a WC  . it's kinda silly, but hey I'd do it for my bro too. nepotism at it's best 

[Tennis4you]

I would have taken a WC if they would have given it to me.

[pawan89]

Guys I know who's win Dubai this year: 

Marcos Baghdatis says that the presence of world No. 1 Novak Djokovic at the Dubai Duty Free Open does not scare him. "When I am in the tournament I don't see Novak winning," the former Australian Open finalist told Gulf News. "I am here to win and I don't care if he is there. I doubt he can win here this week, not when I am here at least."

[pawan89]

Novak Djokovic’s younger brother Marko says that being the sibling of the world No. 1 has its advantages and disadvantages.

"They're trying more," the 869th-ranked Marko told reporters after his 6-3 6-2 loss to Andrey Golubev in Dubai. "I played qualifiers and Futures and was coming back from the injury, and it was really tough. I had to fight for every point. So this is the big difference when they play against me and then when I see them playing against somebody else. Maybe sometimes I have an advantage because maybe they get scared. You know, Novak's brother. I have to beat him. Like Golubev today, he started so-so in the beginning."

The 20-year-old Marko injured his wrist at the start of 2011 and did not play for 10 months.

"A brother like that is a privilege. He's helping me a lot," Marko said of brother Novak. "He knows a lot about tennis, and he's trying to push me to go more and more, to improve, to not make mistakes that he made in that stage of his life. But we cannot compare. There have been a lot of positive and negative things being his brother. It's a lot positive. Financially I have all the needs and I can get all the coaches and all the practice. But negative things, there is a lot of pressure. Everybody expects, which is really tough to achieve. But I'm trying. I'm doing my best."

I feel bad for the guy a bit, people should cut him some slack but he's also seemingly openly admitting that he has pressure. Beating a guy like Andrey Golubev who's a solid top 100 player is no easy task and it takes a lot more than just being Novak's brother. It wasn't just pressure and the fact that the opponents try harder against him that made him lose here, he's just not good enough. If he thinks the world is stacked against him already, god help him. Novak was making big news back when he was 20, Marko needs to suck it up, keep his head down, win a few more futures and challengers to get his ranking up before he comes to play with the big boys. He's in for a rough ride if he already thinks a top 100 player is going to try extra hard against barely top 1000 player just because of his name.

[FedFanForever]

Guys I know who's win Dubai this year: 

Marcos Baghdatis says that the presence of world No. 1 Novak Djokovic at the Dubai Duty Free Open does not scare him. "When I am in the tournament I don't see Novak winning," the former Australian Open finalist told Gulf News. "I am here to win and I don't care if he is there. I doubt he can win here this week, not when I am here at least."

Badass. Why can't Federer say this? 

[Alex]

Baggy boy is a goof. I love him.

[sid]

Murray wins first set 6-3 

[Dallas]

Results so far:

Stahkovsky d Awadhy 61 62
Cipolia d Ljubicic 62 75
Tipsarevic d Kunitsyn 62 62
Murray d Berrer 63 46 64
Chiudinelli d Davydenko 64 57 64
Tsonga d Baghdatis 76(2) 64 (so much for Baghdatis' words)
Youzhny d Gasquet 63 (retired)
Lopez d Majut 64 64
Federer d Llodra 60 76(6)

Delpo is on court right now.


Tomorrow's matches:
Murray v Chiudinelli

Djokovic v Stakhovsky

Federer v Lopez (could be really close.  Seems like he has problems with Lopez)

Tsonga v Rosol (who?)

Cipolla v Tipsarevic

Lacko v Berdych

and the winner of the Del Potro/Dolgopolov will play Golubev

[FedFanForever]

Federer def Lopez 6-3 7-5
Murray def Marco 6-1, 6-3
Djokovic def Stakhovsky 6-2 6-2
Tsonga def Rosol 6-2 6-4

[Alex]

very nice video with Nole and Rog from Dubai 
http://www.blick.ch/sport/tennis/roger-feiert-dubai-jubilaeum-mit-djokovic-auf-burj-al-arab-id1784174.html

[pawan89]

Murray through Berdych in straight sets. Keep in mind that Murray has beaten Berdych just once in their last 4 meetings. This is quite a good thing for Murray who, unlike his post-AO meltdowns from the last two years, is looking good, staying positive, keeping his head down and keep working hard. Lendl +1. I love the humility as well as the confidence in the following quote.

“It should be obviously a great challenge. Any time you play against the top players, that’s the case,” Murray said. “I would like to get a chance to play him again. You know, before the Indian Wells/Miami stretch it would be good to see exactly what I need to work on, where my game is. I had a great match with him in Australia, and hopefully can reverse the result tomorrow.”

[sid]

Murray through Berdych in straight sets. Keep in mind that Murray has beaten Berdych just once in their last 4 meetings. This is quite a good thing for Murray who, unlike his post-AO meltdowns from the last two years, is looking good, staying positive, keeping his head down and keep working hard. Lendl +1. I love the humility as well as the confidence in the following quote.

“It should be obviously a great challenge. Any time you play against the top players, that’s the case,” Murray said. “I would like to get a chance to play him again. You know, before the Indian Wells/Miami stretch it would be good to see exactly what I need to work on, where my game is. I had a great match with him in Australia, and hopefully can reverse the result tomorrow.”

Also it was said he was ill & under the weather in first round match.

[Alex]

Nole def. Tipsy. NID. Tipsy tried to fight in the second set so hard but he lost. oh, well, nothing new.

[Dallas]

Roger wins his match - yea! Although I didn't see it. I was on a plane. I'm in Florida now (had a change of plans that made me miss seeing Roger later in the month).  Yes, I'm disappointed. We will be here through March 15th (not enough time to see Roger), but my brother-in-law said: I can get you tickets this week to see The Delray Beach tournament.!!! Uhm...not a good trade off for me: Roger or Roddick... Gee!!!!


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[Alex]

Roger wins his match - yea! Although I didn't see it. I was on a plane. I'm in Florida now (had a change of plans that made me miss seeing Roger later in the month).  Yes, I'm disappointed. We will be here through March 15th (not enough time to see Roger), but my brother-in-law said: I can get you tickets this week to see The Delray Beach tournament.!!! Uhm...not a good trade off for me: Roger or Roddick... Gee!!!!


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Dallas, we are happy that you are rich enough to travel etc. I wish I could too  . oh btw, Novak will destroy Rog in the final... so sorry 

[HarryWild]

Two heavy duty semi in the mens. 

Novak N. DJOKOVIC [1] vs. Andy Murray [3]

Juan DEL POTRO [8] vs. Roger Federer [2]

[Alex]

Two heavy duty semi in the mens. 

Novak N. DJOKOVIC [1] vs. Andy Murray [3]

Juan DEL POTRO [8] vs. Roger Federer [2]

great matches, I can hardly wait ... hopefully I'll be awake 

[Bazcovic]

Two heavy duty semi in the mens. 

Novak N. DJOKOVIC [1] vs. Andy Murray [3]

Juan DEL POTRO [8] vs. Roger Federer [2]

great matches, I can hardly wait ... hopefully I'll be awake 

Hopefully, I'll be home from work! 

The Dubai time difference is actually pretty OK for me.
Maybe the ATP can scrap the USO, and establish the DBO (Dubai Open).