ATP 500 Basel 2011

First topic message reminder :

After a long pre off-season season, a week of delicious tennis is upon us.

The field is studded with top hard-courters lead by The Best, the In-Hot-Form and the Goat, formerly known as the local ball-boy.

Also in Basel we have: Berdych, Wawrinka, Fish, Tispsarevic, Roddick, Ljubicic.

The tournament sounds great on paper, and it's a shame we are missing French players Tsonga and Monfils.

The big question has been answered: Federer falls in Murray's half (cooo, I must say that sounds weird...)

The draw:

http://www.atpworldtour.com/posting/2011/328/mds.pdf


Matches start tomorrow, with the "big" names probably starting on Tuesday, Nole's first match against Malisse starts at 17.30.

Order of play (the final) for Sunday, 6th of November

http://www.atpworldtour.com/posting/2011/328/op.pdf


Provided he continues where he stopped in September form-wise, Nole should get through his half safely. The juicy question is: who will be on the other side of the net this time next week?

Calder106 wrote:I think that Murray might just be looking for some court time in order that he doesn't go into Paris cold after a three week break. I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't make the SF's here as I think he is using this as a staging event for Paris and the WTF's.

yeah, but interesting he chose Basel, rather than Valencia...

Have read in a couple of places that the courts in Basel are much faster than Valencia and therefore closer to the speed expected in Paris.

Calder106 wrote:Have read in a couple of places that the courts in Basel are much faster than Valencia and therefore closer to the speed expected in Paris.

I know, but he played Valencia last two years....

and didn't get past QF's (3rd round in 2009) either year in Paris. Maybe just trying something different.

A "wild card" is simply a player that is inserted into the draw, after the main entry deadline, has been decided (this done as much as 6 weeks beforehand).

It can be something as "gracious" as allowing the Number 125 player in the World Rankings, a la Ivanisevic (the eventual Champion!), in the 2001 Wimbledon Draw - to allowing the No 1 player in the world to enter a tournament that he had not otherwise intended or scheduled, to play.

The term "wildcard" does not necessarily carry any information regarding ranking, it only means that that particular player wasn't officially entered into the tournament, at the time of advertising, and main entry deadline. However that player's seeding, IS according to the World Rankings - hence you can have a No 1 ranked wildcard in an event.

That was Fed's 50th win of the season and means he's got at least 50 wins for 10 successive years, if I'm right . Not sure how many have done that in the Open era - Connors, Lendl, possibly Wilander, Sampras, Edberg perhaps. Quite a feat.
Also Roger is nearing 800 career wins and should do that before the end of this season. Another terrific achievement. He won't catch Connors - something like about two billion wins (more than 1,200) - but he might make 900. How many do you think the others in the top four can get and will Rafa end up with more than Rog ? (probably, IMHO, as he got off to a quicker start win-wise).

fantastic line up today: http://www.swissindoorsbasel.ch/Daily-program-03-11-2009.563+M52087573ab0.0.html

will try the second stream on link you recommended last night NITB

time please wrote:fantastic line up today: http://www.swissindoorsbasel.ch/Daily-program-03-11-2009.563+M52087573ab0.0.html

will try the second stream on link you recommended last night NITB

try every one until one wors. Yesterday it was the bottom one. Today TennisTv starts, so I'll watch there

Thanks NITB

noleisthebest wrote:

time please wrote:fantastic line up today: http://www.swissindoorsbasel.ch/Daily-program-03-11-2009.563+M52087573ab0.0.html

will try the second stream on link you recommended last night NITB

try every one until one wors. Yesterday it was the bottom one. Today TennisTv starts, so I'll watch there

Nitb, can you please also send me the other link. Thx

Fedex... you can also try livescorehunter.com.

Who is Michael lammer?

Swiss guy who beat Bernard Tomic in the qualifiers

Fedex_the_best wrote:

noleisthebest wrote:

time please wrote:fantastic line up today: http://www.swissindoorsbasel.ch/Daily-program-03-11-2009.563+M52087573ab0.0.html

will try the second stream on link you recommended last night NITB

try every one until one wors. Yesterday it was the bottom one. Today TennisTv starts, so I'll watch there

Nitb, can you please also send me the other link. Thx

http://www.sportlemon.tv/c-4.html

What is this number 1 ceremony on SF 2 (on LSH)?

SKY have now decided to cover Basel but only from Thursday.

Nole timeeeeeeee, I'm sooooo happy

I missed him soooo much, welcome back, Nole!!!!!!

And he's wearing his champion's haircut .... I know nobody here cares much about Nole, so I'll just carry on, he,he

It's going pretty well for him so far - a break up already

carrieg4 wrote:It's going pretty well for him so far - a break up already

How's Nole doing carriege4 ??

Up 3-0 with a break at the moment yummy. 30 all on Malisse serve.

Serve is on. That's the main bit. The rest just fine tuning. Some beautiful ball striking from Nole, despite the long break.

I know he (lammer) is the guy who beat Tomic and today he had beaten Youzhny as well, if you did not see that so far.

I was quite surprised to see an unknown player taking 2 important scalps out. Apparently he used to be a flat mate of Fed and since july 2011 he had a new coach which probably has resulted in this improved form of late.
btw, he is 29 years of age.

Djokovic definitely looking good from what I can see - I am watching on bet365 and the screen is tiny! Must get round to subscribing to tennis tv.

Nole's lost a bit of speed as well as match fitness. this is exactly as I expected him to be.

Nole's lost a bit of speed as well as match fitness. this is exactly as I expected him to be.

Ist set to Djokovic 6-2.

Still, the first set to Nole, 6:2

relying on you guys to let me know how Novak is playing (score looking good) - working late and can't access your link NITB to watch match so unfair - pout!)

Don't know if it will get past your work filters time please but bet365 are showing a really tiny live stream of it.

Thanks carrie - sweet of you to think of me, but no sadly bet365 blocked (double pout! )

I'll catch up on how he looked - was the shoulder holding up etc on here, though see from NITB's post that it looked okay in 1st set

time please wrote:relying on you guys to let me know how Novak is playing (score looking good) - working late and can't access your link NITB to watch match so unfair - pout!)

why not? Is it your software?

time please wrote:relying on you guys to let me know how Novak is playing (score looking good) - working late and can't access your link NITB to watch match so unfair - pout!)

Nole's just playing the minimum right now. Try8ing to get a good work-out, Malisse serves well and wacks the ball hard if Nole lets him.

noleisthebest wrote:

time please wrote:relying on you guys to let me know how Novak is playing (score looking good) - working late and can't access your link NITB to watch match so unfair - pout!)

why not? Is it your software?

You are asking the ultimate Luddite that question? . I need 'administrator approval' - not sure I'm going to get it!!!!

Just a quick summing up post match would be luverly though guys - thanks

Just seen your last NITB - he looks like shoulder good though? Will catch up later - enjoy the match!

2 break points for Malisse, let's see how far/close old Nole is now. Ace. Another BP left. And the beautiful inside out FH brings him to deuce. That's my boy
Awesome passing shot, gives him the advantage.
Brilliant backhand down the line. Nole holds, LOVE ITTTTTTT!!!!!!!

On serve in second set with Djokovic leading 3-2. Malisse pressed him pretty hard on his last service game but he held on.

I love your enthusiasm NITB - very vital and makes up for not being able to watch (nearly!)

Thanks carrie too

4-4 second set. Both players won their last service games to love.

Well, I think Nole's almost "there", he's had his share of excellent shots in the match, and that's what gets him going. The shoulder looks fine.

I've just seen a woman in the crowd with sunglasses on

noleisthebest wrote:I've just seen a woman in the crowd with sunglasses on

Is it the Divine but Deadly Ms Wintour who has chosen the wrong day and is waiting for Maestro?

Great to hear shoulder looking good - huge sighs of relief!!

Djokovic broken. Malisse to serve for the set, can he?

one set all

Malisse breaks.
Nole's in his chair stretching the shoulder and top back.

wow wrote:one set all

Cheeky !!!

aaaaaaaagh.....gotta go, tune in later

I don't like the sound of that NITB, perhaps it is to be expected - expect we will have to wait for post match interview

Second SP and Malisse takes the set. Very interesting.

Malisse consolidates to take the second set 6-4.

malisse = goat