ATP 250:Sydney, Auckland

Week two in ATP 2015 calendar, final stop before AO: Sydney and Auckland.



ATP 250 Sydney

The Apia International Sydney has a rich history, dating back to 1885 when colonial officials used it as a means to select the Davis Cup team. Today, Sydney welcomes the world's best men's and women's players in the week prior the Australian Open. Lleyton Hewitt thrilled hometown fans as he won titles in four straight tournament appearances, from 2000-01 and 2004-05. Bernard Tomic won his first ATP World Tour title here in 2013.


Players: Del Potro, Fognini, Chardy, Goffin, Kohlschreiber, Kyrgyos, toic, Benneteau, JJ, Klizan
Draw
http://www.atpworldtour.com/posting/2015/338/mds.pdf
Order of Play
http://www.atpworldtour.com/posting/2015/338/op.pdf


ATP 250 Auckland






The Heineken Open is the biggest men’s professional sporting event in New Zealand, held in Auckland since 1956. Played in the week prior to the Australian Open, the ATP World Tour 250 event is a crucial stop in preparation for the year's first Grand Slam tournament. David Ferrer won the Auckland title in 2011, and went on to reach the Melbourne semi-finals.


Players: Gulbis, Agut, Robredo, Thiem, GG Lopez, Mannarino, Vesely, Pouille, Anderson
Draw
http://www.atpworldtour.com/posting/2015/301/mds.pdf
Order of Play
http://www.atpworldtour.com/posting/2015/301/op.pdf

Kyrgios back in action; really interested to see how he will do.  He took some criticism for cutting his season short last year but I actually liked the decision.  Over the next few months we will see if I read it correctly.

Delpo also back, but I expect he will need some time to play himself into any sort of form.

Kyrgios seems to have actually had a proper injury although he cited "emotional fatigue" as a reson for his early season end last year.

He reminds me of Monfils in some ways: big game, light heart. I hope he does well.

The other young Aussie - Kokkinakis is also promising.
I'm glad they now have some level-headed players to cheer for at last, not just that nutcase Tomic&dad duo.

Kyrgios played in the indian tennis thing strangely enough.

I forgot about that...He was scheduled to play Brisbane and then pulled out last minute citing injury.
Anyway...

Match of the day:

(Welcome back ) Delpo- Strakhovsky
Kyrgios-JJ (JJ just coming off  historic first Hopman Cup win for Poland)
(Wanted dead or caught again by ITF) Troicki-Klizan

Thiem falls in his first match of 2015. Don't get disheartened, its a wakeup call. He his going to have a great 2015 with his tennis.

Delpo back and winning! Big emoji's from the big man

So happy for Delpo, this win will mean the world to him.
Also Troicki, the scape GOAT, Viktor-ious over Klizan in under an hour.

raiders_of_the_lost_ark wrote:Thiem falls in his first match of 2015. Don't get disheartened, its a wakeup call. He his going to have a great 2015 with his tennis.

Did you watch the match?

So, JJ beats Kyrgios in 3 sets, incl 2 close TBs...


Match of the Day (1PM UK time...ouch!)

Fognni-Del Potro
Gulbis-Vesely

Delpo beats fog in 3
Vesely looks like he will get a big win beating gulbis.
Goffin lost
Mannarino hammers Agut, set all with JJ and mayer.

Just saw the 3 rd set between Vesely&Earnie.

Gulbis cracked as soon as he got broken, first his serve, then the BH.

Vesely - amazingly springy and mobile for that size, an natural with the ball.
He could be dangerous if he hobed his FH a bit.

I said in FO last year that Vasely will be a giant killer soon. Was disappointed by some of his mental meltdown since but I still fancy him to be a top 10 pretty soon.

Yes, Vesely has great potential.
But is that enough these days?

Maybe he should sign up with Nike.

Delpo's run comes to an end vs Kukushkin.
Youngsters Vesely and Pouille are into the sf's.

Looks like Troicki is coming back with a vengence.

Yes, he is very bitter about his treatment by ITF.

Watching the match...Troicki squandered three BPs (0:40) at 3:3 in the 2nd set, then got broken immediately and now Bolleli can't serve the set out to save his life...must be the 15th deuce

I think Delpo probably tanked it....to save energy for the big one.

He probably did, though he lost in two TBs. I was impressed he could pull off two wins against good players after such a long break.

....Troicki wins in the end...great fight back from him, was a break down in the third set.

Poor Bolleli, a nice player, just born in the wrong era.

Wow, Pouille playing Mannarino in the SF tomorrow!
That would be a nice one to see.
Vesely-Anderson, in the other semi, so in the final we are guaranteed flair vs power.

Troicki waiting for the winner of Tomic-Muller.

On a different note I am so annoyed about Paire's knee teoubles...he put on a bit of muscle/weight  while he was recovering last year and has never played the same since, just lost that sharpness, still...love him to bits!
He's the only French player with a bit of roar in him.

And Muller beats Tomic in two TBs, 25 aces, 15:13 in the second TB!

Viktor The Legend Troicki into Sydney Final, go Vik!!!    

He's no legend.

luvsports! wrote:He's no legend.

For someone who actually:

- never tested positive (took a test a day later having been given assurance that's ok by WADA tester/doctor)
- "did time" for it (12 month ban)
- was treated like a first rate criminal (banned from watching Serbia's DC matches even as a normal, ticket-paying fan)
- whose Davis Cup teammate dared challenge WADA's and ITF's boss for their incosistency and injustice and suffered for it:

https://ourtennisforum.forumotion.co.uk/t487-novak-tested-for-5-hours-during-doubles-davis-cup-match?

- because of who WADA introduced a new rule that players serving a ban are not allowed any contact with players on tour (after Djokovic publicly trained with Victor and helped him survive depression facing complete destruction of his career by having to start outside 1000 after serving the ban)

yes, I think Troicki is a bit of a legend making such a strong statement & comeback.

Compare that with:

- Serena Williams hiding in the "panic room" of her house refusing to open the door to testers - zero    
 consequences
- Fuentes case in which Spanish government ordered destruction of 200 positive blood tests.

noleisthebest wrote:

luvsports! wrote:He's no legend.

For someone who actually:

- never tested positive (took a test a day later having been given assurance that's ok by WADA tester/doctor)
- "did time" for it (12 month ban)
- was treated like a first rate criminal (banned from watching Serbia's DC matches even as a normal, ticket-paying fan)
- whose Davis Cup teammate dared challenge WADA's and ITF's boss for their incosistency and injustice and suffered for it:

https://ourtennisforum.forumotion.co.uk/t487-novak-tested-for-5-hours-during-doubles-davis-cup-match?

- because of who WADA introduced a new rule that players serving a ban are not allowed any contact with players on tour (after Djokovic publicly trained with Victor and helped him survive depression facing complete destruction of his career by having to start outside 1000 after serving the ban)

yes, I think Troicki is a bit of a legend making such a strong statement & comeback.

Compare that with:

- Serena Williams hiding in the "panic room" of her house refusing to open the door to testers - zero    
 consequences
- Fuentes case in which Spanish government ordered destruction of 200 positive blood tests.

I'm sorry, but I fail to see how others committing wrongs (Serena and Fuentes case) makes what Troicki did right. You surely will be glad to know though that Rafael Nadal supports your assessment of the case.

"I think that if the person who is there doing the control said, 'Yes Victor, you can do it tomorrow,' he did it the next day and everything was fine, I don't see a case here,' Rafael Nadal said (...)"

http://www.si.com/tennis/beyond-baseline/2013/10/09/roger-federer-rafael-nadal-viktor-troicki-doping

The guy is no hero, he is a guy who refused to give a doping test with a feeble excuse. That's as good as testing positive for me. Instead of owning up to it, he then tried to throw the Doping Control Officer under the bus with his ridiculous claim, she told him a test the next day would be just as good. Thanks to that he got his sentence reduced which was completely unjustified in my view.

Honestly, the support Djokovic lent to Troicki, reflects rather badly on him. (same for Nadal obviously) The way he tried to present Troicki as a victim of the evil DCO smacks of omerta. He and Nadal should know that giving a test the next day renders the test worthless, because the substances he ingested could be below detection threshold.

I'm sure you would view the case in a very different light, if the doper in question wasn't Troicki, but a Spaniard and Nadal the one defending him.

So, welcome back, Victor Troicki - nice to see convicted dopers succeed on tour. They are a blemish on the "white sport" and maybe that will help to make more people ask questions about all the "clean" athletes out there.

I'm afraid, you have missed the point completely.

which is? that he was treated unfairly because others were not banned for the same offense?

How many players in the top 50 do you think dope?

I'm guessing 90% - 95%. If Troicki wants to accuse any of them or demand improved controlls, I'm all for it. Unfortunately that's not what he did.

It's the same in other sports. Some are caught, most are not. I actually admire the guys who then tell the truth about what they did and give details, like Floyd Landis, help investigations, are "snitchs". Or at least admit what they did like recently a X-country skier who wondered how they didn't catch him earlier thereby admitting that it wasn't a one-time offense.

But the guys who lie and try to besmeech others (DCO) in the process a la L. Armstrong (who even sued multiple ppl), claiming innocence? They deserve what they get.

Which 5-10% you don't think dope and why?

It's a bit naive of you to think Troicki would get anywhere by "accusing".
A few brave ones have done it before him and got nowhere.

French newspapers got sued about it once and got nowhere.
In Spain, 200 athletes tested positive and the evidence got destroyed, key witness receiving death threats along the way.
Tennis is a big business in which money talks and those slave to it keep silent.

I my opinion, they are the biggest hypocrites.

Well, obviously it's just a number because we do not know and that's why I wouldn't take a guess. There are a lot of very obvious cases. It could be 100% for all I know, but surely not much below 90%. 

It's besides the point anyway. Obviously Troicki felt screwed because he knows what's going on, but he knew the deal. It's about what he decided to do next. Which is - denying (despite the facts) and lying. It's surely understandable human behaviour, but not at all laudable.

Autumnleaf wrote:I'm guessing 90% - 95%. If Troicki wants to accuse any of them or demand improved controlls, I'm all for it. Unfortunately that's not what he did.

It's the same in other sports. Some are caught, most are not. I actually admire the guys who then tell the truth about what they did and give details, like Floyd Landis, help investigations, are "snitchs". Or at least admit what they did like recently a X-country skier who wondered how they didn't catch him earlier thereby admitting that it wasn't a one-time offense.

But the guys who lie and try to besmeech others (DCO) in the process a la L. Armstrong (who even sued multiple ppl), claiming innocence? They deserve what they get.

I admire Bassons, Simeone, Kimmage above and beyond Landis who got caught and his jealously and resentment led him to do what he did.

True, it might be naive, but you have to start somewhere. How else will there be ever any change? Look at the young 800 m runner who gave testimonial against Russian organizations + IAAF for another example of a courageous athlete.

He might know a bit more about Djokovic for example. And the reason why the Serbian players got diplomatic passports. He could start talking about himself in detail, which doctors are used and so on, what his programm looks like. Even just admit, that yes, he had doped and it's the only way to become a top player.

luvsports! wrote:

Autumnleaf wrote:I'm guessing 90% - 95%. If Troicki wants to accuse any of them or demand improved controlls, I'm all for it. Unfortunately that's not what he did.

It's the same in other sports. Some are caught, most are not. I actually admire the guys who then tell the truth about what they did and give details, like Floyd Landis, help investigations, are "snitchs". Or at least admit what they did like recently a X-country skier who wondered how they didn't catch him earlier thereby admitting that it wasn't a one-time offense.

But the guys who lie and try to besmeech others (DCO) in the process a la L. Armstrong (who even sued multiple ppl), claiming innocence? They deserve what they get.

I admire Bassons, Simeone, Kimmage above and beyond Landis who got caught and his jealously and resentment led him to do what he did.

Yes, I know Landis was driven by base motives, but I don't mind as long as it leads to uncoverings. Such whistle-blowers are immensely important. Yes, he got caught himself, felt screwed by the authorities and Armstrong and went on a tear. Had Troicki who obviously also felt hard done by, done the same, I'd respect him a whole lot more. Instead he decided to lie and to downplay what happened.

Obviously critical journalists would help a lot too, but even they need material.

Bloody journalist scum! Did I mention I am training to be one...

luvsports! wrote:Bloody journalist scum! Did I mention I am training to be one...

  Maybe you could investigate into these dark matters then.

I would love to! 
But I have no money, pedigree or backing so the pants would be sued off of me.

Autumnleaf wrote:True, it might be naive, but you have to start somewhere. How else will there be ever any change? Look at the young 800 m runner who gave testimonial against Russian organizations + IAAF for another example of a courageous athlete.

He might know a bit more about Djokovic for example. And the reason why the Serbian players got diplomatic passports. He could start talking about himself in detail, which doctors are used and so on, what his programm looks like. Even just admit, that yes, he had doped and it's the only way to become a top player.

Serbian players got diplomatic passports as a badge of honour for winning Davis Cup. None of them use it.
I know one of them personally, so you can take my word for it.

And yes, we all want tennis to be clean, and not just tennis but other sports, as well.

I have been the first one to bring it up on BBC 606 some years ago when it was a huge tabboo, although I didn't and still don't know much about it.

And I don't count reading internet blogs about doping knowledge, btw.

The point is, some players are protected and some are not and if you want any results there has to be equal treatment for all.

The one that has raised the physical bar the highest and dragged tennis down no end is the one most protected.

Hopefully, the truth will come out one day.

In the meantime, it is good when any player speaks out against WAFA and ITF procedures, regardless of whether they dope or not.

They are the ones that they to rock the boat, nationality is irrelevant.

Spanish athletes have a long history of abuse, but others, too.

I would like Federer to speak out about it more than anyone else.

noleisthebest wrote:

Autumnleaf wrote:True, it might be naive, but you have to start somewhere. How else will there be ever any change? Look at the young 800 m runner who gave testimonial against Russian organizations + IAAF for another example of a courageous athlete.

He might know a bit more about Djokovic for example. And the reason why the Serbian players got diplomatic passports. He could start talking about himself in detail, which doctors are used and so on, what his programm looks like. Even just admit, that yes, he had doped and it's the only way to become a top player.

Serbian players got diplomatic passports as a badge of honour for winning Davis Cup. None of them use it.
I know one of them personally, so you can take my word for it.

And yes, we all want tennis to be clean, and not just tennis but other sports, as well.

I have been the first one to bring it up on BBC 606 some years ago when it was a huge tabboo, although I didn't and still don't know much about it.

And I don't count reading internet blogs about doping knowledge, btw.

The point is, some players are protected and some are not and if you want any results there has  to be equal treatment for all.

The one that has raised the physical bar the highest and dragged tennis down no end is the one most protected.

Hopefully, the truth will come out one day.

In the meantime, it is good when any player speaks out against WAFA and ITF procedures, regardless of whether they dope or not.

They are the ones that they to rock the boat, nationality is irrelevant.

Spanish athletes have a long history of abuse, but others, too.

I would like Federer to speak out about it more than anyone else.

Hmm, considering some athletes don't even tell their loved ones what they are doing, I'm not sure how you would know, but not important anyway. I remember the wife of one of Armstrong's teammates had no idea what he was doing and he lied to her. These guys don't think they do anything wrong.

Obviously the top is protected since they are the money cows. It takes effort to take them down. I don't know how we can possibly hope that the truth will come out some day if everybody refuses to talk about it. I hope by taking down lower-ranked guys they will turn whistle-blower because they are pissed off.

I don't think it's good if players speak out against WADA and ITF procedures because it makes them come across as dopers who want an easier life to dodge tests. If anything they should demand stricter rules, not more lenient ones + more importantly allocate enough ressources that way. What can they really achieve by undermining WADA + ITF anti-doping? They should want to strengthen anti-doping not weaken it. That's what I would expect of a clean athlete. Agree that Federer (and other top players like Djokovic) should speak more about it, everybody being silent on the issue is just as suspect as the likely main offenders. Really, how could you be a clean athlete knowingly competing against dopers? Boggles the mind and I can't believe it.

Talked to a (Russian born) guy recently who was on tour earlier as a top junior, went to Spanish academies and said it's accepted behaviour by everyone. Also said that rumours were that Nadal had indeed been caught, but that he's a special case trying to push the envelope. Everybody else may be a bit more toned down. Interestingly enough he still admired Nadal. Well, as we expected.

Essentially we seem to disagree on one point.

You think there won't be any results if there is no equal treatment for all. I agree that equal treatment wrt violations would indeed be preferable, if nobody is exempted. Failing that ideal scenario in the real world, I still prefer to have any results, even unequal ones, because I think any results can raise awareness. Both the Cilic and the Troicki case fueled discussions, they forced top players to position themselves, now there's not even that.

I am not sure how any lower ranked player could expose top players and be a whistle blower.
WADA have caught a lot of players but are selective about who they choose to punish.

One lie leads to another, and the entire ATP tour seem to be happily choosing to remain that way.

Professional tennis/sport is no different from any other walk of life.

True enough, they can't directly expose them. But every caught and punished lower ranked player is a nail in the coffin for the myth of the "clean sport". I guess that's why even lower ranked players weren't caught for a while. Plus you never know when a lower ranked player might become a higher ranked player a la Cilic. Suddenly you got a GS winner with a dubious past. Btw I wonder whether his injury is real this time around.

luvsports! wrote:I would love to! 
But I have no money, pedigree or backing so the pants would be sued off of me.

You can be a thorn in the flesh, though.
It sure eases the pain!

Doping is just one side of the coin...there is draw rigging, slowing down of conditions, rule bending, changing the structure of how ATP works...remember how Nadal resigned from ATP in a huff a few years ago when he couldn't have it his own way (2 years protected ranking etc...) when he actively lobbied against Ivan Ljubicic and got one of his people elected into ATP instead.

And that's just tip of the iceberg. We know so little of what goes on behind the scenes. But it's not that difficult to put two and two together,

We can also see in broad daylight how it has changed the sport we love.

So you either choose to ignore it all or at least make an effort to spell it out. Or ask Rafa in a match how Dr Fuentes is...

The ignorance among casual tennis fans is staggering and the level of fanaticism scary.

noleisthebest wrote:I am not sure how any lower ranked player could expose top players and be a whistle blower.
WADA have caught a lot of players but are selective about who they choose to punish.

One lie leads to another, and the entire ATP tour seem to be happily choosing to remain that way.

Professional tennis/sport is no different from any other walk of life.

I think if it was the ATP only, it may have cracked by now. But this is simply "professional sport". As there is no way to detect the cheats professional athletes have no choice but to dope as well.

I honestly don;t think I would do any differently if I had spend all my youth trying to make a living of a sport I love. And that to me is the key to sort the real dopers from the dopers who just try to keep up. You can see that some players like their tennis while others are there just to make money and take the glory.

When I see nadal scrapping right and left v a Berrer, being humiliated by a 34yo player ranked 127, having to resort to gamesmanship and having to save some pride by fist pumping when he gets a rare occasion to score a winner, I feel real pity for him...even if he is a millionaire.

I remember when gasquet was caught with cocaine. It was like saying doping is fine but recreational drugs are bad for your health.

But the funniest part was him calling nadal and ask Nadal to testify him (gasquet) was clean. ...as if nadal was the reference! Nadal even said that Contador was clean!

Tenez wrote:
I think if it was the ATP only, it may have cracked by now. But this is simply "professional sport". As there is no way to detect the cheats professional athletes have no choice but to dope as well.

I honestly don;t think I would do any differently if I had spend all my youth trying to make a living of a sport I love. And that to me is the key to sort the real dopers from the dopers who just try to keep up. You can see that some players like their tennis while others are there just to make money and take the glory.

So true...and those players don't even benefit half as much from it as Nadal.
They could all exist without dope - he couldn't.

He managed to skew the whole system to suit his purpose. That's what amazes me. But part of it is just being in the right place at the right time.

Tenez wrote:When I see nadal scrapping right and left v a Berrer, being humiliated by a 34yo player ranked 127, having to resort to gamesmanship and having to save some pride by fist pumping when he gets a rare occasion to score a winner, I feel real pity for him...even if he is a millionaire.

Me too, I don't think I'd swap.

Tenez wrote:
I honestly don;t think I would do any differently if I had spend all my youth trying to make a living of a sport I love. And that to me is the key to sort the real dopers from the dopers who just try to keep up. You can see that some players like their tennis while others are there just to make money and take the glory.

When I see nadal scrapping right and left v a Berrer, being humiliated by a 34yo player ranked 127, having to resort to gamesmanship and having to save some pride by fist pumping when he gets a rare occasion to score a winner, I feel real pity for him...even if he is a millionaire.

I just re-read your post...totally missed that sentence...

Without trying to be moralistic, I'm glad I never had the option , though I can quite easily see how all those athletes sleep well. Both Monfils and Nadal.

I still fight my little battles over every form of cheating in my club...and enjoy it, though it must have had my name crossed from a few people's favourite persons list...

Maybe because in my formative years I was on the receiving end of a lot of unfairness.

But right now on the tennis tour, you can feel resentment simmering under the surface, a class divide :"the stars", supporting cast and the extras.

But among them all they know who's who when they put their head on the pillow at night.
And that's priceless.

It's easy to be honest and righteous when there is just one's pride at stake. But in business life we are using all the dirty tricks to win a deal...and if you don't you lose the deal to those who do.

The key is to become good enough not to have to use "tricks" but nowadays it's nearly impossible..whatever your business, sport or art.

Although it's very hard to walk upright, it's important to want to do it and to keep trying.