Topic: ATP - Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters - 14-22 April 2012

[conchita]

Murray defeating Benneteau, the french retired (ankle injured), hope it is not serious, he had a great chance to win 1st title next week in Bucharest. Tsonga with a good win vs Verdasco. Djokovic overcome the emotional turmoil to win his match. Nadal just lost 2 games vs Kukushkin. Berdych cameback to defeat Nishikori in 3 sets. Simon was very impressive against Tipsarevic, 60 46 61, Haase defeating Bellucci and losing just 5 games was a big suprise. Wawrinka was almost perfect against Almagro, Stan has defeated 3 spaniards in a row: Lopez, Andujar, Almagro and he is also in the doubles quartefinals. The Bryans defeated the Murrays.

tomorrow:
Murray vs Berdych
Djokovic vs Haase
Wawrinka vs Nadal
Simon vs Tsonga
highly probable the top 4 will win!

Bryans vs Paes/Stepanek, big match!

[conchita]

Friday, April 20, 2012, OOP

Court Central Start 10:30 am
[3] Andy Murray (GBR) v [6] Tomas Berdych (CZE)
Not Before 12:00 PM
[1] Novak Djokovic (SRB) v Robin Haase (NED)
Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI) v [2] Rafael Nadal (ESP)
[9] Gilles Simon (FRA) v [4] Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA)

Court des Princes Start 12:00 noon
[1] Bob Bryan (USA) / Mike Bryan (USA) v [5] Leander Paes (IND) / Radek Stepanek (CZE)
Oliver Marach (AUT) / Alexander Peya (AUT) v [3] Michael Llodra (FRA) / Nenad Zimonjic (SRB)
Viktor Troicki (SRB) / Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI) v [2] Max Mirnyi (BLR) / Daniel Nestor (CAN)

Court 2 Start 2:00 pm
Florian Mayer (GER) / Jurgen Melzer (AUT) v Marcel Granollers (ESP) / Marc Lopez (ESP)

[Alex]

Great win for Djokovic under the circumstances ... He found out that his beloved grandpa Vladimir Djokovic passed away just few hours before the match.

[Dallas]

Great win for Djokovic under the circumstances ... He found out that his beloved grandpa Vladimir Djokovic passed away just few hours before the match.

Sorry for his lost.  It must have been hard coming right out and playing after receiving the news.  I understand he was warming up when they told him.

[Djokovic Champion]

Great win for Djokovic under the circumstances ... He found out that his beloved grandpa Vladimir Djokovic passed away just few hours before the match.

I agree, nice win, but it may take some time to recover.

[HarryWild]

Nole now made a statement that Monte Carlo is for "Dede"  Rafa will be disturbed by this event!  May not play to his potential if it is against Djokovic!  It will be a very emotional meeting for both since Rafa has lost to Nole alot of times in 2011 and now one is playing for continuous wins since 2003 and another to win to devote the win to his grandfather.

[Alex]

Great win for Djokovic under the circumstances ... He found out that his beloved grandpa Vladimir Djokovic passed away just few hours before the match.

Sorry for his lost.  It must have been hard coming right out and playing after receiving the news.  I understand he was warming up when they told him.

yes Dallas. His grandpa thought him to never give up... here is a pic of them after Nole won Wimbledon


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[swish]

Nole now made a statement that Monte Carlo is for "Dede"  Rafa will be disturbed by this event!  May not play to his potential if it is against Djokovic!  It will be a very emotional meeting for both since Rafa has lost to Nole alot of times in 2011 and now one is playing for continuous wins since 2003 and another to win to devote the win to his grandfather.

It's a strange scenario and changes how I'll be looking at that match.
 
Nadal has to do his best, losing a tennis match isn't the proper way to give condolences.
 
 

[Babblelot]

Wow! Benneteau suffers a broken elbow when taking a fall following that nasty turned ankle.

Holy crap! 

[Babblelot]

Wawrinka was almost perfect against Almagro

 

That really pisses me off when a guy who has been hibernating for months starts playing flawless tennis out of nowhere...and takes it out on one of my guys!   

[HarryWild]

Wawrinka was almost perfect against Almagro

 

That really pisses me off when a guy who has been hibernating for months starts playing flawless tennis out of nowhere...and takes it out on one of my guys!   

For a couple of minutes I thought Stan would give back the games he earned in the beginning of the first set!  It was kind of interesting and Stan know it too!   But he just got lucky and pull it through to finish with a set up!  Did not watch the second set however.

[Gawdblessya]

Hello everyone!  I'm hoping to be able to watch some of Monte Carlo this weekend.  What an excellent field here!

My pick for the title is Djokovic. It comes as no surprise that he would take a Champions view and play on in honour of his late & much loved grandfather.   

Nadal though, is in imperious form as one would expect here in MC, but he has a relatively "easy" draw and hasn't been challenged as yet. Based entirely on his form thus far this year, I haven't picked him for the title BUT (obviously) this is his  domain & comfort zone, & it wouldn't surprise me if he settles into a compelling momentum here & goes on to win it.

Murray is looking good out there.   I'm watching his match with Berdych & he has been broken in 2nd set, having won the first on a TB.  It warms the heart to see a well contested match!        Whilst my mind says Djokovic for the title, my heart wishes Murray can win it. 

Good to see Haase / Tsonga / Wawrinka still there  - if any of them muster up the where-with-all to lift this trophy, I'll eat my hat!
 

[Mertov]

I believe Robin Haase has a chance against Djokovic, and even to reach the finals, especially considering Berdych's win over Murray few minutes ago (I don't believe Haase would have had a chance at all against Murray, but against Berdych's bigger game with less variety, he does). 

Of course, it would be a big upset for Haase to beat Djokovic; that being said I still feel that he has a chance,  and that he is likely to breakthrough in his career at least once, and to do it in this tournament, after getting "lucky" against Monaco in the first round, would be ironic.  But he has played extremely well in his next two matches and should match up well with Djokovic's rallies on clay; one trap he must not fall into is to stop coming to the net behind well-placed ground strokes (which he usually does pretty well).

Mertov

[Alex]

Mertov, Haase has 0.000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000001 chances against Djokovic. Novak might withdraw from this tournament because of his grandpa, and that' s the only chance Haase can win this. So, don't be silly ... Haase beating Djokovic, it's a joke man.

[williamchung7]

OK, Murray lost to Berdych. I guess Federer is very impressed by this result.

[Mertov]

Hi Alex,

It looks like you are right so far, I acknowledged also that it would be a big upset.  Being silly (as you put it) is evidently an undeniable companion of the 'prediction arena'.

But remember you had a similarly animated reaction when I posted that I felt Isner had a chance against Djokovic in Indian Wells and I never heard you mention your post again

Best
Mertov

[Babblelot]

Really Murray?

Big 4? Really guys?

[Babblelot]

Everyone can stop fussing over Nole's fast starts and wavering finishes now.

[Babblelot]

I had picked Simon in this one from the start, and I'm sticking with that. Tsonga is such a tease. The way he's been playing here has been really impressive, I'm sure he agrees. But things have to come easy for him or he starts to look lost. I'm betting it won't be easy for him today.

[ashwin#1]

Djokovic a game away from SF..consider him in sf..

haase played some decent tennis in the first set..but djokovic steamrolled him in the 2nd set..

nice surprise in the 2nd quarter.. murray beaten by birdman..personally, i am not fond of either of them..but i would've preferred murray..