ATP 250: Hertogenbosch, Stuttgart

After weeks of cruel sun and every muscle and sinew tugged and tested with the blood, sweat and tears of clay, tennis finally finds its soft landing on grass.

This time, it's here with us for one week longer than last year.

ATP 250 Hertogenbosch, outdoor grass



ATP 250 Stuttgart, outdoor grass








https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvGvmsLQaHA

Nadal is shown to be playing even Queens London. That mean he will be looking to play 2 tournaments in 3 weeks before wimbledon.

Hertogenbosch (i like to hear you to pronounce this.. ) booked some nice (grass) players. Maybe scoring some tickets wouldn't be such a bad idea..
Tsonga has withdrawn though

Top 10 looks a nit different this week

Rank, Name & Nationality Points Week Change Tourn Played
1 Djokovic, Novak (SRB) 13,845 0 18
2 Federer, Roger (SUI) 9,415 0 19
3 Murray, Andy (GBR) 7,040 0 22
4 Wawrinka, Stan (SUI) 5,835 5 22
5 Nishikori, Kei (JPN) 5,570 0 22
6 Berdych, Tomas (CZE) 5,050 -2 23
7 Ferrer, David (ESP) 4,490 1 24
8 Raonic, Milos (CAN) 4,440 -2 23
9 Cilic, Marin (CRO) 3,460 1 21
10 Nadal, Rafael (ESP) 2,930 -3 20

the biggest change in the top 100!

87 Gulbis, Ernests (LAT) 600 -58 24

Tenez wrote:the biggest change in the top 100!

87 Gulbis, Ernests (LAT) 600 -58 24

Had to be, the way he has been playing he shouldn't even be in top-100

raiders_of_the_lost_ark wrote:

Tenez wrote:the biggest change in the top 100!

87 Gulbis, Ernests (LAT) 600 -58 24

Had to be, the way he has been playing he shouldn't even be in top-100

According to you he should be exactly 87! Nothing more nothing less, isn't?

The draw is out for Stuttgart. Nadal could be playing Rosol in R1...

09.06.2015 R32 (8) V Troicki defeats B Coric 62 60
=====================
Yep Coric, on grass the ball travels a bit faster than your legs.

I watched Nadal-Tomic this afternoon.
Funny match. While Tomic was doing a "Gulbis,-i-can-play-tennis-even-more-careless-than-you", Nadal's hyperactivity was reaching new heights.
Every point he scored there was either a "vamos", "yay" or fistpump. His team was also not exactly the paragon of tranquility.

Expect a very nervous Nadal first week Wimbledon. He'd better be stopped by a lowranked player though.  Because once he's the underdog, and the grass is dry he'll be quite hard to beat.

A fourth round Nadal-Federer is possible right?

gallery play wrote:I watched Nadal-Tomic this afternoon.
Funny match. While Tomic was doing a "Gulbis,-i-can-play-tennis-even-more-careless-than-you", Nadal's hyperactivity was reaching new heights.
Every point he scored there was either a "vamos", "yay" or fistpump. His team was also not exactly the paragon of tranquility.

Expect a very nervous Nadal first week Wimbledon. He'd better be stopped by a lowranked player though.  Because once he's the underdog, and the grass is dry he'll be quite hard to beat.

A fourth round Nadal-Federer is possible right?

Very true.

As I saw some of it too...Tomic's mouvement was really poor. One can't afford that kind of mouvement versus Nadal.

I haven't seen any tennis this week but am always annoyed with Tomic...so much talent there and so utterly, utterly wasted...lazy legs, no heart.

Btw, what was Nadal like?

And Nadal breaks Monfils to serve for the match in the second set.

But of course Nadal asked Monfils to wait at BP with a racquet sign. The disgusting is that Nadal was ready, and asked Monfils repeteadly to hold until.....Monfils finally saw Nadal's request when frankly there was no reason for Nadal to delay Monfils serve.

Monfils is a clown and would not have won today but again, Nadal making sure Monfils just got a bit rattled on an important point.

So who is on the other side in the final?

Thanks for the updates, T.
I hope to catch up tomorrow.

How is Nadal playing, anything "new"?

Troicki or Cilic.

Tenez wrote:Troicki or Cilic .

"I can't wait for the final!"

Troicki said after beating Cilic.
I echo the sentiment.
Came back just in time!

The new ATP website is really useless, I can't even find the shedule of play let alone what time the final starts today!!!
Anyone knows?

.....he, he...where there is a will there is a way

gallery play wrote:Hertogenbosch (i like to hear you to pronounce this.. ) booked some nice (grass) players. Maybe scoring some tickets wouldn't be such a bad idea..
Tsonga has withdrawn though

Did you get to see anything?
There is no  clickable link on new ATP website about the tournament, only for Stuttgart.
So frustrating!!!!

Why does everything money touches have to go down the pan....

So, my first view of grass since Wimbledon!
Untouched inside the court. Well worn far behind the base-line.

Troicki absolutely bombing his serves in...this is going to be a very interesting Wimbledon, especially in week one!

And another dull commentator saying how Nadal (who is the same age as Trocki btw) is showing signs of age...

Nadal is now wiping not only his body with the towel, but his racquet, too.

noleisthebest wrote:Thanks for the updates, T.
I hope to catch up tomorrow.

How is Nadal playing, anything "new"?

And to answer my own question.
Nothing new.
Same old.

noleisthebest wrote:And another dull commentator saying how Nadal (who is the same age as Trocki btw) is showing signs of age...

Yep...absurd!

I am now convinced Nadal can't and will never be able to take the ball early.
Even halfway inside the court he had to moonball a CCFH (and have it returned for a smash) rather than take it at shoulder hight and put away routinely.

He is so tense and uncomfortable and Troicki is really letting him off the hook here.

Nadal is quite solid on grass too. Not many mistakes. .

Th eadvantage of being a left hander is that the sun rarely is a problem at that time of the day.

Tenez wrote:Th eadvantage of being a left hander is that the sun rarely is a problem at that time of the day.

We have a guy in the club who is trying to play left-handed while his right elbow is recovering...

Troicki..is a bit weak mentally. He won his serve much more easily during the whole set but when it came to TB...he collapsed!

noleisthebest wrote:

Tenez wrote:Th eadvantage of being a left hander is that the sun rarely is a problem at that time of the day.

We have a guy in the club who is trying to play left-handed while his right elbow is recovering...

Maybe he has 2 left hands!

Tenez wrote:Troicki..is a bit weak mentally.  He won his serve much more easily during the whole set but when it came to TB...he collapsed!

Yes, some are just happy to be in the final...with a different mindset, he could've won the thing.

I don't understand players who allow emotions to suffocate them like that even after all match playing experience, and Nadal has won so many times just because the opponent lacked belief.

I don't know whether to fell sorry for Troicki or think he's pathetic...

Because Nadal doesn't collapse. He sends the balls back and keep asking questions. That's the beauty of safer shots.

Tenez wrote:Because Nadal doesn't collapse. He sends the balls back and keep asking questions. That's the beauty of safer shots.

Yes...but in this case, there is no reason for Troicki to let it affect his forst serve.psame must have happened to Tomic.
At least Trocki goes for his shots....Tomic has such soft hands and easy power, yet no spirit to drive that talent.

Nadal can't afford to collapse. That third set against Nole in RG was the closest I saw Nadal collapse and it was not a pretty sight.

A joke of a match now...

Viktor, at please try not to make Nadal look good!

As I said it's the sun which is affecting Troicki serve. He made 2 DFs in the TB while serving against the sun.

and just lost his serve in the 2nd set against the sun again.

Those guys are less professionals that the top players.

David Mercer is often very reluctant to give Nadal too much credit.

In the 2nd set that I got to see it was obvious Nadal still has jitters and weaknesses. First grass title since 2010, the vamos brigade will show their faces again, No?

Have you? he was pretty solid, strong and excited.

He can't make more than the qtrs in Wimbledon with that type of game. If they are in the same draw half, I think Fed will finally take him again.

AceofDeath wrote:He can't make more than the qtrs in Wimbledon with that type of game. If they are in the same draw half, I think Fed will finally take him again.

I certainly would like to see that!

Quuens and Halle shoudl be interesting. In particular Queens.

Tenez wrote:David Mercer is often very reluctant to give Nadal too much credit.

Mercer is a shameless Fed fanboy!

noleisthebest wrote:

Tenez wrote:David Mercer is often very reluctant to give Nadal too much credit.

Mercer is a shameless Fed fanboy!

Like me!