DUBAI 2012 Draw and Matches live!

First topic message reminder :

http://www.atpworldtour.com/Scores/Tournament-Draws.aspx

I always liked Dubai as a tournament. Lots of money at stake and to me it;s the equivalent of a TMS.

The draw is interesting:

It's Djoko / MUrray on the same half (looking forward to a revenge there.

And It's Federer v Llodra first round. I am sure, you can bet on this that the are going to make Llodra play early Monday...Tuesday at the latest to give Federer max chance of winning that one.

The top draw is certainly the toughest with Berdych and Davydenko on top of Nole and Andy.

Just realised that Federer has Delpo again....but I am sure Delpo will start to feel it in the legs.

Reports flying around on twitter that the court is very fast today? Especially in the Nole match.

The skills of keeping a fast ball in court are not quite the same of retrieving a slow one and forcing the opponent into long rallies.

In that respect those conds are a good leveller cause none of those guys are used to it.

Enjoying the match

now back on serve but Djoko probably glad his opponent has played all his worst tennis at the key moments. Wonder if Djoko is feeling OK, although there were signs in that 7th game of the set that he was beginning to hit a little more authoritively.

Nole stepping on the gas pedal

sirfredperry wrote:now back on serve but Djoko probably glad his opponent has played all his worst tennis at the key moments. Wonder if Djoko is feeling OK, although there were signs in that 7th game of the set that he was beginning to hit a little more authoritively.

NOle's fine, just not in the mood for tennis today. Probably expected an easier match, but has to grind it out.

Well Djoko comes through but not one of his best days.

Strachovski

Nole

so Djokovic did step it up in the end and cruised through the second part of that second set, but it wasn't vintage Djokovic by any stretch of the imagination.

Stakhovsky's record suggests a player who can do it when he puts his mind to it, but that for whatever reason he has not had (or has not created) many opportunities for himself. For a player whose ATP Tour w/l record is 84/89 it's pretty amazing to see that he has won no less than 4 singles titles and never lost in a singles final. Similarlarly his doubles w/l record is 48/52 but he's won 3 doubles titles and never lost a final.

He's obviously a tough opponent on his day, but that day hasn't come round much.

Well Stakh showed why he could become very good - some lovely play and very competitive at times - and also why he's not higher in the ranks than he is.
Was he playing the man and not the ball? Too many times he chose the wrong option at the crucial time. Perhaps Nole was suffering a bit in the way that Andy M was yesterday.

Federer-Lopez has started

on serve at 2-2 in the first

Just love the way the ball is whizzing around the court. Lots of good transition play already. I think a faster court helps with the all round construction of points.

lovely BH pass down the line from Federer, is this the moment he makes his push?

Del Boy is through - if he can get to the SF (which probably means beating Tsonga on a fast court, not easy), he probably gets into the top 8 unless Tipsarevic can beat Djokovic.

I don't find it easy to work out how the ATP 500's and non-countable tournaments work with Fish and Tipsarevic, but being seeded in the top 8 for IW could be v. important for Del Boy who is defending a lot of points there.

Beautiful point by Fed, lovely net skills.

Fed looks lethargic though.

I just wonder if there's something a bit uneven about the court or something. There seem to be a lot of missed returns off the second serve (both in the Murray match and this one). Tough game this one for Lopez, he's fought off three set points already. Back to deuce after a superb FH from Federer.

This is turning into a marathon game.

And Lopez survives 3 sp's to hold at 5-5

Federer

Mad for Chelsea wrote:I just wonder if there's something a bit uneven about the court or something. There seem to be a lot of missed returns off the second serve (both in the Murray match and this one). Tough game this one for Lopez, he's fought off three set points already. Back to deuce after a superb FH from Federer.

Yes it's plagued with relative easy UEs.

Can Federer break here?

there's ANOTHER missed second serve by Federer.

and again...

Gift from Lopez. SP. 7-5 Set for Federer. Lopez is playing pretty badly.

7:5 first set to Fed.

but Federer eventually takes the set with a decent return which Lopez can't handle. You have to wonder if mentally Lopez really believes he can beat guys like Federer, the way his level has dropped in the last 4-5 games or so is rather alarming...

Second set will be done in 30 min.

Oh what a crazy rally! you gotta see that one.

Fed wins 7-5 6-3, the point in the last game was awesome.

Youzhny beating Fish on a fast court. Poor Fish.

laverfan wrote:Youzhny beating Fish on a fast court. Poor Fish.

Serves him right for moaning how court were slow yesterday

I don't know what's more disgusting, Tsonga's latest haircut or his outfit...

Nightmare match-up Verdasco vs Tsonga wearing the same horrid orange addidas gear

Adidas has a long history of ugly gear in mens tennis. It started with Lendl's.

Hypothetical question:

USO final, who wins: peak Tsonga or peak Murray?

noleisthebest wrote:Hypothetical question:

USO final, who wins: peak Tsonga or peak Murray?

I would say peak Tsonga woudl always beat peak Murray....but I am not sure I am the most objective on that question....though I don;t suspect the usual Murray supporter to be impartial either.

Peak (meaning they both play their absolute best) I would have to go for Tsonga on a faster HC. If he plays like he did against Nadal in AUS '08, he'll blow Murray off the court. He has huge weapons when they're firing correctly.

Is Tsonga playing Delpo tomorrow?

I can't find any links to the Fish match, did he lose?

Tsonga just caning the hell out of the ball. I bet he likes this court.

emancipator wrote:I can't find any links to the Fish match, did he lose?

yes

Have to love Rosol's unquenchable enthusiasm

Tattoos should be covered up in public, so gross...

Yeah it looks like Tsonga Del-Po tomrw

Unsurprisingly (I happily admit to being biased) I'd pick Murray to beat Tsonga if both were playing at their peak. As evidence I point you to their recent Queens encounter which is the closest thing we have to such a match. Murray's variations would eventually prove too much for Tsonga, and I'd take Murray in 4 or 5 sets.

Rosol The Twinkletoes breaks

Quite a QF line up - it feels like a full-blown Masters (i.e. not MC, Shanghai, or Paris).

barrystar wrote:Quite a QF line up - it feels like a full-blown Masters (i.e. not MC, Shanghai, or Paris).

Seed 6 (Fish) is the only missing seed.