February/March 2019 Tournaments

Some big-point tournaments coming up, including the sunshine-double of IW and Miami. You probably saw that Tsonga, after an injury-hit 2018, took the title yesterday in Montpellier. He took out four fellow Frenchman to win it. Good to see him back.

Argentine WC Londero won in Cordoba having never had a single win on the main circuit. Incredible. Far more predictably, Medvedev triumphed in Sofia.

GB women, after some heroic stuff, won all their matches in the Fed Cup in Bath and now face a play-off in April to get promotion. The women have a tournament in Doha this week, while there is a fairly strong field in the men's tournament in Rotterdam. No Fed this year, but he's scheduled to play Dubai later in the month.

Djoko is very secure in the number one position and is likely to be top for some time. I think Fed's record of 310 weeks in total at number one will eventually go.

Thanks for your update. Bit quiet on here.

Bit of a shock in Rotterdam where Dutch WC Tallon Griekspoor bt Khachanov. The Dutchman beat Stan the Man at this tournament last year!

Monfils bt Goffin while Nishi was taken to three sets before winning. Meanwhile in Buenos Aires, David Ferrer continued his farewell tour with a straight sets win over Jaziri. The Spaniard, nearing 37, will play his last tournament in May in Madrid.

Interesting match-up today in Rotterdam where Tsonga takes on Medvedev. Both are on seven-match winning runs. If JWT comes thru this one we'll know he's well and truly back.

Well, Medvedev was far too strong for JWT - winning 4 and 2. Tremendous fight back by Halep in Doha, beating Svitolina 6-4 in the third after her opponent had points for a 5-1 lead in that final set.

Wawrinka takes out Shapovalov though as the veterans hit back! Monfils also through with Kei just starting now.

Is this on Amazon Prime by the way? If so, anyone seen the coverage so far?

In New York today Isner gets to play a guy even taller than him - Opelka. Clearly, the match will reach the heights.

I am still wondering whether Wawrinka is now shot or whether he could spring a surprise - but he turns 34 at the end of next month so time is not on his side.

Things should get interesting when we have Djokovic, Nadal, Federer and the next generation competing in upcoming masters.

Medvedev's recent good run halted today by Monfils - another 30-something triumph. Frenchman will play winner of Nish and The Man.
Somewhat surprisingly, Halep beaten by Mertens in Doha, but she'll still move back to number two.

Stan the Man saw off Nishi in three. Subduing 6ft 11in Opelka was too much of a, um... tall order for the comparatively-diminutive Isner who saw six MPs come and go in a marathon second set tiebreak before losing.

There were no breaks in this match which saw a record number of aces (81) in a three-set encounter. Opelka plays 23-year-old Canadian qualifier Brayden Schnur in the final. Schnur had never won a main tour match before this.

Good news for Delpo fans. The big Argentinian is back next week at Delray Beach.

Tourney wins for Monfils, Opelka and Cecchinato. Although missing out on the title, Stan the Man has a big jump in ranking.

The women's tour moves on to Dubai where nearly all the top ladies are playing. Interesting to see how number one Osaka gets on after splitting from her coach.

Osaka knocked out in her first match in Dubai but the other top seeds thru - albeit after some struggles.

JMDP will be in action tonight in Delpo - er, sorry, Delray - Beach.

Delpo came thru his first match in straight sets. Said afterwards that he had some pain from his knee and was, understandably, tired at the end.

Very good win by Dan Evans who bt Tiafoe in three sets after being 4-1 down in the final set. Cameron Norrie also had a good win.

Already today, Kvitova and Halep are thru in Dubai. Next up for Halep is the winner of Muguruza-Svitolina.

Dan Evans already up to #148 in the world heading back maybe to the top 100 - which was where he was before he served the ban for recreational drugs use.

Another win last night for Evans, but Norrie lost a three hour 19 minute match.

Halep faces Bencic today and not Svitolina, as I wrongly asserted yesterday. The Svitolina match will follow tomorrow if Halep and Svit win today.

It's been announced that Federer will play Madrid. Think I'm right in saying Madrid is one of the quicker clay courts.
He was bound to have signed up for at least one clay-court tourney before RG. Wonder if he'll play more than one.

Great win for Evans yesterday - good to see him continuing his good form from Aus Open and presumably there's a few other ATP and Challenger tournaments coming up on the hardcourts to give further opportunities to climb up the rankings.

On Federer's clay season, can't see him playing Monte Carlo (when did he last play there) but wonder if he'll play Rome.

Pliskova lost six games in a row to crash out of Dubai to Hsieh. Halep also out - beaten by Bencic who is climbing back up the rankings having been a top-ten teenager.

Kvitova is thru and looks to be the main obstacle to Svitolina completing a hat-trick of Dubai titles.

Surprise result in Marseille where number two seed Coric lost in straight sets to 20-yr-old Frenchman Ugo Humbert.

Another comeback win for Delpo who beat Opelka 4 and 4. Looks like he's in good shape.

We should soon get the draw for the men's tournament starting in Dubai next week. Federer, Cilic and Nishi all due to play.

Dan Evans beats Seppi in straight sets to make the semis. In Dubai it will be Kvitova v Bencic in the final. The Swiss came from 5-3 down in the final set to bt Svitolina.

Delpo beaten last night by USA's Mackenzie McDonald. Delpo said his movement restricted towards the end, but he's no doubt happy to be back on court and having three matches.

Dan Evans plays Isner today. Will have to win the tiebreaks that litter the Isner matches.

Dan Evans leads Isner 3-6 6-2 3-0 (single break).

It seems to me Evans may be the de facto male British number one. I am not sure what is happening with Kyle Edmund - he seems to be injury prone. Apart from one very good showing at one grand slam (AO2018) I think he might be top 50 quality and top 30 at his best.

Dan Evans leads Isner 3-6 6-2 5-2 (single break).

Dan Evans leads Isner 3-6 6-2 5-3 (single break).

Can Evans now serve out for the match?

And Evans serves out to love in no time to take the match 3-6 6-2 6-3 to proceed to the final (ATP250).

Very good win by Evans - and no tiebreaks! Isner had not lost serve for a number of matches and then lost it three times from the middle of the match.

Evans will go up to just outside the top 100 now, and much higher if he gets the win today.

Tsitsipas, who had a couple of first-round losses after the AO, has taken the title in Marseille.

Dan Evans plays for the Delray Beach title tonight against Moldovan Radu Albot. A 50-50 match, I reckon.

Federer has Kohlschreiber first up in Dubai as he attempts to win his 100th title. Nishi is top seed and has Cilic and Tsitsipas in his half of the draw.

Evans had three MPs but went down 9-7 in the final set tiebreak of his final. He'd fought back from a break down in that final set and led 6-4 in the tiebreak.

Evans goes up to 105 in the rankings. Felix A-A was beaten in his final. Fed will be on court later in Dubai.

Federer thru in three v Kohlschreiber, but seeds Khachanov and Raonic both beaten. Next up for Fed is Verdasco.

Playing his first match since the AO, Rafa came thru in straights v M Zverev in Acapulco. Cameron Norrie also won.

Yesterday in Dubai, Cilic and Medvedev were both beaten. Today, Fed saw off Verdasco in three, but Nishi was beaten as was defending champion RBA.

Rafa was beaten by Kyrgios after squandering three MPs in the final set tiebreak in a three hour match in Acapulco. The Australian is now 3-3 with Rafa. Stan the Man won and next plays....Kyrgios.

Good win for Cameron Norrie who bt Schwartzman. In Dubai Coric sneaked home in three against Berdych.

I’ve been reading reports of a somewhat fiery atmosphere during the Nadal-Kyrgios clash in Acapulco, followed up with barbed comments made by each in their respective post-match pressers.

That apart, the win by Kyrgios leaves him with a level 3-3 h2h record v Rafa.

Rafa looked thoroughly p'ed off at the end of the Kyrgios match and there was only a perfunctory handshake between the two of them.

Been reading a few of the comments both made afterwards. Apparently Rafa was none too impressed with the under-arm serve Kyrgios attempted and spoke of a lack of respect.

The Australian, in turn, pointed to what he saw as Rafa's gamesmanship in taking too long between points.

Federer thru after a tight 7-6, 6-4 over Fucsovics, who led 6-4 in the tiebreak before losing 8-6. They exchanged breaks in the second set before Fed broke at 4-4 to serve it out.

This was a rare straight-sets win in this tournament, with both Tsitsipas and Monfils being taken to three sets before winning today.

Yes, a tight one there for Federer, though in truth it’s been a bit of a struggle for him all week. At least he did only need two sets today.

Remains to be seen whether he can get his 100th here in Dubai in this sort of form.  On the one hand it would seem he’s not firing on all cylinders ; but on the other it does show that even at this age he’s still willing to dig in and scrap for his match wins against some quality opponents.

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Fed v Coric today, with Coric having beaten Rog twice last year but having been taken to three successive final set tiebreaks in Dubai.

Monfils seems to be in tremendous form. What an underachiever he's been. Perhaps, late in his career, he's going to finally get his act together. He's already won a tournament this year and I think he'll beat Tsitsipas today.

Kyrgios had another epic against Stan the Man, coming thru in three after cutting his hand early on and suffering cramp late on. He'll play Isner who, thanks to ridiculous scheduling, ended his all-tiebreak match in the middle of the night.

Cameron Norrie is thru to the semis after beating Mackenzie McDonald in straight sets. Next up for him is A Zverev.

Fed blitzed Coric 2 and 2 to reach the final and put his 100th title within reach. Rog only dropped three points on serve in the second set.

He'll now play Tsitsipas who had a three-hour battle with Monfils, coming from behind to edge it in a final-set tiebreak. Spectators have certainly got their moneysworth in Dubai.

Tsitsipas is the real deal.   It was only last year he broke onto the scene and he continues to progress and show consistency.   Consistency is what the other "next generation" lack.  Consistency is also a function of how long they can manage and maintain their physical fitness while remaining injury free.

Great opportunity for Federer to get another chance to "work out" Tsitsipas' game.  I believe Federer has played him twice, lost to him twice, and yet to break him - although he has had numerous breakpoint opportunities.

ps: It is looking like it will be Tsitsipas to be the next person to win a maiden grand slam.  Thiem has shown some promise from time to time but inconsistency / injury seems to be affecting him.

No name Bertie wrote: ................

Great opportunity for Federer to get another chance to "work out" Tsitsipas' game.  I believe Federer has played him twice, lost to him twice, and yet to break him - although he has had numerous breakpoint opportunities.

ps: It is looking like it will be Tsitsipas to be the next person to win a maiden grand slam.  Thiem has shown some promise from time to time but inconsistency / injury seems to be affecting him.

I seem to think (?) they have only met once in an official tour match : this year’s Aussie Open when Tsitsipas was the winner in four very tight sets. (just prior to that, they did play each other in a well-contested Hopman Cup, a match which Federer won in two). ALL six sets played have been T/B’s !

Would agree that Tsitsipas does have all the makings of an imminent Slam winner .... more so than any of the others from the ‘next gen’ group. And before that, he can certainly stop Fed from getting that 100th title.

Kyrgios thru to final in Acapulco after another tight match, beating Isner in a third set tiebreak. Will play A Zverev who bt Norrie.

Fed at least gave himself the best chance of being reasonably fresh for the final against Tsitsipas by winning his semi so quickly. But really this match could go either way.

The win by Federer in today’s Final was always going to be a special one, given that it brings up title number 100.

But I reckon he will take added pleasure from the manner of achievement. It’s been a pretty solid week overall, and although far from his best in early rounds, he had enough to battle past experienced campaigners such as Verdasco and Kohlschreiber.

The SF was then a potentially serious obstacle, with young Coric having already chalked up two wins against Fed (and indeed v Nadal too), but that’s just when his game went up a level. And taking down the most promising ‘next gen’ player on the main tour, one with a 17 year advantage of youth in his favour, was a good way to round things off.

So big congrats on your century, Fed  

38 years old in a few months ...... but still putting on a show and testing himself against  the kids.

It’s been quite a career.

Had a feeling right from the off that this would be the 100th for Fed. He was in the bottom half of the draw - away from form players Tsitsipas and Monfils.

Then his seeds Khachanov and Raonic went out from his half and then Nishi was beaten. Every match in the tournament, it seemed, went to three sets and Fed managed, finally, to see off two players who had good recent records against him.

The 100 is a fantastic achievement. You've got to have some big years - double-figure titles - to get anywhere near it. Can anyone else do it? Possibly Rafa and Djoko. Rafa's on 80 and Djoko on 73. So they still have some way to go.

Can't quite see Rog reaching Connors' all-time record of 109 titles. But if he was to have a storming 2019 - winning, say, five or six titles - he might make it.

Connors’ record is pretty safe for now methinks, and will probably stand for many, many, more years to come. A stellar achievement.

But there’s little doubt Jimbo would trade those extra 9 titles he currently has, in exchange for a few of the 12 additional Slams racked up by Roger over the years ......

PS - if only we had some of our friendly posters from the old 606 to enjoy the moment and add their congratulations. I’m thinking of all the Fed ahem, admirers .... the ones who would remind us daily that he was all washed up many years back when still on around 80 titles. IIRC there was a thread as far back as 2012 with a subject header of “Why Federer is no longer relevant” .
Ah yes ..... them were the days

After the Fed 100 celebrations, Kyrgios beat Zverev in straight sets to take the Acapulco title. The Aussie bt three top 10 guys to get the trophy. Pretty impressive and puts his ranking up considerably.

The circus moves on the IW and, then, Miami now. Presumably Djoko will be back and keen to consolidate his number one position. While Djoko may not reach 100 titles, he has a good chance to pass Fed's record of 310 weeks in total at number one.

Yes, a very good tournament win for Kyrgios.

I don’t think anyone doubts his prodigious talent. If only he would put a stop to the oddball, self-destructive behaviour that has so often featured in the past, and instead maintain a focussed & professional approach on court, then I see no reason he should not become a top five player.

Absolutely agree about Kyrgios. Trouble is, every time you think he's turned a corner, he goes all yukky and starts throwing all his toys out of the pram.

I think his fans can perhaps take heart from his words after his win in the final. He spoke of how other players who had fallen on hard times could be inspired by his success in this tournament. He had been despairing of his form and had been in a dark place but had got out of it.

Also re Kyrgios ..... was just thinking back to one of his fellow Aussies, Pat Cash ...... who managed to win a Wimbledon title (and just a handful of other, very low-grade, events) with far less natural talent. In that context, I feel it would be almost tragic if Kyrgios were to go through his whole career without taking at least one Slam.

Kyle Edmund entered - and won - a challenger tournament at IW. The five wins there will no doubt give him confidence going into the main ATP draw later this week.

Could be a few changes in the top 10 over the next two weeks with a number of players having few, or no, points to defend. Top players probably relieved that Kyrgios has gone up to 33 in the rankings. With Delpo unable to play, the Australian will be seeded at IW

lags72 wrote:Also re Kyrgios ..... was just thinking back to one of his fellow Aussies, Pat Cash ...... who managed to win a Wimbledon title (and just a handful of other, very low-grade, events) with far less natural talent. In that context, I feel it would be almost tragic if Kyrgios were to go through his whole career without taking at least one Slam.

Robin Söderling never won a grand slam singles title.  Andy Roddick never winning Wimbledon was perhaps harsh. For Kyrgios there will be plenty of opportunity once the all time great generation shuffle off stage with zimmer frames.

No name Bertie wrote:........  For Kyrgios there will be plenty of opportunity once the all time great generation shuffle off stage with zimmer frames.

There will indeed.

But he can also win a Slam(s) while they’re still around on the scene.

With multiple wins already over Novak and Rafa (and one over even the Fed too), we know he has the game to beat anybody on his day.

He needs to focus more for the tough slog of seven rounds Bo5. Finally there are - just maybe -  signs that the penny has dropped, and that he is mentally ready to do so. Time alone will tell.