French Open 2015 - Day 9

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Monday, 1 June 2015

Philippe Chatrier (10:00 UK start)
Seed Player Player Seed Competition
13
Safarova (CZE)
v
Sharapova (RUS)
2 Women's Singles
13
Monfils (FRA)
v
Federer (SWI)
2 Men's Singles
1
S Williams (US)
v
Stephens (US)
Women's Singles
1
Djokovic (SER)
v
Gasquet (FRA)
20 Men's Singles

Suzanne Lenglen (10:00 UK start)
Seed Player Player Seed Competition
28
Pennetta (ITA)
v
Muguruza Blanco (SPA)
21 Women's Singles
3
Murray (GB)
v
Chardy (FRA)
Men's Singles

Sock (US)
v
Nadal (SPA)
6 Men's Singles
4
Kvitova (CZE)
v
Bacsinszky (SWI)
23 Women's Singles

Court 1
Seed Player Player Seed Competition
9
Cilic (CRO)
v
Ferrer (SPA)
7 Men's Singles
17
Errani (ITA)
v
Goerges (GER)
Women's Singles

Mitu (ROM)
v
Van Uytvanck (BEL)

I'm pretty sure that the fella called Nadal's the NINE Champion...second match in a row on Lenglen...

I'm not convinced by Sock.

If he were 19 or 20, I'd be more optimistic.

But the guy turns 23 this year. If he's going to really step up, it needs to be soon.

I worry for any new player, they get jinxed by 606.
Thinking of past comments on the latest kids on the block,
What happened to Gulbis, Tomic,
What is happening with Raonic, Dimitriov,
Coric still has a bit of time..
But as soon as a young player is put in the spotlight than he peters out like a damp squib,
The jury is out on all of them for me at the moment.
I await to see them pick up the big spoils before comment.

I actually think Nadal looked in good shape and pretty pumped up. Sure, there were cracks - they came as Sock began to make him edgy in the third & fourth. But ultimately the huge gulf in RG experience was the key factor.

It would have been a much more tense contest if (as you say) the Sock serve had been anywhere near respectable standard. Very disappointing that his serve suddenly decided to take a day off. Was he going for too much perhaps ....?

Sock really does offer great potential ..... we've sure been waiting a while for new blood. Not too often do you see Rafa being matched and even out-hit in long rallies on clay, but that was undoubtedly the case for many points today.

True, I came in during the 3rd set and I guess I missed in the first two the kind of mad shotmaking and error generation that populated the 4th. If he could just avoid some of the most stupid stuff he'd be more of a threat.

He is a bit old to be behaving like that, and that's not just my 17 year old son.

Nadal brought great experience and a lot of skill to the game but you can see how time is moving on; Sock was seriously pressing him, not something that's typified the last 10 years at RG.

Fed and Ninja to win tomorrow.

I got to finally watch a few of the matches today. First up Murray, I thought he played solid tennis but certainly nothing special. Chardy hit some great shots but like so many of the French players, wrong shot selection time and again and his second serve is appalling, lost track of the double faults. Murray finally showing good form on clay and unlike previous seasons on clay he is full of confidence. I think his match vs ferrer could go the distance and 50/50 for me. I would edge towards Murray on all other surfaces but ferrer on clay definitely has a chance there.

Novak played decent today but nothing special. Gasquet was very disappointing, he just seems to lack the self belief against the top players, you get the feeling he doesn't want to be there.

Nadal looked better than previous months but his match against Novak is so tough to call. What he has going for him is being more of an under dog this year, he can swing free and be aggressive, the question mark is his confidence to execute when he will be put under so much more pressure by djokovic. For Novak, this is a great chance for him but that weight of expectation is so huge, I just hope he goes out there and finds the right blend of aggression and patience. He can rally with nadal knowing he can beat him particularly with nadals confidence lower. That being said this is nadal at the French, he will know as well as anyone that nadal could turn up on the day and Phillipe chatrier is like his home court.

Federer is in decent form and can't be written off.

Nadal vs djokovic and ferrer vs Murray are literally to right to call for me. I fancy federer to beat wawrinka in 4 and nishikori to win in 4

dummy_half wrote:

Riskysports wrote:I would put Feeeerrrrreeeeerr as slight favourite - and total favourite if Murray goes into his shell

Murray CAN win in, but will be against the form book and on clay a tough one to do so


Fingers crossed (or as I found out today - thumps held in SA)

Not sure about that - Murray unbeaten on clay including 2 titles and a win over Nadal suggests that his clay court form is as good as anyone other than Djokovic. Ferrer has had a couple of tough matches, although won easily today - was he playing well or Cilic badly (or a bit of both)?

I think I'd make Andy a slight favourite, about 60/40.

Glad to see someone talking in realisms. Murray would have lost the match at any other RG slam and Fed and Nadal have slipped up in similar matches at other slams. Chardy was largely amazing and it took an awful lot of character to hang in there - particularly as Murray for around 8 matches at the end of the first and he beginning of the second was playing some of his best stuff

It makes no difference to the Ferrer game, but I think it's time to give Murray some credit for standing up and been counted on his least favourite service - forget the bunkum he's coming out with as 'not worthy', he expects to win this event and good luck to him

CaledonianCraig wrote:I would say now I'd be less hopeful of Andy winning against Ferrer than I was prior to that potential match-up earlier in this tournament. Andy's serve has fluctuated a bit too much in the tournament and has dropped sets where I may not have expected him to. Anyway Andy still has a job to do to get to the quarters.

I fail to see why you have any pessimism after seeing him have to cope with that Chardy performance. Didn't Chardy hit something like 19 winners in ones set? When someone's' playing like that you either raise your game and hope it's enough.

Or you get beat - which by the way Rafa and Roger have to arguably lesser opponents at recent slams

If the top three had dispensed with Chardy,w e'd be drooling and shaking our heads, whilst muttering that's what Andy needs to do

Credit where credit it due, given the sheer mental torture that match must have been - well played to Andy and for me he's ready for anyone

Not saying he'll beat Ferrer, but his chances have not diminished

HM Murdoch wrote:I'm not convinced by Sock.

If he were 19 or 20, I'd be more optimistic.

But the guy turns 23 this year. If he's going to really step up, it needs to be soon.

Well I see it differently. Sock has always been a heralded prospect but he has suffered a great number of injuries in his development but now he is fitter than he has ever been. Plus he is 22 almost 23 that isn't exactly middle aged for today's tour. He is two years older than Kyrgios. A similar thing was said about Nishikori who won a tournament and made some noise early on and then fell off for a couple of years as his body broke down under the stress of being on tour. Additionally, Sock's backhand has made a material and fundamental improvement. He crunched a number of high 90s winners with his backhand and went up the line with it pretty comfortably even off Nadal's heavy ball on clay. Also he is fitter than he has ever been and a bit leaner. To me these things indicate a player who wants to get better and isn't satisfied just being a good pro and making a nice payday. What we are seeing is that players are having their best years from 25-29 so Sock still has another 2-3 years to work on himself before what has been the modern peak years. And as I said before his development was pushed back a bit because of injuries. I think if he can stay healthy he has a lot of upside to his game and is by far the most well rounded American tennis player we have seen in quite some time.

If not for the most atrocious serving I have ever seen from Sock he would have beaten Nadal or taken him to 5. And even in the long rallies he was comfortable hitting his backhand and passed the test in regards to his movement and fitness. His forehand is almost as heavy as Nadal's and he hits with more mphs. That is no small matter. I mean he troubled the clay king basically with one of his best weapons his serve acting as his biggest liability. The biggest concern for me is his health. All of this is of course conditioned on the big if that he has to stay healthy.

slashermcguirk wrote:I got to finally watch a few of the matches today. First up Murray, I thought he played solid tennis but certainly nothing special. Chardy hit some great shots but like so many of the French players, wrong shot selection time and again and his second serve is appalling, lost track of the double faults. Murray finally showing good form on clay and unlike previous seasons on clay he is full of confidence. I think his match vs ferrer could go the distance and 50/50 for me. I would edge towards Murray on all other surfaces but ferrer on clay definitely has a chance there.

Novak played decent today but nothing special. Gasquet was very disappointing, he just seems to lack the self belief against the top players, you get the feeling he doesn't want to be there.

Nadal looked better than previous months but his match against Novak is so tough to call. What he has going for him is being more of an under dog this year, he can swing free and be aggressive, the question mark is his confidence to execute when he will be put under so much more pressure by djokovic. For Novak, this is a great chance for him but that weight of expectation is so huge, I just hope he goes out there and finds the right blend of aggression and patience. He can rally with nadal knowing he can beat him particularly with nadals confidence lower. That being said this is nadal at the French, he will know as well as anyone that nadal could turn up on the day and Phillipe chatrier is like his home court.

Federer is in decent form and can't be written off.

Nadal vs djokovic and ferrer vs Murray are literally to right to call for me. I fancy federer to beat wawrinka in 4 and nishikori to win in 4

You need to get yourself over to Henman Bill's QF prediction thread and sharpish.

Well bad news as Sock slams into the side rail injuring his left hand and it looks like it is really affecting him. So again the big caveat injuries could be rearing its head.

Nadal didnt play well? Of course he did! He played well the first two sets, almost bagel Sock in the second. If Sock didnt serve well, then Nadal too. Even if Sock could serve better, I doubt he could win the first two sets, for on this surface, Rafa simply could return big serves better than anywhere else.

Sock's DFs were more during the last two sets if I'm not wrong, but, Rafa had lost a bit of intensity in the third set. Rafa was serving for the match at the end of the third set, faltered and allowed Sock back into the match.

Its Rafa's experience that saw him through to the finish line. Rafa clearly has lost a bit of power as he grows older and I'm not surprised that the big hitters could overpower him even in long rallies.

As for Sock, he plays lots of doubles so hes good at the net and hes an all round player. However I find his ROS lacking and he returned plenty of balls into the net.

I agree .. the best chance Sock ever had was in that third set.. he broke a rattled Rafa..who let his emotions affect his game.
I thought Sock was going to threaten Rafa much more.. his serve was never going to be Rafa's problem he handles all big servers well.
Sorry socal you were watching a different match to me.