ATP 1000: Monte Carlo (Daily Order Of Play)!

First topic message reminder :

Monte Carlo.... tennis is finally coming home!

After weeks of sleepless nights caused by travelless jetlag, tennis caravan is back to where it belongs and looks best: Europe!

Ahead are a few potentially historically huge months:

Novak Djokovic could be the first man after Rod Laver to hold all 4 slam titles.

He could also be the first man to achieve the Golden slam, if he wins the gold at the Olympics.

All grand dreams, very difficult to achieve, yet, for this grand dreamer, nothing is impossible

Back to Monte Carlo, and the first 1000 Masters even on clay:

Bar Federer's last minute wild-card change of mind, all the best players are in town:

*Legendary Rafael Nadal with his mind-boggling 7 straight tournament wins.
*Novak Djokovic with his mind-boggling 7 straight finals wins over Nadal
*Andy Murray , pressure free and hungry. Could surprise many.
*David Ferrer, the eternal bridesmaid...will give someone a great workout in the semi-final!
*Delpo? No Federer in the draw, may release the "old" smooth powerhouse.

and.....

everybody else except the Biggest clay question mark called Isner, who withdrew from the tournament needing rest and preparation for the remainder of the season.

Official website:

http://www.monte-carlorolexmasters.com/


The Draw:

http://www.monte-carlorolexmasters.com/Share/Event-Draws.aspx?Year=2012&Draw=ms

Easier to follow, PDF version of the draw:

http://www.atpworldtour.com/posting/2012/410/mds.pdf

Order of play for Wednesday, 17th of April (no PDF version yet):

http://www.atpworldtour.com/Scores/schedule.aspx?EventId=410&Year=2012&Seq=5

Set in the glorious scenery of glittering, breath-taking sparkling Medditeranean vista, I will be there daily in spirit sighing and dreaming....

For Monte Carlo with its vintage charm, class and timeless air of dolce vita is my favourite tournament (let's leave that heart-breaker called Wimbledon out of this conversation just this once!)

I have bought a large vintage poster of Monte Carlo recently, and it hangs framed behind my desk reminding me of those days when the world took its time....and nobody moaned that much ....and ladies wore dresses when they played....and looked and behaved like ladies ....

http://img2.photographersdirect.com/img/16398/wm/pd1802170.jpg

Now, let's get into the mood, shall we?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFabjc6mFk4


AND, last but not the least...

GO NOLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!1

Benneteau broken, now breaks back, great fight.....

Love Ben's no-nonsesnse tennis and attitude

Murray is beginning to remind me of Nadal on clay, big time!....everything is there except the moonballing forehand

Murray's forehand looking healthy...at last!

good tennis from both!

Great point to win - ten strokes played with a broken string and still wins the point - played Andy now get your first serve functioning.

CaledonianCraig wrote:Great point to win - ten strokes played with a broken string and still wins the point - played Andy now get your first serve functioning.

ha ha . This reminded me of an old 54 shot rally between the 2.

Not bad for a poor clay court player who relies on his legs eh? Oh what happened to that other useless lump yesterday Thomasz Bellucci - oh yes he beat last year's finalist David Ferrer so proves he is very capable on clay.

CaledonianCraig wrote:Not bad for a poor clay court player who relies on his legs eh? Oh what happened to that other useless lump yesterday Thomasz Bellucci - oh yes he beat last year's finalist David Ferrer so proves he is very capable on clay.

If bellucci is capable on clay how it prove Murray's might on it?

It proves what I said about Bellucci being very capable on clay and shows it is no disgrace Murray lost against him but where were you yesterday ridiculing David Ferrer (no.6 in the world) for losing against Bellucci?. What I really cannot fathom is that you feel you are right to criticise Murray's performances. After all we know you don't rate him as a clay court player so your expectations for him must surely be low yet you still feel you have the right to ridicule him for reaching three semis last year on clay. How odd?

Nishikori a set up which boosts my tour ranking after Ferrer stuffed it up!

You 2 remind of that sketch from the Fast Show with that never-ending fight.

Decent little player Nishikori.

Anyways must go now. Enjoy the tennis all.

Sadly match over at 5 all!!!!

What a terrible fall for Benetau!! Very unfortunate.

nasty nasty fall for Benneteau! hope he'll be OK

Poor Ben

he's clearly not OK, poor Benny

I don't think he'll carry on very long here unfortunately.

CaledonianCraig wrote:It proves what I said about Bellucci being very capable on clay and shows it is no disgrace Murray lost against him but where were you yesterday ridiculing David Ferrer (no.6 in the world) for losing against Bellucci?.

Why are you bent on proving Bellucci is capable on clay? I know it already and no one questioned it. And this is so strange you keep drawing conclusions from losses? If Murray had beaten Bellucci then you could say a good performance as Bellucci is a capable player on especially on clay. But Murray lost in st. sets. So how does his loss proves how good Murray is? You'll say losing to a great clay courter means that Murray is capable on clay? If Murray was poor on clay he still would only lose? So how do you conclude anything? Losing never makes anyone better. Stop trying to find strange unconventional grounds to show how good Murray is. You were doing it at the AO loss as well.

CaledonianCraig wrote: What I really cannot fathom is that you feel you are right to criticise Murray's performances.

I don't have to ridicule Ferrer for yesterday's loss. It was a loss but his clay record is staggering. One win/loss doesn't change a lot for me.

Ben is up. But I don't think he will finish the match. Retirement on cards.

Must say, nice to see a natural looking well built player

Shame, I was really enjoying the match ...

c'mon Bird!

Am I the only one who thinks NIshikori looks like a kamikaze with that headband....

Nishi displaying amazing fire-power for his size...

And Bird is thorugh, great fight from Nishi....choked when serving to stay in the match...

noleisthebest wrote:Nishi displaying amazing fire-power for his size...

Yes, a bit like Dolgo. Both very talented.

Brilliant match. What forehand shots this Berdych can fire. Nishikori played brilliant as well.

Tenez wrote:

noleisthebest wrote:Nishi displaying amazing fire-power for his size...

Yes, a bit like Dolgo. Both very talented.

with Dolgo it's more theway he whacks the ball, very opportunist kind of play, great to watch when it works and terrible when it doesn't/.
Nishi is less adventurous.

Tenez wrote:

noleisthebest wrote:Nishi displaying amazing fire-power for his size...

Yes, a bit like Dolgo. Both very talented.

He hits quite flat and hard.

Surprisingly interesting match between Tsonga and Tesco, evenly matching with plenty of power and totally different styles.

I must say clay brings out the flair and craft so well...

raiders_of_the_lost_ark wrote:

Tenez wrote:

noleisthebest wrote:Nishi displaying amazing fire-power for his size...

Yes, a bit like Dolgo. Both very talented.

He hits quite flat and hard.

Who? I thought both were.

noleisthebest wrote:I must say clay brings out the flair and craft so well...

I agree but clay needs fast balls otherwise it can be a very boring surface.

Tenez wrote:

noleisthebest wrote:I must say clay brings out the flair and craft so well...

I agree but clay needs fast balls otherwise it can be a very boring surface.

it's looking good in MC. Beats Miami and IW, any day!

No not bent on anything but just pointing out that Murray's one early exit on clay last season was against a highly capable Bellucci.

My gripe is your continued picking apart of Murday's game on clay. Now as you clearly don't rate Andy as a clay courter then surely you hold lower expectations for what he can achieve on this surface so each win should be more littered with pleasant surprise rather than sly digs if he is surpassing your expectations.

No not bent on anything but just pointing out that Murray's one early exit on clay last season was against a highly capable Bellucci.

Bellucci and Murray are about the same level on clay, if Bellucci learns to be more patient he will consistently be a threat on clay. On HC though he has woeful movement...

CaledonianCraig wrote:No not bent on anything but just pointing out that Murray's one early exit on clay last season was against a highly capable Bellucci.

Yes we already know that.Why again?? Who is questioning Bellucci's capability on clay? No one here. The questioning is about Murray. Bellucci's capability on clay proves nothing about Murray, it only can show how good Bellucci is, nothing else. You are trying to put Bellucci too high just to get some excuse for Murray's loss to him. Why don't you understand that a bad loss can't be used to show how good the losing player is.

CaledonianCraig wrote:My gripe is your continued picking apart of Murday's game on clay. Now as you clearly don't rate Andy as a clay courter then surely you hold lower expectations for what he can achieve on this surface so each win should be more littered with pleasant surprise rather than sly digs if he is surpassing your expectations.

I don't keep any expectation from Murray, nothing about getting surprised. Troicki played just like I expected him to play. Murray played smart, I know that. I was expecting a real close one today against Bennetau and it was till 5-5. But Unfortunately for Ben he fell very badly and couldn't continue.

Just as one loss cannot be used to show how bad a player is on clay.

The finsl part of your post is fine though. Sticks to the tennis with no petty digs and can freely accept that kind of stuff.

CaledonianCraig wrote:Just as one loss cannot be used to show how bad a player is on clay.

Okay.

Just seen JWT take the first set against Verdasco on the tiebreak 9-7 after being 6-4 down. What an exciting player JWT is.

Anyone watching the Simon/Tisparevic match? The stats look mind boggling - 6-0 to Simon who has taken three bp's (Tipsarevic won 6 points on serve all set) but saved 7!

Tipsy finally with a game on board..

raiders_of_the_lost_ark wrote:Tipsy finally with a game on board..

And just like a no. 73 bus there's another

Ok - Looks like they are still playing with dunlops there....and not surprising that neither Tsip or Simon can put the ball away.

A nice match though. I like Simon's game.

Tsonga beats Verdasco. Verdasco probably should have won the first set, didn't, and then completely lost it, allowing Tsonga to get 4-0 up in set 2, fromwhere he cruised to a straight sets win.

Tipsy up a break in the second set against Simon.

yowzer! just switched to the Djokovic match and Dolgo has broken for 3-1. What's up?

I used to think that Verdasco had it in him to maybe hit the big time some day. I see his highest rank was 7, but he's currently at 19. He has a good record vs. Novak but not against other members of the top quartet. I guess it's not unkind to say that at 28 y.o. his 'best' days are behind him ....??

probably not lags. Verdasco had that excellent run at the AO 09, and off the back of that went on to have a very good season making the end of year Masters in London, but since then he's struggled to reproduce that sort of form.

Dolgo saves a break point, and then breaks Novak again, he'll serve for the set at 5-2