ATP 500/250: Rotterdam, Sao Paolo, Memphis

Week two post AO, and we have three nice tournaments with several top 10 players taking part.
GP, we are looking for your special input from Rotterdam, you've got some very decent field there this year!


ATP 500 Rotterdam, indoor hard
The first edition of the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament, held in 1974, was won by Dutch tennis ace Tom Okker. Tennis fans in The Netherlands had to wait until 1995 for another Dutchman - Richard Krajicek - to title at the indoor hard court event. Winners in the intervening years include illustrious players such as Arthur Ashe, Jimmy Connors, Björn Borg, Boris Becker and Stefan Edberg. Since then, stars such as Roger Federer, Yevgeny Kafelnikov, Lleyton Hewitt and Andy Murray have all lifted the trophy. The tournament celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2013.

Players Wawrinka, Murray, Berdych, Raonic, Dimitrov, Chardy, Gulbis, Agut, Simon, Goffin, GG Lopez
Draw http://www.atpworldtour.com/posting/2015/407/mds.pdf
Order of Play http://www.atpworldtour.com/posting/2015/407/op.pdf

ATP 250 Sao Paolo, outdoor clay
After 11 successful years in Costa do Sauipe, the Brasil Open moved in 2012 to Sao Paulo, where it was played at the Complexo Desportivo Constâncio Vaz Guimarães. The ATP World Tour 250 clay-court tournament also moved from outdoors to indoors due to regular wet weather in Sao Paulo in February.

Players F. Lopez, Fognini, Robredo, Almago, L. Mayer, Verdasco, Vesely, Bellucci
Draw http://www.atpworldtour.com/posting/2015/533/mds.pdf
Order of Play http://www.atpworldtour.com/posting/2015/533/op.pdf

ATP 250 Memphis, indoor hard
The Memphis Open is played at the Racquet Club of Memphis, the only private club in the world to host a professional men’s and women’s combined indoor event. Beginning with Bjorn Borg's triumph in 1977, Memphis has counted nine year-end ATP World Tour No. 1s among its winners - including Americans Jimmy Connors, Andre Agassi and Andy Roddick.

Players Nishikori, Dolgopolov, Isner, Anderson, Karlovic, Mannarino, Young
Draw http://www.atpworldtour.com/posting/2015/402/mds.pdf
Order of Play http://www.atpworldtour.com/posting/2015/402/op.pdf

Is Rotterdam this week? Bizarre Stan is ahead of Murray.

Just caught the last two points of Thiem-Gulbis.
A service winner and an ace and a straight set win for Thiem.

Looks like time is passing Earnie by. I hope I'm wrong.

Tenez wrote:Is Rotterdam this week? Bizarre Stan is ahead of Murray.

Just had a look at the draw and Murray is the first, Raonic 2nd, Berd 3rd and Stan 4th seed.
Berd in Murray's half interesting should they meet in the semis.

Rott. TD obviously thinks Stan is the crowd magnet, and I tend to agree.

Amazing cash pool for a 250 tournament!

Rotts is a 500.

Corrected!
I was wondering why on earth were suddenly Stan and Murray playing a 250 event...
There were some good matches today (never got to see any) and tomorrow.

Goffin out

I know Muller's been playing very well recently, but Goffan should have won that match.

Dimitrov was almost out to PH Mattheu last night but managed so scrape a win (apparently there was a rather controversial replayed first point in the 2nd set TB after which PH totally lost focus and kept arguing with the ump and Dimi on and off even a set later when the match finished).

Anyone seen it?

Match of the Day:

Benneteau-Chardy
Lajovic-Andujar

Match of the Day:

Robredo-Almagro
Tomic-Dolgopolov
Dimitrov-Muller
Monfils-Agut
Thiem-Strakhovsky

Dimi v Muller shoudl be good! Tomic delpo as well.

Murray and Stan shoudl be playing too....shouldn't they?

Yes, they are playing, but against players I haven't heard of, so better matches from them should start tomorrow.

I am getting a tiny bit excited because of all these SBH-ers doing well.
Well, better than they have done for some time.

Last week all three 250 titles went to them.

I am also very happy for Muller, he is playing great tennis. Just cutting through all percentage rubbish.
Strakh demolished Thiem, he's a quirky player,  still don't know how he managed to beat Fed that year...
I saw him from very close up against Chardy in Wimbledon.
He doesn't have that much power as he doesn't muscle the ball at all unlike Thiem, so surprised by the result, though I shouldn't be as his game is simple but still crafty.

I would love Fed to win Wimbledon this year. If not him then anyone with a SBH.

I found an interesting piece of trivia related to Muller.

Apart from being "only" 31 (and doesn't he look so much older than Federer?), as a junior he won US open.

He also played in Wimbledon final and lost to a Swiss junior named Roman Valent.

The odd thing is that Valent played only one ATP match in his career which he lost to Marc Gicquel.
After that he only played challengers and futures.

Isn't that strange?

For all that promise - his career turned to virtually nothing.

Gilles' career was plagued with injuries but when he is on form we always hear from him. However I was quite disappointed by his return skills last time we saw him v your man. Probably a fitness thing as he looked so human compared current players.

Because he is tall, heavy and not light on the feet, his defence is a weakness.
When you watch him in flow, he rarely has to hit the BH and when he does it's quite average.

That will be easily exposed by good returners in these slow conditions.

His big serve and FH, also great volleys look so simple and effective when he is on, but when you compare him to Federer who plays with the same mind, there is so much more game and guile, not to mention the movement.

It's nice to have him back - his game although looking old-fashioned in  current conditions at the same time is so encouraging for attackers.

Rotterdam is usually very fast so it should suit him. Let's see how far he goes.

Curious to see how Dimi's BH handles Muller's serve...

Dimi's got good hands but is more or less weaponless. No wonder he's chosen the fitness route.

Easy first set for Muller, no-nonsense tennis at its best.

Great win for Muller.

Dimi's hit his glass ceiling.

oh Dimi

Didn't Tenez predict he would get to number 1 by last year ??

noleisthebest wrote:Dimi's got good hands but is more or less weaponless. No wonder he's chosen the fitness route.

It is a bit true. He has not much to hurt with. In a way he is very much like Youzhny....a better version but similar.

Kim Jong-Un wrote:oh Dimi

Didn't Tenez predict he would get to number 1 by last year ??

I don;t think I did though I expected him to do much better than that.

You predicted he would win either Wimbledon or US Open; and I think you said he has a good chance of getting to number 1 soon.

Match of the Day:

Dolgopolov-Tomic (again! don't know why it wasn't played yesterday)
Simon-Chardy
GG Lopez-Wawrinka

Tenez wrote:

noleisthebest wrote:Dimi's got good hands but is more or less weaponless. No wonder he's chosen the fitness route.

It is a bit true. He has not much to hurt with. In a way he is very much like Youzhny....a better version but similar.

For me, bottom line with Dimi is his FH, he doesn't take it early enough, same with the BH, as a result his whole game lacks the bite.

Even his serve, though good is limited.

The element of naturalness and ease is missing. I don't know if a different coach can fix it.
If only Gasquet had his fitness...

Now that we are having all these SBH-ers on display it's interesting to compare them.

Yesterday, the attacking Almagro had no problem beating the first class grinding Robredo.
I expect the same with Stan and GG today.

I like watching that contrast with SBH-ers much more than with DBH-ers.

Having said that Simon-Chardy should be fun.

But he is still running Murray and Djoko closer so he must do something right. His mouvement is still his downside. Not light enough on his feet.

Good point and again an interesting opportunity to contrast Murray and Djokovic despite their apparent similar style of play.

Over Nole, Dimi has a quicker consistent FH which, because it's not fast enough gets ground down by Nole's BH.

Against Murray, Dimi's scrapping skills almost match Murray and they are more pronounced in their match-up as Murray plays considerably safer than Nole even within their mutual/similar percentage games.

Where Nole uses first opportunity to turn aggressive from counterpunching, Murray will continue to muscle safely and give fast Dimi a chance to win a point.

Just watching him now against Posipisil (2nd set) Murray actully plays almost the same tennis as Nadal minus the moonball. He is hitting the ball as hard as he possibly can safely.
But despite the muscles and all his fitness, he simply can't last in that mode against the growing opposition that is catching up in both fitness and making the most of modern strings.

Dimi is kind of lost between being a road-runner and wanting to play SBH tennis.

He is neither an attacker nor a grinder, stg in between.

I just glanced at the Popisil/Murray match.....second set 5/4 and 40/30 set point for Pop...Murray throws a very long rally, Pop completely exahausted loses the next 3 points and the game...5 all.

This is so typical. Murray doing the running but guess who is breathless! It;s good to know that some players are not obviously doped. I thought the percentage was higher.

That was a great point from Murray (and Pospisil) to save the set point, 30 shot rally....
Pospisil naturally gets time violation trying to catch breath before serving, loses the point, misses 1st serve on the van point and Murray's back in the set 5:5.
A classic example where his fitness will win him the match. By the skin of his teeth.
Pospisil giving a mouthful at the changeover. Another young player that changes his "disposition".

we saw it alike...funny cause I just turned the weblink on...and there I see another case of "modern" tennis.

Tenez wrote:we saw it alike...funny cause I just turned the weblink on...and there I see another case of "modern" tennis.

In a perverse way, there is some pleasure in watching two physical players wipe each other out. Esp in the final set of a slam.

Match of the Day:

Simon-Murray
Wawrinka-Muller
Berdych-Monfils
Strakhovsky-Raonic
Tomic-Young

Teniiiiiiiis!!!

Monf went down meekly...

ALLEZ GILLES!!!!

Wow, Simon must have played really well today, shame I couldn't see it.
Look forward to Stan-Muller, rare to have two attacking players in one match these days....

Just saw this:

Gilles SIMON @GillesSimon84
Follow
Une statistique rassurante avant de jouer contre Andy. Personne ne m'a jamais battu 13 fois de suite
3:32 PM - 12 Feb 2015
356 RETWEETS 205 FAVORITES ReplyRetweetFavorite

Bravo Gillou

Well done Gilou indeed. did he write that before or after the match?

Good question!
Looking at the time of that tweet it must have been after 

Actually IMMEDIATELY after...I bet he had it ready for the last 5 matches!
He only beat Murray once, in their first match in 2007. I was suprised he lost to him so many times.

Yep. Though I am surprised he won today. Murray may have tanked though Simon can always be a dangerous player.

That crossed my mind, too, still...

What a match from Muller! and Stan, just started watching...

Muller, such a natural player.
Doesn't he put that big serve to good use! Boom, and he's straight un at the net!
Compare him to Raonic...

noleisthebest wrote:
...Compare him to Raonic...

Yes but that might be why he doesn;t do as well.

Strakh lookin' good!

Another nice natural player, just glides around the court, such a contrast to lumbering Raonic.

Match of the Day:

Simon-Berdych
Wawrinka-Raonic

Both close to call but I'd like to see a Simon-Stan final tomorrow.

Interesting match between Gillou & Berd.
Simon just started getting used to Berd's pace and beginning to dissipate it, fun to watch!

Amazing to see a big player like Berd run from side to side so comfortably.

Berd wins the first set 6:2 with 2 breaks of serve.
Simon looks a bit out of sorts, strangely heavy-ish on his feet, though it could partly be the speed of the court, as well.
Berd not having to do too much, other than pounding his groundstrokes relatively safely.
Simon's first serve's off, and that's what's making the main difference atm.

Berd loving Simon's play today, almost a ball machine for him now...no slice, no drop-shots, no variety at all just feeding him perfect
sitters to put away safely.
Wake up, Gillou!

If Berdych can win Rotterdam and Nadal wins Rio, I'm satisfied with the tennis in February.
Anything less and I'll be annoyed.

Same for me if Stan and Nishi don't win in Rotts and Memphis.

Is Stan your second favourite player LS ?

If so we can have a fan-war lite over the Rotterdam final.