ATP MASTERS 1000: Paris Bercy

AO feels like it was yesterday...but here we are, the last tournament of the year!

Being awkwardly scheduled back to back weeks with the WTF in the last few years, Bercy was never high on top players' agenda.
Not this year!

There is a week between Paris & London now, and with it come two compelling developments to follow: 
Fight for the last 3 WTF spots & race for the Year Number One.

We know Nadal has pulled out, but everyone else is playing.



Draw:

Order of Play:
http://www.atpworldtour.com/posting/2014/352/op.pdf


A nice article:
http://straightsets.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/06/21/the-unusual-hidden-tennis-courts-of-paris/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0

Match of the day:

Dolgoplov-Thiem (10 am uk tine)


Btw, does anyone know why Cilic is not playing?

All possible scenarios for the remaining WTF spots:

I want Berdych out...Unlikely I know.

All the above contesting 4 will qualify, Nadal has left a spot and Raonic/Dimi won't go far enough in Paris.

It's a lovely sunny day!

Dolgo-Thiem just starting
Mannarino-Herbert

followed by
NITB - The Ball machine (tennistv haven't got the rights to broadcast that one  )

Dolgo having one of his less "consistent" days

Looks like Dolgo's got himself going...a bit.

Very interesting clash of straight, simple aggression from Thiem and all the guile in the world you can think of from Dolgo.

I want a third set!

0:6 in the third, oh Dolgo...
Hard to play with no first serve, though. Especially Dolgo's first serve.

Thiem playing Wawrinka next, which explains why Severin and Stan were in the stands watching him.

Over to French delice: Mannarino-Herbert.

I feel sorry for Mannarino & Herbert having to play through loud music coming from central court.

Yes, commentating from tennistv not bad today, but I suppose it's because they are not having to sell anyone...

Herbert is a nice player with potential.
He, for example, could do with Rasheed as a coach, just to make his feet a little lighter and take the pressure off his hands.

So...it's Mannarino that wins with a bit more guile and experience playing Berdych next!
Will he make Tenez's WTF wish come true?

Kohli

Match of the day:

Djokovic-Kohlschreiber
Berdych-Mannarino (does Berd still qualify if he loses this?)
Monfils-Sousa

Idemo Tata!!!!  

Funny how forumotion has automatically changed the time to summer, not winter daylight saving at the weekend!
Showing it's 6.30 instead of 8.30...if only it really was the end of March and summer around the corner...

noleisthebest wrote:Funny how forumotion has automatically changed the time to summer, not winter daylight saving at the weekend!
Showing it's 6.30 instead of 8.30...if only it really was the end of March and summer around the corner...

I think you can set this in your preferences.

...though you are right it seems to have changed the time the other way around.

Tenez wrote:

noleisthebest wrote:Funny how forumotion has automatically changed the time to summer, not winter daylight saving at the weekend!
Showing it's 6.30 instead of 8.30...if only it really was the end of March and summer around the corner...

I think you can set this in your preferences.

Yes, I've just done it!

PS
It still shows that odd time when I log out.

I have just checked today's results.
A big clap for poooor, ooooooold Robredo who managed to piece himself together after that match against Murray on Sunday evening and WIN today in three sets, yes and the third set was a tie-break!

Karlovic losing 1-6 4-6 to some Lucas Pouille. Commentators were talking about TDs getting the courts too slowed but still this is a terrible scoreline for Ivo.

Did you watch that match, rotla?
What was Poulle like?

noleisthebest wrote:Did you watch that match, rotla?
What was Poulle like?

I could only see some  bits and pieces. Its hard to tell much about Poulline, Karlovic was just too bad today. So basically he didn't have much else to do but did manage to block some of those serves in.

Kohli

Roger

I only saw a couple of points of Nole-Kholi, the court is a sandpit. So disappointing.

What a super day of tennis we have today!!!

Already playing:

Stan-Thiem....that should be a treat,
Sock-Raonic, North American cold war
And then later

Fognini- Poulle, had a look at highlights, yes, he is an interesting player, properly aggressive and quick!
Gasquet-Agut, a big test for Richie!
Ferrer-Goffin,  hidden vs obvious talent bring it on!
Federer-Chardy, glad Chardy will be able to relax in this match
Robredo-Nishikori, Stayin alliiiiveee
Monfils-Isner, also in highlihgts, Monf in the fun-lovong form of his life, where he feels  so alive - his urban Parisian Bercy den


ALLEEZZ TENIS!!!!!!  

Stan and Thiem playing a nice match, super display of old-fashioned power SBHs.
Both attacking but bringing their own flair into it: Thiem, very hearty, brave all-out style, Stan - a bit of experienced guile, really enjoying it!

I hope Thiem can squeeze out a set of the TB so we can have another set of this tennis.

noleisthebest wrote:Stan and Thiem playing a nice match, super display of old-fashioned power SBHs.
Both attacking but bringing their own flair into it: Thiem, very hearty, brave all-out style, Stan - a bit of experienced guile, really enjoying it!

I hope Thiem can squeeze out a set of the TB so we can have another set of this tennis.

No No.. Stan needed a good win... and he does it too. He need to be gaining confidence, DC is not far and the swiss need him.

I'm happy for Stan. He is a great player.
But I am glad for Thiem as well, you can see he is going to be Stan's successor, only 22, already very good!
Very nice competitor. I hope he works hard in the off-season and has an excellent break-through in 2015.

And top quality tennis continues...

Agut breaks Gasquet to take the first set 6:4.
Such a shame the court os so slow, totally anulling Gasquet's BH which is a class above Stan's and Thiem's, pure baroque!  

I AM ANNOYED WITH THE FRENCHIES FOR THIS!!!!!

Allez Richie!

Watching two matches at the same time now  
Ferrer leading Goffin 4:2

And Richie goes down in two easy sets for Agut.
Time is running out for him.
I am beginning to feel he needs a woman in his box, the kind that can awake the beast in him.

Agut, good as always, but one thing lets him down, and Earnie noticed it ages ago, calling him a "spoilt princessl":
Almost every time Gasquet served, he'd raise his hand to disrupt him, or moan to the umpire about "flash" from the crowd.
He doesn't need it.

http://www.si.com/tennis/beyond-baseline/2013/09/20/video-ernests-gulbis-infuriates-foe-with-squeaky-shoes-in-st-petersburg

Goffin has some serious talent!
Levels the match.
Third set is going to be a real treat as Ferrer will fight for his life needing the win to keep his London chances alive!

Wow, ATP (read NIKE) are really pushing Dimi...I wonder if Goffin is ever going to get such a write-up...

http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis/2014/Insider-Takeover/Dimitrov/ATP-Insider-Dimitrov-Guest-Editor.aspx

Goffin's fighting is impressive!
Saving BPs while playing gutsy tennis!
You don't get a better test of will and grit than playing Ferrer who needs the win badly.
ALLEEEEEEZZZZ!!!  

The Gatekeeper was just too fit and sly for the brave Goff today

Of course, happy for Ferru, he's deserved to be in London!

Goff played some superb tennis, I hope he carries the momentum over to the next season!
There is hope

Poor Chardy.
a) he can't hit a passing shot to save his life
b) half his home crowd supports Federer

How Federer got out this one after such a shoddy first set...he doesn't know it himself!

Very nice passage of play from both.
Chardy's FH burning the air, but Fed's BH standing firm, some fantastic CC exchanges there.

Camera closed up at Federer's calves at one moment, they are big!
You need those for such exquisite light footwork he has.

I wish Chardy could do something about his, would make a big difference.

Federer makes even defence look elegant and beautiful, great match!

Fantastic TB from Chardy, first class tennis

Glad he won this set, it will mean so much to him as he has played some great tennis this year.

Btw, where is everyone?

Doesn't matter....I am having the time of my life here glued to my trusty sofa.
Got to make the most of these last few weeks of 2014 season!!!

I don't think Ive ever seen an indoor hard court play THIS slow. Did they make a mistake in the paint?  This can't be on purpose.

They say they tried to replicate the WTF surface and if this is what we get there- the sport is becoming a joke.

Fed is visibly out of gas.  It hard seeing him make a big run this week. #1 or not- prob better to get the rest for WTF and DC.   It might not hold the excitement of being year end #1 again, but he can regain #1 at the AO to become the oldest ever and that's nothing to sneeze at either.

Yes, it plays like clay.

I really hope O2 is not this bad!

truffin1 wrote:Fed is visibly out of gas.  It hard seeing him make a big run this week. #1 or not- prob better to get the rest for WTF and DC.   It might not hold the excitement of being year end #1 again, but he can regain #1 at the AO to become the oldest ever and that's nothing to sneeze at either.

He is playing with no pressure, and that's keeping him in the winning mode.
With a bit of luck it may just be enough to get him a good result in Paris.

He wants to end number one this year just as badly as Nole.

Nole has a very tough draw in Paris, esp if Monfils beats Isner tonght.

Fed mightily relieved to get a win out of this match.
It's sad to see Jeremy's disappointed face.

Just in time to switch to Fognini-Pouille, 1st set TB
Crowd behaving themselves here

Allez Loucas!

Fognini really is such a wonderful, smooth ball-striker!

Pouille has a set point!
GO GO GOOOO!!!

And he does it!
Poor thing, off for a toilet break to gather himself from all the adrenaline he must have gone through!

noleisthebest wrote:

truffin1 wrote:Fed is visibly out of gas.  It hard seeing him make a big run this week. #1 or not- prob better to get the rest for WTF and DC.   It might not hold the excitement of being year end #1 again, but he can regain #1 at the AO to become the oldest ever and that's nothing to sneeze at either.

He is playing with no pressure, and that's keeping him in the winning mode.
With a bit of luck it may just be enough to get him a good result in Paris.

He wants to end number one this year just as badly as Nole.

Nole has a very tough draw in Paris, esp if Monfils beats Isner tonght.

Fed says after match that achieving #1 one more time is more important to him than winning another Major. On skysports in response to a viewer question, then later with press in a follow up "#1 harder to achieve and press focuses more on the majors than I do"...    Slightly surprised by this.

I am not surprised.
Being number one is the ultimate achievement, it means you have dominated your peers.
Especially for Fed at 33, with S&V-ing in these dinosaur slow conditions, AFTER the horrid year and heartache he PLAYED through last year.
Not to mention stupid journalists.
He is not just swimming upstream, he's got a strong wind to contend as well. Single handedly.
It's tough beyond imagination.

Pouille is only 20!!!
I am really impressed.
Already has a full all-court game!