Monday, May 28, 2007

Raining in Roland Garros at the moment, but will someone rain on Nadal in Paris.. Fan Reports welcomed

First of all time to get some serves out of the way. Yes, call me a traditionalist, but there is something wrong with starting a Slam on a Sunday, it's almost as bad as giving the women equal prizemoney and they didn't make the mistake of putting Federer on Sunday this time. It didn't work cause of the weather and it's a battle Mother Nature will win most of the time.

Vicente was comedic against Safin in the rain, the highlight for him was serving at a 100 percent of first serves in the second set and he lost 6-1 6-3 6-1 to Safin. Safin shouldn't lose his next match to Gattuso Tipsarevic, but anything can happen with him and usually does, but enough of Marat for now.

It seems the likable American Mike Russell has pissed someone off to draw Federer in the 1st round, but the last time he was on centre court in Paris, he played a wonderful and entertaining match against Guga and had the match point, but couldn't pull it off. He will give Federer a good workout, but not much more than that sadly and big Fed likes the heavy conditions. Roger is fortunate that many of the players he likes to beat up are in his section of the draw, but strange things happen for sure.

El Fashionista plays Chris "the gimp" Rochus, the perfect match for him really and just hope he doesn't blow it and he can have one of his good matches with Ferrero in the next round and it would be great for tennis to see the Koubek in the 3rd round.

The big Greek Economidis finally qualified for a Slam and he has a big show to take out Ronald McDonald Guccione, never know Aussie TV might actually find a camera on court 33 to show the match point or something.

Nalle the talented singer and owner of a rally team is back playing and one can expect anything with him, he could lose in Round 2 or make the semis, but I expect him to have eaten many empanadas. Chela and Santoro is a match up of Mr. Consistency and a lack of flair against a player who is all flair, but Fab isn't doing as well on clay as usual, but might be able to pull the upset.

Acasuso with the heavy conditions and not being the seeded player he should take out Melzer in the first round and that would mean a meeting with Pico Monaco who has been some very good tennis as of late, just hope he can carry his form over from Austria to the one that counts.

Before I go to the bottom half there is the Canas and Gasquet match up, well Canas has gone a bit flat at the moment and that is understandable, but he has a kind draw to the 3rd round and if he plays Gasquet, when it comes down to it, Willy will be too tough as usual.

The bottom half will be spoken about and the order is in the order of the draw. Zabaleta has fought hard and made it back to the top 100 and was a Lucky Loser, but was unlucky to draw Calleri. El Gordo hasn't done well in Slams and he has a very poor 5 set record, as does Zabala, but Mariano's is better, whoever wins this should make the 3rd round.

Hartfield got the Bye, cause he plays claycourt clown Ginepri and I wish Gaudio got him instead, but Gaston drew the ball bashing smoking Gicquel, just hope he can win a match here and it would be interesting to see him play his friend Hewitt.

Berdman can do very well here, just hope he isn't focused too much on the Prostejov Challenger and we know that event means a lot to him, but to me this is the event where he needs to make a Slam QF and in his section he is very capable of that.

Onto the other players now the charismatic ones. Luczak got the WC and he is fortunate that he got Bjorkman who can only play on clay when it's doubles and then he'd player the winner out of Blake and Karlovic, good chances for Peter to make the 3rd round and just hope big Karlovic beats Blake, but Blake he either hits them on the line or he thinks he is playing baseball and missing the court.

Lucho and Massu, well Lucho can take him if he thinks to play like he did in Vina and not get pissed off with Massu's antics and the next round well Roddick the only reason he is around so long is cause of the rain and as long as Andreev stays sober, then he should win.

Seppi has a tough one against Moya, well maybe Andy can get inspiration from AC Milan's victory in the Champs League, but it might take more than that for him to get the W here. Last of all then there is the King Oscar Hernandez and we hope that someone can see this fine specimen play and Guzman is just a victim and if Kohlschreiber gets past dropshot Dlouhy, he will be running off to hide in the Bavarian Alps and get rash from the lederhosen after the beatdown he is going to get.

Well the one of this was too serious and I will be in here most of the time during the event, too many delusional clowns who have no understanding of clay tennis.

Will Nadal defend, I hope not, but somehow I don't think I will be wrong.

Monday, May 21, 2007

Ronnie Leitgeb is still an arsehole and Pörtschach is a relaxing stop before Roland Garros

Pörtschach on the Wörthersee is a nice and ritzy place and one of the more scenic on the ATP tour, too bad it has the arsehole Ronnie Leitgeb as the Tournament director, can’t have it all.

It’s always a strange thing the week before a Slam and no one really knows what will happen during the event, who needs the matches and who really wants to win the event and there are some strange results that go on and more retirements than usual.

The PMK loves this event and will try and win it for the 3rd time in a row and it would be good if Lapentti could take him out in the 2nd round, it’s a great match up for Nico, but he has no matches.

Hewitt comes back after a big effort in Hamburg and still needs matches and he plays Escopeta Roitman who needs wins and the winner plays the in form Starace who defeated El Fashionista Koubek and all of Stef’s friends will be sad, but they can party at the casino.

Lucho thumped Dolgopolov 6-3 6-0 and he is a guy who needs a lot of match play to play his best tennis, it’s just the way he is and now he plays baldy Ljubicic. It was good that Seppi didn’t qualify as I would have lost one or the other in this round and also Seppi has his mind on the Champs League.

Roddick decides to turn up and realises that defeating a poor Gaudio, Peya and playing Pless in the next round who defeated Berlocq the clown is a serious preparation. If Roddick makes the 2nd week of Roland Garros they should celebrate very hard.

Good to see big Mike get a win over Vassallo Arguello and he is in a tough section of the draw in other words the section that Roddick isn’t in.

A cheerio to a friend of mine who has had some problems, but he is back working and he is at the event in Pörtschach and can’t wait to catch up again.

Sunday, May 13, 2007

Rest in Peace Hamburg

It’s now the 3rd and last of the clay TMS events in Hamburg and more than likely after 2008, the tournament won’t exist in the brave new world of Mr. Disney’s ATP visionary, who is blinder than Ray Charles and Stevie Wonder combined.

Hamburg suffers a lot from poor scheduling and we know the clowns at the ATP haven’t thought about that. As the 3 TMS events it’s usually the worst indicator of how a player will do at Roland Garros, this is mainly cause of the very heavy conditions and the damp weather. This presents another challenge and not surprisingly Roddick (The Duck) has ducked this event again, seems like beating an in-form Gaudio is enough clay preparation for him.

The qualie rounds have some interesting matches, in fact more interesting than many of the main draw ones and there are a few favourites there and the horrible feeling of two favourites playing each other.

Finally Lucho got a win over a big server and it was Mirnyi, this one will be big come Davis Cup time and Lucho will need to beat Max to get Peru back into the World Group and just hope he doesn’t lose to que sera Serra, who is annoying flea and has the skill of when you want him to lose, then he will win and vice versa. As long as Lucho serves well and stays patient and then can use his heavy forehand and make sure this pest doesn’t make the main draw.

Monaco and Koubek, well either way I’d be happy with the result, though El Fashionista always adds something with his wonderful clothing attire. Big Russell has a tough one against the sneaky Massu, who will pull every trick possible and others to win a match, on this slower surface Massu is a clear favourite. Russell needs to use his serve to outmanoeuvre Massu and break down that poor backhand of his.

Last qualie match between Seppi and the King, well tennis will be the winner here. Big Oscar on this surface will be hard to hit through with that huge backhand and those cat like reflexes around the net. I want Seppi to go through he needs it more than the King at the moment, but this is a good result either way.

The Bye is making an appearance and will be hard to stop. Soderling and Ginepri, this is the battle of the grand chessmasters that will make Karpov and Kasparov look like under 5s level. These two are the epitome of claycourt tennis acumen and the Germans won’t have seen such skill on a grand level.

Volandri has a chance to inflict more clay pain on Andy Murray and we know Brad Gilberto has great clay skills that he passes on to his pupils. Berdych and Verdasco anything could happen here and is likely to. Calleri should be nice and rested and getting ready to roast Hewitt. Gaudio against Gasquet, well the answer would be good luck Gaston.

Acasuso needs to defend his points here, but the qualifiers for the most part aren’t going to be duds and just hope Chucho hasn’t been shagging dodgy women of the night as can happen in Hamburg. Bring it on as they say.

Monday, May 07, 2007

Arrivederci, Gnocchi Semonlina and the fastest clay TMS of them all in Rome

Now after the low key week of Estoril and Münich, we are now in the Eternal city of Rome, well it’s the eternal city of chaos.

The Italian Open has always been the fastest of the clay TMS events, this is mainly cause they use less clay on the top surface than the other events and the hotter the weather, the faster the court plays combined with the surface that leads to the extra speed of the court surface, and if you want proof of this, then having Sampras vs. Becker and Agassi vs. Haas in previous finals illustrates this clearly, plus Rafter did well there and Roddick the biggest clay clown out of this group has done well here.

I really could just end this preview by saying this will be a Federer/Nadal final and live with another overhyped match between these two. The funny thing with the clay matches that they have had, is that Nadal has not had to play that well to win. He played better against Berdych in the semis than he needed to against Federer. I really hope this match doesn’t happen.

Federer well he starts off with a tough match against the Bye, but he could be playing “Superstar” who could either make it very difficult for him or lose very easily, while having a hissy fit and Almagro gave Federer plenty to handle and this is the best time for “Superstar” to get him. Verdasco and Gasquet again, well here will be another exhibition in how to lose a match he should win easily by Verdasco.

Berdych vs. Nieminen – This one is an intriguing match and the Berdman has made 2 semi finals in a row after a lean period of time and Nieminen hasn’t been in the best of form either and the question here will be whether the tricks from the Shark and changes of pace will piss off the Berdman, or will Berdych have enough patience and be able to hit through Nieminen.

The winner will play Wawrinka welcome back to the tour or Montañes who defeated blogger favourite Seppi in the last round of qualies, this is a good chance for either the Berdman or the Shark to make the 3rd round.

Acasuso hasn’t been in great form, but he is lucky that he has Verkerk, who is still coming back from injury, and illness and the speed around the court here will be gazelle like and they will be representing their nations in the 100m at the next Olympics and the winner will play Ljubo. Big Ivan lost a close one to Gasquet in Monte Carlo and he spent a lot of his life in Italy, so he will feel at home for sure.

Gaudio has a potential hazard here. One he doesn’t like playing in Rome generally, two cause of his form at the moment, matches that should seem easy are a lot harder than they should be. He plays “Fisker med” Mardy Fish, for those who don’t understand it means “Fishing with Mardy Fish” who is a claycourt clown, the problem is if he loses, then Gaudio’s mentality will be even worse losing to a joker like Fish. Then if he wins he will play Roddick who isn’t good on this surface, but a level above Fish for sure.

King Oscar Hernandez plays Hewitt and this is a big chance for Oscar to shine and take advantage of the lack of match play of Hewitt. The King has been in very good form lately and he is going close to a career high ranking and that can only be good for the game.

As for the other matches, hopefully Calleri can continue his good form and get a good result here, but Starace at home and has been in good form won’t be easy, it will be good to see a good result here, though I think a slower claycourt is better for El Gordo.

I’d love to see Nadal lose, but that won’t be likely.