Rio/Delray Beach/Marseille Tournaments - del Potro returns

JMDP returns to action this week in Delray Beach (Delpo Beach, maybe?) and there are other two other men's tournaments as well. From the few highlights I saw, the Rotterdam tournament last week, from which JWT emerged victorious, was a high-class affair, with some top-quality stuff from Tsonga, Goffin and Dimi.
  The Belgian has now made the top 10 for the first time - the first from his country to do so. To think that at one stage not so long ago he had to drop down to the challengers to gain confidence and victories.
  Another who has had hard times from which he's emerged is Ryan Harrison, who took his maiden title at Memphis yesterday. I was at Roehampton last summer watching him walk disconsolately off after losing in a qualifying match for Wimbledon. But he's worked his way back up and is now at 43 in the rankings.
   Another seriously under-ranked player climbing the charts again is Dolgopolov who ended a five-year title drought by beating Nishi to win in Buenos Aires yesterday. Good to see him doing well. Nishi, incidentally, has now lost his last six finals, although some were against tough opponents.

Congrats to Tsonga for playing a good tournament and won it at Rotterdam. He's closer to top ten now and will be in action again this week at Marseille.

Good wins by both Dolgo and Harrison too. I can't believe this title is Harrison's first! I think they both will be in action too this week, at Rio and Delray Beach respectively.

Very happy for Tsonga and Dolgo!

On the women's side, one name to watch out for is 17-year-old American Catherine Bellis who today beat 17th seed Putintseva in Dubai. Bellis only turned pro last year after reaching 3R at USO.

Belgian qualifier Arthur De Greef beat defending champion Cuevas in Rio, while Kyle Edmund had a convincing straight-sets win in Delray Beach. Del Potty plays today as does Tommy Haas who is in his farewell season after overcoming numerous injuries/surgeries.

sirfredperry wrote:Belgian qualifier Arthur De Greef beat defending champion Cuevas in Rio, while Kyle Edmund had a convincing straight-sets win in Delray Beach. Del Potty plays today as does Tommy Haas who is in his farewell season after overcoming numerous injuries/surgeries.

A little more on that - Kyle actually won on another default, with Mannarino penalised a game for hitting the ball into the crowd (following earlier code violations). OK, the default happened with Kyle a set, 5-0 and 15-0 up, so fair to say he had things under control.

Wonder if there has ever previously been a case of a player winning consecutive matches by default...

Del Potty had a comfortable straight-sets win over Anderson, while Tommy Haas lost in three sets to last-week finalist Basilashvili after being close to victory.
Bit of a shock in Marseille where Mahut toppled A Zverev, while in Rio Bellucci defeated Nishi and Dolgopolov took out Ferrer, who is now tumbling down the rankings.
JMDP said he was still not really hitting his backhand, relying more on slice. Haas was happy he got thru the match but disappointed not to win. Nishi said he never got used to the higher bounce compared with Buenos Aires last week.

sirfredperry wrote:On the women's side, one name to watch out for is 17-year-old American Catherine Bellis who today beat 17th seed Putintseva in Dubai. Bellis only turned pro last year after reaching 3R at USO.
 

Seems amazing she's still only 17. Think she's been taking it easy on the senior front with school and all that given she was touted as a huge star as a 15 year old (she beat Cibulkova at the US Open in 2014). She's more commonly known as CiCi.

Bellis had another good win yesterday (Siegemund) while another US woman doing well is Lauren Davis. Kerber, after a comparatively poor run, has had a couple of solid wins, as well.

LATER: Hang on, Bellis has now beaten Radwanska. Some result.

So the return of Juan Martin. Really hope he can stay fit this time. The guy has the game to win the biggest prizes. A huge weapon in his FH and also a big serve. Moves well, and mentally very tough. He came back last year and recorded victories over Djokovic, Nadal, Murray and Wawrinka - to do that after so long off and with only half a BH shows some serious talent.

Bellis run ended by Wozniaki. Kerber will return to number one if she wins the tournament. Del po struggled a bit in Delray Beach but came thru in three sets. Dolgopolov still going strong. Edmund won.
A throw-forward to next week. Djoko has taken a WC into Acapulco where there is a strong field. Means Fed will be much higher ranked at the "rival" tournament in Dubai.

Del Po loses in straights to Raonic in semi in D. Beach. Tsonga - on a good run - is thru to the final in Marseille and will meet Pouille in an all-French affair.

So Nick Kyrgios couldn't beat JWT - an old, fading, on the slide JWT.

Raonic, Dimitrov and Nishikori collectively couldn't get past Fedal - despite the latter only just returning to tour after injury.

How many lost generations do we now make that? I'm losing count.

Incredible, but we're now looking at the under 20's for the next elite talent.

emancipator wrote:So Nick Kyrgios couldn't beat JWT - an old, fading, on the slide JWT.

Raonic, Dimitrov and Nishikori collectively couldn't get past Fedal - despite the latter only just returning to tour after injury.

How many lost generations do we now make that? I'm losing count.

Incredible, but we're now looking at the under 20's for the next elite talent.

It's a lot like lost generations of forum posters.

There used to be a lot of quality and now we're left with....

djlovesyou wrote:

emancipator wrote:So Nick Kyrgios couldn't beat JWT - an old, fading, on the slide JWT.

Raonic, Dimitrov and Nishikori collectively couldn't get past Fedal - despite the latter only just returning to tour after injury.

How many lost generations do we now make that? I'm losing count.

Incredible, but we're now looking at the under 20's for the next elite talent.

It's a lot like lost generations of forum posters.

There used to be a lot of quality and now we're left with....

Me!

You've probably heard that Raonic had to pull out of the Delray Beach final, leaving Sock the winner. The Canadian had a hamstring tear in his right leg. Rarely a season goes by without Milos having an injury which for such a determined guy must be a big disappointment.
E'pator. Were you a bit harsh on Tsonga and, by definition, Kyrgios? JWT is capable of beating anyone on his day. But I take your point about the 20-somethings who consistently fail to trouble the old guard.

Did anyone see any of Casper Ruud in Rio? He was a set and a break up on Carreno Busta in the semi final until he ran out of gas.

Only just turned 18. Think he's one for the future.

djlovesyou wrote:

emancipator wrote:So Nick Kyrgios couldn't beat JWT - an old, fading, on the slide JWT.

Raonic, Dimitrov and Nishikori collectively couldn't get past Fedal - despite the latter only just returning to tour after injury.

How many lost generations do we now make that? I'm losing count.

Incredible, but we're now looking at the under 20's for the next elite talent.

It's a lot like lost generations of forum posters.

There used to be a lot of quality and now we're left with....

Indeed.. your contributions are immense

sirfredperry wrote:You've probably heard that Raonic had to pull out of the Delray Beach final, leaving Sock the winner. The Canadian had a hamstring tear in his right leg. Rarely a season goes by without Milos having an injury which for such a determined guy must be a big disappointment.
  E'pator. Were you a bit harsh on Tsonga and, by definition, Kyrgios? JWT is capable of beating anyone on his day. But I take your point about the 20-somethings who consistently fail to trouble the old guard.

Possibly being a little harsh - Tsonga I know can be a handful for anyone on his day but these are the matches that 'the great talent' - that Kyrgios is so often touted as - should win if he is to realise that talent.

emancipator wrote:

djlovesyou wrote:

emancipator wrote:So Nick Kyrgios couldn't beat JWT - an old, fading, on the slide JWT.

Raonic, Dimitrov and Nishikori collectively couldn't get past Fedal - despite the latter only just returning to tour after injury.

How many lost generations do we now make that? I'm losing count.

Incredible, but we're now looking at the under 20's for the next elite talent.

It's a lot like lost generations of forum posters.

There used to be a lot of quality and now we're left with....

Indeed.. your contributions are immense

And to add.. if I have an opinion I'm not afraid to put it out there..

Your just good at quipping from the sidelines - without any humour or creativity