Possible Federer-Murray Clash in Dubai/ Djoko in Acapulco

Draw is out for Dubai and Murray and Federer could meet in the semis. Stan the Man is the top seed in the other half of the draw. There are more top-tenners at Acapulco than Dubai, with Djoko taking a WC in the Mexican tournament. Of course, the big imponderable at the AO this year was whether Rafa or Rog would have got passed Murray or Djoko. At least Dubai offers the possibility of a Rog-Andy clash.
You can see why Djoko wanted to get some points on the board by playing Acapulco. He's got stacks to defend over the next few weeks, while Murray has very little to do to stay number one for a while. Andy, incidentally, is already a long way up the list of number one longevity, with Wilander (20 weeks in total at the top) the next target.

Be interesting to see if Fed has come back from AO firing on all cylinders. Looking forward to a potential SF clash with Murray.

So Federer and Murray are in Dubai and Novak is in Acapulco. But where is Rafa? He is playing somewhere because I've just seen pictures of a practice session where he was being watched by more fans than turn up for most ATP matches

Sometimes what people don't say is more revealing than what they do

More hoping for a Fedray match on the dirt, considering they've never met

banbrotam wrote:More hoping for a Fedray match on the dirt, considering they've never met

Federer/Murray? Dubai is hardcourt but I am hoping they meet. Would be interesting to see if Federer will come to the net even more often than usual. That's if Fed saw the Zverev/Murray match at the AO. In fact I'm wondering if other players may try this tactic with Murray.

I like to watch players try different tactics with different players.

hawkeye wrote:So Federer and Murray are in Dubai and Novak is in Acapulco. But where is Rafa? He is playing somewhere because I've just seen pictures of a practice session where he was being watched by more fans than turn up for most ATP matches

Sometimes what people don't say is more revealing than what they do

Rafa's playing Acapulco where he's number two seed. Cilic, Thiem and Goffin also in the draw.

Brutal draw for Djokovic in Acapulco.

Klizan>Del Potro>Kyrgios>Thiem/Goffin>Nadal.

Think I prefer Rafa's route...

M Zverev>Lorenzi>Sock>Cilic>Djokovic.

Yes, looks a stronger field at Acapulco than Dubai, particularly after Djoko's decision to take a WC. We could - just could - get two finals featuring the big four. Not often they play in different tournaments in the same week.

Well, Fed made short work of Paire in first round in Dubai tonight, dropping just four games and winning in 54 minutes.

sirfredperry wrote:Yes, looks a stronger field at Acapulco than Dubai, particularly after Djoko's decision to take a WC. We could - just could - get two finals featuring the big four. Not often they play in different tournaments in the same week.

True Acapulco probably has its strongest field ever, and a quite fascinating draw, but then again the winners of the last three majors are playing in Dubai.
Interesting to see whether Delpo can take advantage of Djoko's lack of match practice in 2017!

Stan the Man dumped by "Monty" Dzumhur in Dubai. Makes it more likely that either Fed or Andy will take the title. Rog says he'll decide on his clay-court schedule after Miami.

Later: Murray comfortably thru in first match despite poor first-serve percentage.

Fed or Murray from the top half. Berdych or Monfils from the bottom half.

Stan messes up another draw.

Apparently, Murray had been suffering from shingles of late but said he felt no ill effects in today's match. Spose it makes him the world's number one shingles player at the moment!

Good match between Delpo and Tiafoe, Delpo came through in three tight sets. He will play Djoko in R2. Rafa played well to beat Mischa in straight sets, hitting some very good passing shots winners. Djoko struggled a bit to beat Klizan though still won in straight sets (with second set in a TB that Djoko played well to win).

Andy through very comfortably against Garcia Lopez. Apparently the first set was more competitive that the 6-2 score line suggested. Suffice to say that in the second 6-0 set, GGL was lucky to get nil.

Fed has been taken to a third set by Donskoy after losing the second set 9-7 on the tiebreak. Wonder if he had MPs? Evans got a set off Monfils but lost in three.

Phenomenal display from Donskoy to knock out Federer. Saved three match points in the second set tiebreak before winning it 8-6.

Donskoy then trailed 5-2 in the third but fought back to serve for the match at 6-5. Choked and dropped his serve to love and then went 5-1 down in the tiebreak on the back of a bunch of unforced errors. However, he fought back again to take the last 6 points.

Murray cruises through in straight sets. Federer suffers a shock defeat against Donskoy losing 6-3 6-7 6-7.

How did Fed lose that one? So much for a clash with Murray!

sirfredperry wrote:How did Fed lose that one? So much for a clash with Murray!

I only followed the scores live but never watched so can't really say.

Murray is in his element in these kind of minor events...

sirfredperry wrote:How did Fed lose that one? So much for a clash with Murray!

To be honest, Fed looked OK but perhaps not at his most focussed, while Donskoy was just pummelling everything, especially on the forehand. It's the sort of shot that when its on will bring a lot of winners, and when it's a bit off will spray the ball everywhere. Today he was hot for enough of the match...

Djoko's just beaten delpo after a long three-set match. JMDP was up a break in the third but lost the last three games.

Monfils knocked out in Dubai by Verdasco in straights. Surely Murray should win this, now. Pouille only seed left apart from Andy.
By all accounts, a good match between delpo and Djoko. JMDP hopefully will rise soon in the rankings, so such an early meeting between these two can be avoided.

sirfredperry wrote:Monfils knocked out in Dubai by Verdasco in straights. Surely Murray should win this, now. Pouille only seed left apart from Andy.
  By all accounts, a good match between delpo and Djoko. JMDP hopefully will rise soon in the rankings, so such an early meeting between these two can be avoided.

Hmm but wasn't Roger seen as a shoo in for the semi at least with many tipping him for final and he lost to a qualifier. In short there are no guarantees.

CC- I see what you mean, in that Murray has just gone a set down to philipp kohlschreiber !

Okay, this TB is just getting ridiculous! 18-18

Kohli and Murray level at one set all after an epic second set tiebreaker that Murray won 20-18. Fabulous match this.

And Murray takes it 20-18 - phew that was a long one

Great tenacity shown by Andy to save seven match points. He wins 6-7 7-6 6-1 against Philipp Kohlschreiber to go through to the semis in Dubai. Hard fought win with plenty of superb tennis from both players.

Gosh what a tiebreak that must have been. Reckoned Murray would win after that as all the MPs lost would have been devastating for the German. So another Dubai match ends with the victor staving off multiple MPs.

Murray's drop shot at 8-9 in the tiebreak was ridiculous. Top match!

Born Slippy wrote:Murray's drop shot at 8-9 in the tiebreak was ridiculous. Top match!

Superb shot. Commentators made a lot of it saying it was the best drop shot they'd seen given the match situation and ridiculous placement of it. Viewers will make up their own minds.

Lucas Pouille beats Donskoy in three sets and will face Murray in the second semi tomorrow.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEiHoKsF8Rc

Starts with the drop shot as it shows all the match points saved.

Rafa marches through to the semis in Acapulco but Novak crashes out to Kyrgios in straight sets.

Interesting that Murray issued a don't-try-this-at-home warning about that drop shot, saying he would not coach someone to do that at that moment in a match. He added that it was perhaps the worst shot he played in the match - meaning the riskiest.
Good win by Kyrgios. Has he now beaten all the big four? Can't remember all his results but I recall he's certainly beaten Murray and Fed.

Confirmation of the career slump for Djokovic. Losing to kyrgios is a new low. A player he would have destroyed this time last year

sirfredperry wrote:Interesting that Murray issued a don't-try-this-at-home warning about that drop shot, saying he would not coach someone to do that at that moment in a match. He added that it was perhaps the worst shot he played in the match - meaning the riskiest.
  Good win by Kyrgios. Has he now beaten all the big four? Can't remember all his results but I recall he's certainly beaten Murray and Fed.

He also beat Nadal at Wimbledon a couple of years ago.

slashermcguirk wrote:Confirmation of the career slump for Djokovic. Losing to kyrgios is a new low. A player he would have destroyed this time last year

.

Slasher. Djoko was beating everyone 12 months ago. But Kyrgios is a real talent (when he's not got his crazy head on). Further to my point above, it seems as if the Australian HAS beaten all the big four - each at the first time of asking. Now, not many can claim triumphs over all the top guys. Stan's beaten them all, but who else? Nishi and Berdych possibly, probably Tsonga, not Ferrer as he's not beaten Rog. Cilic?

Novak is playing at a decent level but the cracks appear when sets/matches go tight. It seems self-doubts creep in where they never did before and the big points he is losing more of them now than he ever did when dominant hence more losses will come.

According to the ATP site Murray's H2H over Kyrgios is 5 - 0.
[I think it was a Hopman Cup match when Kyrgios beat him].

Kyrgios is the second player to win his first meeting with each of Djokovic, Federer and Nadal apparently. Hewitt is the other.

He served 25 aces in two sets against Djokovic. Plus many more unreturnables.

Murray does seem to own him though. Think they are quite friendly, Murray often defends his behaviour saying he is young and needs a break etc. Kyrgios has described Murray as his toughest opponent.

CaledonianCraig wrote:Novak is playing at a decent level but the cracks appear when sets/matches go tight. It seems self-doubts creep in where they never did before and the big points he is losing more of them now than he ever did when dominant hence more losses will come.

The big players start to lose tight matches as they decline. We've seen it a lot with Rafa over the last few years and over the last 9 months with Djokovic.

Guest82 wrote:

CaledonianCraig wrote:Novak is playing at a decent level but the cracks appear when sets/matches go tight. It seems self-doubts creep in where they never did before and the big points he is losing more of them now than he ever did when dominant hence more losses will come.

The big players start to lose tight matches as they decline.  We've seen it a lot with Rafa over the last few years and over the last 9 months with Djokovic.  

I think its a little different in Novak's case though. This was no slow decline that has been coming for two to three years. This was a swift fall off a cliff after winning RG last year. Up until that point he was top dog and virtually unbeatable and thereafter the fire seems to have diminished and he is seeking to re-ignite it.

The problem is novaks form is nowhere near where it used to be. He has become so passive, his serve appears slower and he is losing to players he shouldn't be. From matches I have seen of kyrgios I think he looks very average. I remember watching him play Murray last year or the year before in one of the slams (can't recall which one) but remember thinking what is the fuss with this guy?? Murray beat him so easily. Novak should be schooling players like kyrgios. Sure he is capable of some great tennis but it's not like we are seeing kyrgios appearing at the business end of slams. He is also a complete tool

Slasher. We clearly disagree about Kyrgios apart from views about his behaviour. Yes, he can be an idiot on court.
I've seen him live and on TV and I think he is an incredible talent. Big serve plus all the shots. Remarkably gifted. If he fails to be a regular top 10 player - top five even - it will not be due to lack of ability. It will be due to attitude.
With Djoko, the air of invincibility has certainly worn off. His opponents now think they at least have a chance of winning, which was not the case a year ago. He's got a stack of points to defend over the next few weeks, too.

CaledonianCraig wrote:

Guest82 wrote:

CaledonianCraig wrote:Novak is playing at a decent level but the cracks appear when sets/matches go tight. It seems self-doubts creep in where they never did before and the big points he is losing more of them now than he ever did when dominant hence more losses will come.

The big players start to lose tight matches as they decline.  We've seen it a lot with Rafa over the last few years and over the last 9 months with Djokovic.  

I think its a little different in Novak's case though. This was no slow decline that has been coming for two to three years. This was a swift fall off a cliff after winning RG last year. Up until that point he was top dog and virtually unbeatable and thereafter the fire seems to have diminished and he is seeking to re-ignite it.

Yes it does seem a bit strange. Small margins at the very top though. I guess a few points different and he wins a lot of the games he's losing at the moment. Probably a confidence/mental issue.

It does appear to be in his head a lot. I think once he achieved RG then he probably took his foot off the gas subconsciously.

sirfredperry wrote:Slasher. We clearly disagree about Kyrgios apart from views about his behaviour. Yes, he can be an idiot on court.
  I've seen him live and on TV and I think he is an incredible talent. Big serve plus all the shots. Remarkably gifted. If he fails to be a regular top 10 player - top five even - it will not be due to lack of ability. It will be due to attitude.
  With Djoko, the air of invincibility has certainly worn off. His opponents now think they at least have a chance of winning, which was not the case a year ago. He's got a stack of points to defend over the next few weeks, too.

Agree with this. I think on his day Kyrgios is already a match for any player in the world. In some ways his attitude helps him beat the top players as he has the arrogance to believe in himself at big moments.

But, he will also tank some matches when the going gets tough. I think he will win slams and other big events, but he will never be consistent.

Guest82 wrote:

CaledonianCraig wrote:

Guest82 wrote:

CaledonianCraig wrote:Novak is playing at a decent level but the cracks appear when sets/matches go tight. It seems self-doubts creep in where they never did before and the big points he is losing more of them now than he ever did when dominant hence more losses will come.

The big players start to lose tight matches as they decline.  We've seen it a lot with Rafa over the last few years and over the last 9 months with Djokovic.  

I think its a little different in Novak's case though. This was no slow decline that has been coming for two to three years. This was a swift fall off a cliff after winning RG last year. Up until that point he was top dog and virtually unbeatable and thereafter the fire seems to have diminished and he is seeking to re-ignite it.

Yes it does seem a bit strange.  Small margins at the very top though.  I guess a few points different and he wins a lot of the games he's losing at the moment.   Probably a confidence/mental issue.  

It does appear to be in his head a lot.  I think once he achieved RG then he probably took his foot off the gas subconsciously.

Its not really a mystery. Novak himself admits he lost motivation after RG. He said there was euphoria after finally winning the French Open and once the euphoria subsided he found himself asking now what? The urge to practice/train was not so intense and given how intense Novak used to be in that area AND if the competitive edge is lost even a fraction at this level it will impact on other areas of your game like a snowball effect.