US Open 2014: MOTD Day 8 Mon 1/09/2014

The 2nd week starts and we hope for much better tennis. You can place your Joker bets on one match.

1. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) [33]
vs.
Andy Murray (GBR) [32]

Block buster. Murray often has beaten Tsonga in the past, but this could be Tsonga's day. His form is good, but he needs to keep focus. Murray's determination and will to win is strong despite a poor form.

2. Aleksandra Krunic (SRB) [33]
vs.
Victoria Azarenka (BLR) [16]

Is there another top seed in women's tennis to fall today? 

3. Kei Nishikori (JPN) [33]
vs.
Milos Raonic (CAN) [28]


Winner will be decided between a few points. Nishikori, I don't think has the firtness to stay in course.


4. Novak Djokovic (SRB) [12]
vs.
Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) [33]


If Kohli comes to his best, its a blockbuster of a match. Still odds heavily favour Djokovic .


5. Stan Wawrinka (SUI) [20]
vs.
Tommy Robredo (ESP) [33]


Robrado has a winning h2h over Stan. This is going to test Stan to the limit.




My picks:


1. Tsonga to win in 4
2. I'm going with Nishikori in 5.
3. Azarenka this one in 2 sets. [JOKER]
4.  Djokovic in 3
5. Stan in 4

murray, rao, Azarenka, djoko, robredo

Tsonga
Krunic
Nishi
Djokovic (joker)
Stan

Tsonga
Rao
azarenka, Joker
Djoko
Wawrinka

Murray (joker)
Azarenka
Nishikori
Djokovic
Wawrinka

But, in spite of that:

Kohli
Tsonga

robredo is my joker!

been stuck on heathrow tarmarc for the last 2h!!!

Have a safe journey, T.

what is the joker concept?

sphairistike wrote:what is the joker concept?

Points for the jokered match double.

summerblues wrote:

sphairistike wrote:what is the joker concept?

Points for the jokered match double.

Positive and negative?

My picks: 

1. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) [33]

2. Aleksandra Krunic (SRB) [33] (joker)

3. Kei Nishikori (JPN) [33]

4. Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) [33]

5. Tommy Robredo (ESP) [33]

sphairistike wrote:

summerblues wrote:

sphairistike wrote:what is the joker concept?

Points for the jokered match double.

Positive and negative?

Negative? There is never negative.

Positive or zero - they both double.

summerblues wrote:

sphairistike wrote:

summerblues wrote:

sphairistike wrote:what is the joker concept?

Points for the jokered match double.

Positive and negative?

Negative?  There is never negative.

Positive or zero - they both double.

ok, thanks!

1. Andy Murray (GBR) [32] - this one could go either way obviously, because Andy Murray seems to have the game to make Tsonga go crazy. Murray after all was the only one to take a set off Tsonga in Toronto, will likely not be a straight set affair.

2. Victoria Azarenka (BLR) [16]

3. Kei Nishikori (JPN) [33] - Raonic didn't look too solid so far and he showed that he can beat Raonic - joker


4. Novak Djokovic (SRB) [12] - I like Kohlschreiber, but this one goes to Djokovic, sorry Kohli.

5. Tommy Robredo (ESP) [33] - Can Tommy send home another Suisse guy this year in R4? Stan is coming from a w/o and should be well rested, but I thought that of Ferrer too.

Murray is toast.  It would be a big surprise if he managed to win, and for that to happen Tsonga has to come playing average.  Anywhere near his best and Murray is heading home. 

Nishikori Raonic could go either way, but I'd go Nish.

Djokovic Kol might have gone Kol when he a little younger, but he's now almost 31 and not as good as he used to be.  Be a big shock if Djok went out and he'd have to come playing pretty poorly to lose.  The bookies are offering 1/25 for Djok.

Stan looks in good form and should win easily.

Tsonga in 4, Nishikori in 4, Djokovic in 3, Stan in 3.

Nole is steamrolling through the field.

He probably viewed Toronto and Cincy as his honeymoon but came here to play.

So busy, just tuning in now!
Go Nole!!!

summerblues wrote:Nole is steamrolling through the field.

He probably viewed Toronto and Cincy as his honeymoon but came here to play.

If Tsonga goes through, Djokovic need his A game.

FedererKing wrote:If Tsonga goes through, Djokovic need his A game.

You think so?  I still figure he would have more trouble with Murray.  He will find a way to blunt Tsonga's attacks and frustrate him into errors.

I'd love Tsonga to win, but Murray is the favourite.
For Tsonga to win there has to be no wind to affect his serve which is core to his game, plus Murray needs to serve average in order for Tsonga to return it well.
A lot will depend on how Tsonga starts and weather conditions.
ALLEZ!

Kohli

Yes, Kholi is another victim of modern era.
Federer compensates with his crazy talent, Stan with his power, Kholi...simply can't last in this modern base-line tennis as he falls short both in talent and power department compared to Fed and Stan.

Of course, it's a shame as he is a great player.

Djokovic is looking unstoppable at the moment...

Murray looks in v good form so far, but tsonga hasn't got going.... yet.

Poor Nole, I wish they stopped hassling him with this dancing...
He looked exhausted, but a very nice interview in the end.

From what I saw, he is ready for the final.

Weather has been quite tricky so far.

Switching to Murray-Tsonga.

noleisthebest wrote:From what I saw, he is ready for the final.

He certainly is the favorite to make it there, but the real tournament is just starting.

Yes, but I don't think either Tsonga or Murray can beat him atm.

Tsonga's improved his "rallying" skills but I don't think they'll win him the match tonight.
Murray is a master at pushing UEs out of him.
ALLEZ JO!!!!!  

No 1st serve, no Tsonga.
He needs to learn to take time before important serves, just to compose himself, rather than rush into them.

Hopefully he won't have lost heart for the fight.

noleisthebest wrote:Tsonga's improved his "rallying" skills

I was just thinking the opposite; that his baseline rallying game today is as bad as ever, if not worse.

It's not as good as Murray's as Murray has a superior BH, and that's making the difference.
Rallying is not Tsonga's game, he is an instinctive attacker, but it's good he can do it now to an extent, just to buy him some time when/if his serve is off.
But in this match it's a big gamble as a few points have decided the first set...hard to find the right balance when everything is happening so quickly...

That first set was not all that close - Tsonga was lucky to get it to 5:7.  He will have to improve significantly if he wants to win today.

Murray has got to be the weakest Slam champ ever, and certainly weakest mentality for a top 10 I've ever seen.  Anything goes wrong and he shouts and screams.  Falls apart.

Down a break in set 2.

I only saw the end of first set, and he could've easily taken it to TB had he not missed his 1st serve.
Murry's just had his customary slump, and watch how it gives Tsonga wings.

Well, obviously he could have easily taken it to TB, the set ended 5:7

But throughout the set, Tsonga was on the verge of being broken multiple times while Andy was cruising through his games.  5:7 flattered Tsonga.

That said, he is in it now.

Poor Tsonga, he has to literally paint the lines in order to win a point.

Sloppy by Tsonga... not playing his A game at all.  Playing like this, neither of these two have a hope against Djokovic. I think at this rate only Fed, Dimi and Wawrinka have a chance.

Murray just knows when to turn his limited aggression on...that's the new thing I noticed since Mauresmo's been with him.
Allez Jo!!!

FedererKing wrote:Sloppy by Tsonga... not playing his A game at all.  Playing like this, neither of these two have a hope against Djokovic. I think at this rate only Fed, Dimi and Wawrinka have a chance.

Tsonga definitely has no hope.  Murray I still think might have a chance - not 50/50 but still not outside of realm of possibilities.

I agree with you on Fed, Dimi and Stan as being potential threats to Nole.

Dimi has been flying under the radar.  Everyone is saying how easy Fed's draw is but if Dimi is playing well, he is currently perhaps the third best player in this tournament (behind Nole and Fed).  He is playing quite well and looks pretty confident in his game.  I am a little worried he might surprise Fed in the QF - assuming they both get there.

Tut tut... another let off from Tsonga.  Murray is looking very unfit, Tsonga isn't looking in the form previous...

Djokovic must be laughing his head off.

Djokovic will prefer Tsonga though, because Murray will tire him out far more.

I dunno, Murray looks pretty fit to me.
You don't think all this body touching when he loses a point has anything to do with his fitness?
Only Nadal is as fit as Murray atm.

noleisthebest wrote:Only Nadal is as fit as Murray atm.

You are selling your boy short.

But I agree that Murray is also in a very good shape - his cramps in R1 notwithstanding.

FedererKing wrote:Sloppy by Tsonga... not playing his A game at all.  Playing like this, neither of these two have a hope against Djokovic. I think at this rate only Fed, Dimi and Wawrinka have a chance.

Why do you think Tsonga isn't playing his A game?

Murray will be pretty hard to beat in USO.
I give Nole the edge only because he is a better server.

Dimi I doubt, he is just not good enough with his feet for the SFs and Fs.

Stan...good, but not enough game for the in-form Nole, which I think Nole is atm, still, not 100% sure.

To me, it looks like a Fed-Nole final.

summerblues wrote:

noleisthebest wrote:Only Nadal is as fit as Murray atm.

You are selling your boy short.

I wish I was...but I differentiate fitness from strength and stamina.

Nole's got best stamina.

Order of play for tomorrow:



Glad no more 3AM matches....

noleisthebest wrote:

FedererKing wrote:Sloppy by Tsonga... not playing his A game at all.  Playing like this, neither of these two have a hope against Djokovic. I think at this rate only Fed, Dimi and Wawrinka have a chance.

Why do you think Tsonga isn't playing his A game?

Because he is making a ridiculous number of unforced errors, and was playing far better earlier in the tournament.  Tsonga at Toronto was A game, and he blew Murray away.

Very good win for Murray, is that his first top 10 win of the season?

Now... ALLEZ STAN THE MAN!

I am having my watching "slump".... they eyelids want to clozzzzzzze

Nothing beats the creative beauty if SBH tennis