ATP 500: Beijing & Tokyo

I think Gasquet wanted a rest in between his last week win and Shanghai. Though I have not watched the match and Zheng might be extremely good.

Tenez wrote:I think Gasquet wanted a rest in between his last week win and Shanghai. Though I have watched the match and Zheng might be extremely good.

This was the first time I saw him play, so he is no more just a name to me.

Has similar strong build & power like Tomic , but a very different brain and mindset. Will be very interesting to see his next match. I just can't work out who he is going to play as Davydenko Tsonga match is not scheduled to be played today, I can't see whether there has been a walkover.
Whoever he plays, it will be tough test.

Actually Zheng is playing F. Mayer, so not so bad.

It's Youzhny I can't work out who he's supposed to play tomorrow....

Zheng seems to have played a bit in CH and FU events.

http://www.atpworldtour.com/Tennis/Players/Zh/Z/Ze-Zhang.aspx?t=pa

Nishikori breadstick bagel for Robredo.

Some interesting matches tomorrow:

TOKYO:
Tipsarevic-Raonic
Murray-Wawrinka
Tursunov-Baghdatis
Nishikori_Berdych

BEIJING:
F.Mayer-Zhang
Djokovic-Melzer
Youzhny-tsonga (at last I know!)
Querrey-Lopez

OK, prognostics time?

TOKYO:
Tipsarevic-Raonic -> Rao
Murray-Wawrinka -> Murray -> Murray
Tursunov-Baghdatis -> Baggy -> Bird
Nishikori_Berdych -> Bird -> Bird

So Berdych to win Tokyo

BEIJING:
F.Mayer-Zhang -> Mayer
Djokovic-Melzer -> Nole -> Nole -> Nole
Youzhny-Tsonga -> Tsonga -> Tsonga
Querrey-Lopez -> Lopez

So Nole to win Beijing.

Anyone else?

All my spaces disappeared, but it should be clear enough

I'll join you! I'll put all my famous tennis knowledge on the line!

TOKYO:
Tipsarevic-Raonic -> Rao
Murray-Wawrinka -> Murray -> Rao
Tursunov-Baghdatis -> Baggy -> Bird
Nishikori_Berdych -> Bird -> Bird

So Rao to win Tokyo

BEIJING:
F.Mayer-Zhang -> Mayer
Djokovic-Melzer -> Nole -> Nole -> Tsonga
Youzhny-Tsonga -> Tsonga -> Tsonga
Querrey-Lopez -> Lopez

So Tsonga to win Beijing.

Yep Sir!

I think rotla is going to do prediction game for Shanghai.

You testosterone fuelled men just can't help yourselves, can you

testosterone simply makes life more exciting....look at Nadal's style!

Tenez wrote:testosterone simply makes life more exciting....look at Nadal's style!

I know it does, with or without Nadal

OK then, I'll do mine as well, just to make you all look good
TOKYO:

QF
Tipsarevic-Raonic - Tipsarevic
Murray-Wawrinka- Murray
Tursunov_Baghdatis- Bagdatis
Nishikori-Berdych-Berdych
SF
Tipsarevic-Murray-Murray
Baghdatis-Berdych- Berdych
Winner: Berdych

BEIJING:
QF
Mayer-Zhang - Zhang
Djokovic-Melzer-Djokovic
Youzhny-Tsonga-Tsonga
Querrey0Lopez-Querrey
SF
Zhang-Djokovic-Djokovic
Tsonga-Querrey-Tsonga
Winner: Djokovic

Tokyo:
QF
Tipsarevic-Raonic - Tipsarevic
Murray-Wawrinka- Murray
Tursunov-Baghdatis- Bagdatis
Nishikori-Berdych-Berdych
SF
Tipsarevic-Murray-Murray
Baghdatis-Berdych- Berdych
Winner: Murray

Beijing:
QF
Mayer-Zhang - Mayer
Djokovic-Melzer-Djokovic
Youzhny-Tsonga-Tsonga
Querrey-Lopez-Lopez
SF
Mayer-Djokovic-Djokovic
Tsonga-Lopez-Tsonga
Winner: Djokovic

Raonic won without facing a BP. Murray-Wawrinka went just as expected. Wawrinka will make his opponent work hard, surely, but he himself won't work hard enough to win.

Oh, It seems I missed on all the action, I hope there are still some matches left to watch

noleisthebest wrote:Oh, It seems I missed on all the action, I hope there are still some matches left to watch

Yes. Berdy-Nishikori going on. Berdy a break down.

Will tune in

OK, so in Beijing, Tsonga and Mayer thorugh.

Nishikori trying to disrupt (and succeeds) Berd's serve by pacing away from the base-line. Ugly.
I can see he's been coached by Gilbert. Come on Bird, destroy the Nip!

Nishikori breaks Berd, serving for the first set, crowd wild. Cheers himsel with a loud VAMOS!!!???
Serves it out well, 1:0.

Lopez through in Beijing, you are all looking gorgeous with my prediction score 0/3

Berdych lost.

Tips being beaten twice by Raonic in 2 weeks. I would like Tips out of the top 8 and replaced by Rao. He is more fun to have in the top group in London.

It's only a question of time anyway.

raiders_of_the_lost_ark wrote:Berdych lost.

Yep....A crowd behind can certainly make a difference.

Poor Berd....he did not expect this one coming!

Nole should start any minute.
I hope Melzer draws him out of the bored shell he's been cocooning in all week.

Nole time

Nice to know that Nole is loved in China, the real test though coming next week when he plays Fed
can't wait for Shanghai!

First set 6:1, that was nice and easy.

Nole suffocating Melzer from the baseline, he's a dead man walking...some nice all-court points as well.

Robbie's commentating quite entertaining today

I hope I was not the only one that witnessed THAT single backhand return down the line winner from Nole !!!!!

Nole serves out 4 aces in a row to in the 5th game

That was a great match from Nole, all this fan can say is: aaaaaaaaaaaaaaah

So, the semi final pairs are in

TOKYO:

Baghdatis-Nishikori 5AM UK time
Murray-Raonic immediately after the first match

BEIJING:

Tsonga-Lopez 6.30 AM UK time
Djokovic-Mayer 12.30 PM UK time

Tenez wrote:Tips being beaten twice by Raonic in 2 weeks. I would like Tips out of the top 8 and replaced by Rao. He is more fun to have in the top group in London.

It's only a question of time anyway.

I saw Rao live las year in )2 when he received his ATP trophy for the young player/breakthrough of the year. It would really be something if he made it to the draw this year, although I doubt he will, esp if Nadal comes back (does anyone except Wooffie believe that, btw?)

I read somewhere that he won't even turn up at that exo in Abu Dhabi, he just put his name down (apparently paid to do that) so his face on tournament site/brochures sells the tickets and then he pulls out the last minute. Very humble and honest, indeed.

noleisthebest wrote:I think rotla is going to do prediction game for Shanghai.

Yes Shanghai it will be. I'm working on a better point scoring system than the previous one.

raiders_of_the_lost_ark wrote:

noleisthebest wrote:I think rotla is going to do prediction game for Shanghai.

Yes Shanghai it will be. I'm working on a better point scoring system than the previous one.

And we will be working on better predictions.

Murry- Raonic going very interesting. Murray broken in the 1st game and Raonic serving fantastic, and very good on those ground strokes.

Raonic won... what a fantastic display of shotmaking and nerves of steel in the toughest times. Stupid Japanese crowd can't appreciate gutsy tennis, only cheering Murray's points no matter how they come.

raiders_of_the_lost_ark wrote:Raonic won... what a fantastic display of shotmaking and nerves of steel in the toughest times. Stupid Japanese crowd can't appreciate gutsy tennis, only cheering Murray's points no matter how they come.

I'm happy for Raonic, He needs a bit of a boost after a relatively disappointing, stagnant, flat period he went through. It should b a cracking match against Nishi with the wild Japanese crowed tomorrow.

Tsonga through as well, (Lopez retired at 4:1 down in the second set)
so if all goes to plan, it should be another excellent final tomorrow in Beijing.

Very interesting interview by Raonic after the match:

“Here, from the first match, I’ve been more aggressive, have come in as much as I can when I’ve created the opportunities and play under my terms more so than just waiting around,” said Raonic. “A big thing I changed coming into this week, as that I’m returning a lot closer. That took time. A big part of it is mental, preparing [myself] for that and having that instinct and drive to go after it when [I] have the opportunities to get ahead in the points.”

And how well it worked for him. Even if it hadn't, this approach is far better than what he was doing in the US open i.e. standing 4m behind the baseline looking to moonball.

Did Murray play bad? Oh not at all. In fact he played better than the US open final. But today Raonic was just too good. I loved the way he came back from 1-4 down the 3rd set and saving those 2 match points with brilliant tennis.

I hope he wins tomorrow and makes his top-10 debut. If he can make it to London, well.. hoping for that.

Djokovic is just too good a player for Mayer. Mayer not playing bad, but he simply can't match Djokovic. 6-1 4*-3 . End looks near for Mayer's run.

oh, I hope I catch at least one game

I can see Nole's worked on his serve and honed the motion almost to perfection

Loving that aggressive forehand, go Noleeeeeeeeeeex

I can't believe the idiot commentator saying that Nole needs to defend his 500 points from last year's Beijing.
He did not even play last year. Yanks.....

Nole....what a guyyyyyyy

I had predicted that Rao win...glad he did.

raiders_of_the_lost_ark wrote:Very interesting interview by Raonic after the match:

“Here, from the first match, I’ve been more aggressive, have come in as much as I can when I’ve created the opportunities and play under my terms more so than just waiting around,” said Raonic. “A big thing I changed coming into this week, as that I’m returning a lot closer. That took time. A big part of it is mental, preparing [myself] for that and having that instinct and drive to go after it when [I] have the opportunities to get ahead in the points.”

And how well it worked for him. Even if it hadn't, this approach is far better than what he was doing in the US open i.e. standing 4m behind the baseline looking to moonball.

Did Murray play bad? Oh not at all. In fact he played better than the US open final. But today Raonic was just too good. I loved the way he came back from 1-4 down the 3rd set and saving those 2 match points with brilliant tennis.

I hope he wins tomorrow and makes his top-10 debut. If he can make it to London, well.. hoping for that.

Yes, Rao is top 4 material. It was just a question of time before he got the confidence in his heavy weapons.