Tennis News

From around the world

Caroline Wozniacki vs Karin Knapp Analysis and Prediction – French Open 2015 R1

  • Posted: May 25, 2015

Caroline Wozniacki

As someone who suffered an opening round loss at last year’s French Open tournament, Caroline Wozniacki will look to begin her fortnight in Paris this season on a different note entirely. However, she has been dealt a tough hand in the opening round, as she comes up against recent titleholder Karin Knapp in her first match at Roland Garros. Wozniacki leads the head-to-head series 2-0.

 

After beginning her clay court season with two successful runs in Stuttgart, where she defeated the likes of Lucie Safarova, Carla Suarez Navarro and Simona Halep before succumbing to Angelique Kerber in the final, and Madrid, where she beat Radwanska before losing to Maria Sharapova in the quarter-final. She then finished her warm-up in poor fashion with an opening round loss to Victoria Azarenka in Rome.

Wozniacki will come up against Karin Knapp, who is riding a significant wave of momentum following her impressive finish to the French Open warm-up this year in Nuremberg. She worked her way through five matches to defeat Roberta Vinci in the tournament final. It was a contest that Vinci had the advantage in at several points, including a 5-2 lead in the opening set and a lead in the decider. However, she eventually dropped the match 7-6(5), 4-6, 6-1 to hand the Italian her second career title on the WT

“I’m really, really happy to win the title,” Knapp said. “It’s never easy against Roberta, and as you saw it was a close match. But it’s great to get the win and gain some good confidence for the French Open.”

This marks the third time that these two competitors will cross paths on the professional tour, with Wozniacki leading the head-to-head series 2-0. Her first win was at New Haven in 2013, while the second took place last year in Istanbul. This is set to be their first meeting on clay.

 

 

Source link

Marin Cilic vs Robin Haase French Open 2015 Round 1 Analysis

  • Posted: May 25, 2015

 Marin Cilic

Reigning US Open champion Marin Cilic will take part in the latest stage of his recover and journey back to full health when he begins his campaign a the 2015 French Open. Cilic, who spent much of the first quarter of the year on the sidelines, will begin his quest in Paris against Robin Haase, whom he has faced previously on four different occasions. He remains undefeated against Haase with a 4-0 head-to-head record.

 

Following a long layoff due to a right shoulder injury, reigning Marin Cilic began his 2015 season this week in Indian Wells, where he suffered a premature exit to Juan Monaco in the opening match in the desert. From then on, he was able to gradually lift his gameplay but is yet to find his top form. He won back-to-back matches the following week in Monte Carlo, which included a win over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. However, he has only won two matches on the tour since then, both of which came against rising stars on the tour (Jiri Vesely in Madrid and Rublev most recently in Geneva). Yet his early losses and lack of consistency make it unlikely that Cilic will perform at his best in Paris.

Cilic will come up against Robin Haase, who reverted to playing Challengers events over the past few weeks. Following a quarter-final loss to Nick Kyrgios in Estoril, Haase won the Aix En Provence Challenger tournament before losing to Thiemo de Bakker in the second round of the Bordeaux Challenger.

 

This is set to be the fifth time that Cilic and Haase will cross paths on the professional tour, with Cilic leading the series with an unblemished 4-0 record. Of those four wins lie two clay court contests, which should add to Cilic’s chances of escaping this contest relatively unscathed. Since this is their first meeting in nearly four years, it will be interesting to see what the final scoreline will be.

 

 

Source link

Karin Knapp Wins Second Career Title

  • Posted: May 25, 2015

Karin Knapp

In an all-Italian final on Saturday afternoon, Karin Knapp defeated Roberta Vinci to lift the Nurnberger Versicherungscup. It was just her second career title on the WTA tour.

Knapp worked her way through five matches to defeat Roberta Vinci in the tournament final. It was a contest that Vinci had the advantage in at several points, including a 5-2 lead in the opening set and a lead in the decider. However, she eventually dropped the match 7-6(5), 4-6, 6-1 to hand the Italian her second career title on the WTA tour.

“I’m really, really happy to win the title,” Knapp said. “It’s never easy against Roberta, and as you saw it was a close match. But it’s great to get the win and gain some good confidence for the French Open.”

This is now just Knapp’s second title on the tour after winning Uzbekistan last season.

 

While Vinci had her opportunities to secure the win, she remained positive with her performances this week and how they could potentially benefit her in Paris. She will begin her campaign against French No. 1 Alize Cornet, whom she holds a 4-0 record against.

“I tried my hardest today, but I’m pleased to have reached the final,” she said. “Karin played very well today. It was a tough match. We’ve known each other for a long time, so it’s tough to play her.

“I’ll just relax the rest of the day, and try my best in Paris next week.”

Knapp will begin her week in Paris against Caroline Wozniacki, whom she will face for a third time on the professional tour on Tuesday afternoon.

 

Source link

Nick Kyrgios vs Denis Istomin Preview – French Open 2015 Round 1

  • Posted: May 25, 2015

Kyrgios

An intriguing contest is scheduled to take place in the opening round of the French Open, as riding Aussie star Nick Kyrgios is scheduled to begin his 2015 campaign at the second Grand Slam event of the season against Denis Istomin. It will serve as just the second time that these two competitors will meet on the professional circuit, as they met last season in a Davis Cup tie between Australia and Uzbekistan. Kyrgios won the match to hand himself a 1-0 lead in the head-to-head series.

After reaching his first final on the ATP World Tour in Estoril, Nick Kyrgios finished runner up to Richard Gasquet that day but would go on to win the biggest match of his career a few days later when he ousted Roger Federer in the second round of the Madrid Masters. However, he would go on to lose his following match on the tour and will come into the French Open having lost three of his last four matches. Most recently, he retired down 3-4 to Dominic Thiem in Nice.

The youngster will come up against Denis Istomin, who has only managed to win two main draw matches since the start of the clay court season. He failed to qualify for Monte Caro, won one match in Istanbul and then one in Geneva. His most recent win was a 6-2, 6-0 thrashing of the returning Janko Tipsarevic but that is unlikely to hand him the necessary momentum to succeed on the clay in Paris.

This is just the second time that these two competitors will cross paths on the professional tour, with Kyrgios leading the head-to-head series 1-0. The Aussie won his sole contest against Istomin at last year’s Davis Cup tie against Uzbekistan, and while this is their first clay meeting, there is little doubt that Kyrgios should be the favourite.

 

Source link

Victoria Azarenka vs Maria-Teresa Torro-Flor Preview – French Open 2015 Round 1

  • Posted: May 25, 2015

Victoria Azarenka

Two-time Grand Slam champion Victoria Azarenka is scheduled to begin her French Open campaign on Monday afternoon on Day 2, where she will encounter Maria-Teresa Torro-Flor. This is just the first time that the two competitors will cross paths on the professional tour and should make for a relatively straightforward opening match for Azarenka.

 

After winning two matches at the Fed Cup tie against Japan, Azarenka kicked off her clay court season in Madrid, where she reached the third round and picked up wins over the likes of Venus Williams before losing to younger sister Serena in three tight sets. It was a positive performance from Azarenka, who had not been that competitive in nearly an entire year. She followed up with an even better showing in Rome, where she reached the quarter-final round and earned wins over the likes of Caroline Wozniacki. Maria Sharapova, who defeated her in straight sets, eventually halted her.

Azarenka will come up against Maria-Teresa Torro-Flor, who compiled a four-match losing streak before reverting back down to the 50k Saint-Gudens tournament. She won all five of her matches there and defeated Jana Cepelova to lift the title and add a sprinkle of momentum ahead of the French Open.

 

This is just the first time that Azarenka and Maria-Teresa Torro-Flor meet on the professional circuit and will likely contest a straightforward match that will undoubtedly favour the vastly more experienced former Grand Slam champion. Azarenka’s recovery has been a slow but sure process and she appears to en route to regaining her stride.
 

Source link

Venus Williams vs Sloane Stephens Preview – French Open 2015 Round 1

  • Posted: May 25, 2015

Venus Williams French Open

While dozens of matches are played everyday at the Grand Slam tournaments, it was not difficult to pick out the enthralling match-up between Venus Williams and Sloane Stephens that will grace the second day of the French Open action. The two Americans will step across the net from each other for the first time in their respective career. Stephens holds a memorable history against Venus’ younger sister, Serena, but will need to play an entirely different game against the equally savvy older sibling. The head-to-head series stands at 0-0.

 

Not one to play too many tournaments, Venus Williams has learnt that being selective can be more beneficial in terms of conserving energy on the tour. The veteran played two clay court tournaments ahead of the French Open. In Madrid, she lost her opening round match to Victoria Azarenka, which was a surprisingly lopsided affair. She later found her way to the third round in Rome, as she beat Katerina Siniakova and Elina Svitolina before losing to Simona Halep in the third round.

In typical inconsistent fashion, Sloane Stephens plodded her way through the clay court season ahead of the French Open with few impressive outcomes. She lost in the second round of Charleston to Mona Barthel, lost to Serena Williams in the Madrid Open second round, and the opening round of the Rome Open. Most recently, she managed to reach the semi-final stage in Strasbourg, where she did not face a single player ranked above herself.

 

This is just the first time that these two fellow Americans will meet on the professional tour. While Stephens’ history is with Venus’ younger sister, it is quite possible that these two players could produce an interesting chemistry that could provide some entertaining on court. However, it is likely to be a competitive affair that leads to Wiliams’ victory.

Source link

Maria Sharapova vs Kaia Kanepi Preview – French Open 2015 Round 1

Maria Sharapova vs Kaia Kanepi Preview – French Open 2015 Round 1

  • Posted: May 25, 2015

Maria Sharapova

World No. 2 Maria Sharapova will begin her quest for a success title defense campaign at the French Open when she faces Kaia Kanepi in an interesting opening match in Paris. This marks the fifth time these two competitors will meet on the professional tour, with Sharapova holding an undefeated 4-0 record stretching back to the 2012 French Open.

 

After suffering a leg injury ahead of the Fed Cup several months ago, Sharapova lost her first clay court match of the season to Angelique Kerber in her first match in Stuttgart, where she was the defending champion. She immediately rebounded with a semi-final showing in Madrid, where she lost to fellow Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova before furthering her reach in Rome, where she lifted the title following wins over Victoria Azarenka and Carla Suarez Navarro.

Since the start of the clay court season, Kanepi has only managed one win in two tournaments. She lost her opener in Marrakech to Teliana Pereira and then followed up with a win over Madison Keys in

“She’s played really well here at the the French Open,” Sharapova said of Kanepi. “I think we played here once at a much later stage, maybe fourth round or quarters, I believe. She’s capable of playing good tennis. She’s a big hitter and great server. It’s a tough start for me, but I don’t know when it’s ever really an easy one at a Grand Slam.”

Kanepi is yet to pick up her first ever victory over Sharapova. Her best performance came on hard court in one of their more recent encounter at the Brisbane International, where she won the opening set in the quarter-final before losing in the deciding set. However, that has done little to overturn the 4-0 head-to-head lead that Sharapova holds. While the Estonian is capable of another competitive encounter, it is unlikely she will be able to match Sharapova trademark resiliency or challenge her greatly in this opening round contest.

Source link

Andy Murray vs Facundo Arguello Preview – French Open 2015 Round 1

Andy Murray vs Facundo Arguello Preview – French Open 2015 Round 1

  • Posted: May 25, 2015

Andy Murray

With an undefeated 10-0 clay court record notched under his belt this season ahead of the prestigious Roland Garros Major championship, Andy Murray is likely more confident of his chances in Paris than ever before. The Briton will begin his fortnight against qualifier Facundo Arguello, whom he has never faced previously on the professional tour.
Following a remarkable few weeks on the professional tour, where he compiled an undefeated record spanning across two (and a half) tournaments, Andy Murray chose to withdraw from Rome citing fatigue. The world No. 3 maintained his undefeated clay court streak when he toppled Rafael Nadal in straight sets to lift the Mutua Madrid Open title on Sunday. It was Murray’s second win at this event but his first since the tournament moved to clay. From there, he began his Rome campaign with a straight sets victory over Jeremy Chardy to bring his record to 10-0 on clay this season. He will head into the French Open with an undefeated streak.

“It’s probably the best I have played on clay, for sure. I mean, I never really felt particularly comfortable on the surface. I mean, sometimes by the time I got to the French Open I started to feel good, but, yeah, I mean, obviously winning tournaments and beating, you know, good players helps with the confidence. I just feel like I have an idea of what I’m doing on the court sometimes. In the past I have not really known what was happening on the court and felt like I was struggling with my movement. Whereas this year it doesn’t feel like that. I feel like I’m moving well. I feel a lot freer on the court. Body feels good. That’s positive.”

 

Murray will begin his week against Facundo Arguello, who notched a significant amount of clay court wins under his belt over the past few months, including a title win at the Tallahassee Challenger. He initially lost to Gastao Elias in the final round of the French Open qualifications but ended up with a lucky loser slot.

This is set to be the first time that these two competitors cross paths on the professional tour and should be a contest that Murray breezes through. However, he will still have to adjust to the court and get used to a new opponent who will be playing with nothing to lose.

 

Source link

5 Intense Questions that French Open 2015 will Answer – A Preview to ROLAND GARROS

5 Intense Questions that French Open 2015 will Answer – A Preview to ROLAND GARROS

  • Posted: May 24, 2015

Roland-Garros 2015

With just a day to go before the biggest clay court event in the world kicks-off at the Stade Roland Garros in Paris, there are some major questions that need to be answered as the world’s elite players try to wrestle it out for ultimate glory at the second Grand Slam title of the year.

 

 

Novak Djokovic is perched at the top of the ATP rankings since July 2014 and goes into the French Open as the top contender. With a phenomenal start to the season, he is definitely the man to beat.

 

Rafael Nadal, the 5-time defending champion, has not been at his usual best and is struggling to find the form that saw him win 9 out of the last 10 French open titles.

Roger Federer will try to bounce back from an embarrassing defeat at the hands of Andreas Seppi at his last Grand Slam outing in Australia.

Andy Murray’s recent successes on clay have made him the dark-horse for the event and he will be trying to build momentum in Paris before the grass-court season.

Tomas Berdych and Kei Nishikori have made steady starts to the season and it seems like they are ready to break into Grand Slam Champions.

Can the young brigade of Nick Kyrgios, Dominic Thiem & Thanasi Kokkinakis step it up this year?
Here are just some of the questions that will be answered at the Second Grand Slam tournament of 2015.

1. Will Novak Djokovic finally shake the monkey off his back?
Novak Djokovic enters Roland Garros 2015 after an outstanding start to his season. He finds himself in a similar situation like 2011 when he entered Roland Garros as the Aussie Open Champion and winner of 4 Masters 1000 titles. The pressure is on the World No.1 to finally add the Coupe des Mousquetaires to his already impressive resume.

With a possible win in Paris, Djokovic will probably try to put up the greatest calendar season in Tennis History. Baring no injuries, he could end up winning the Calendar Grand Slam along with winning 8 Masters 1000 (skipped Madrid) and the ATP World Tour Finals. Apart from this he could also be the Davis Cup Champion with Serbia at the end of the season.

However, he may have to face the five-time reigning champion as early as the quarter-finals, and it could spell doom for the Serb as he is 0-6 against Spaniard in Roland Garros losing once in the QFs, thrice in SFs and twice in the finals (2012 & 2014).

With Rafa Nadal not at this perennial best, the pressure is on Novak to finally win in Paris and join the elite group of players with Career Grand Slam.

DRAW METER – Kevin Anderson (4R), Rafael Nadal (QF), Andy Murray/David Ferrer (SF), Roger Federer/Kei Nishikori/Tomas Berdych (F)

 

2. Will Rafael Nadal turn up and prove everybody wrong with an Unprecedented Tenth Roland Garros Title?
Nine-time champion Nadal will have his lowest ever seeding at a Grand Slam tournament, with his unusually poor European clay court swing, during which he failed to capture any of Monte Carlo, Madrid, Barcelona or Rome for the first time since 2004, seeing him drop to seventh in the world rankings.

It could be a worrying sign that his invincibility on clay could be coming to an end, however the French Open should still continue to bring the best out of the Spaniard. He has only ever lost once at the tournament since debuting in 2005 holding a 66-1 overall record.

Even last year, when Nadal was world number one, the Spaniard was not considered the outright favourite to win. That tag went to Novak Djokovic, who beat him in the Rome Masters final and had also ended his eight-year stranglehold at the Monte Carlo Masters in 2013.

But still, Nadal proved too good for Djokovic in the final by way of a four-set victory, despite losing the first set in a championship match for the first time since 2006 against Roger Federer.

Despite failing to fire in 2015, the nine-time French Open champion will be out to prove that he is anything but a spent force and claim an unprecedented tenth title at Roland Garros. Or will his mass achievements finally start to catch up with him?

DRAW METER – Grigor Dimitrov (4R), Novak Djokovic (QF), Andy Murray/David Ferrer (SF), Roger Federer/Kei Nishikori/Tomas Berdych (F)

 

3. Can Roger Federer come back strong at Grand Slam events?
Roger Federer has had a good start to the season in 2015. With titles in Brisbane, Dubai &Istanbul and finals in Indian Wells and Rome, he is still playing at a very high level. But his loss at the hands of Italian Andreas Seppi in Melbourne earlier this year has more or less ended his consistency at Grand Slam level which at once was impenetrable.

Roger’s performance at Roland Garros has declined over the years. He was a finalist from 2006-2008 before completing his Career Grand Slam in 2009 beating Robin Soderling in the Finals. In 2011 he ended Djokovic’s 43 match unbeaten streak in one of the best matches of his career before surrendering to Nadal once again in the finals. Since then he has lost one round earlier each year with SF in 2012, QF in 2013 and 4R last year to Ernests Gulbis.
A Strong performance in Paris could lay foundation for an 8th Wimbledon title and a 6th US open crown.

DRAW METER – Gael Monfils (4R), Stan Wawrinka (QF), Kei Nishikori/Tomas Berdych (SF), Novak Djokovic/Andy Murray/Rafael Nadal (F)

PREDICTION – Finals (loses to Djokovic in 4 sets); the match against Monfils could be a classic with the Parisian crowd cheering for Gael.

4. Can Andy Murray continue his recent success on clay?
Andy Murray has been undefeated this season on clay (10-0) winning in Munich and demolishing Rafa in Madrid. He became the first Briton since Buster Mottram in 1976 to win a tour level clay court event. He had to withdraw from Rome due to tiredness and fatigue but is expected to come back strong in Paris. The performances against Milos Raonic, Kei Nishikori and Rafael Nadal in Madrid were clinical even after a tight schedule which saw him play 9 matches in the space of 10 days.

Also Andy has come back stronger and fitter this season with final appearances at the Aus Open and also in Miami. The only major roadblock for him is his recent struggles against Novak. He has lost the last 7 matches against his Serbian rival since beating him at SW 19 almost 2 years back. The French open has been the least favoured Grand Slam event for Andy with his best performances coming in 2011 & 2014 when he made it to the SF (losing to Rafa on both occasions).

With a determined approach to his game after his marriage to Kim, Andy could very well find himself lifting his third grand slam title (Fred Perry in 1936 was the last Briton to win in Paris, Bunny Austin reached the final in 1938).

DRAW METER – John Isner (4R), David Ferrer (QF), Novak Djokovic/Rafael Nadal (SF), Roger Federer/Kei Nishikori/Tomas Berdych (F)

 

5. Will Kei Nishikori and Tomas Berdych step it up at the majors?
Kei Nishikori has been continuously progressing under the tutelage of former French Open Champion Michael Chang. He made his major breakthrough last year beating Novak Djokovic in the SFs of the US open before losing to Marin Cilic in the finals. Like his mentor he has proved to be an excellent clay courter winning back-to-back titles in Barcelona and consistently improving his game on the surface. With a solid defensive game along with aggressive shot making he could very well play the spoiler to Djokovic’s French open success.

Tomas Berdych has made an excellent start to his season reaching the QFs of all the 9 events he has entered. With Dani Vallverdu coaching him, Tomas has been extremely consistent this season. He defeated Rafa Nadal in the QFs of the Aus Open this year, demolishing the Spaniard and ending his 17 match losing streak against him. Yet he is still looking for his first Grand Slam breakthrough and trying to achieve what Wawrinka and Cilic managed to do last season. This season could finally see him accomplish his mission.

DRAW METER – Feliciano Lopez (4R) – Nishikori; JW Tsonga (4R) – Berdych
Nishikori vs Berdych (QF)

Roger Federer (SF); Novak Djokovic/Andy Murray/Rafael Nadal (F)

 

How will Nick Kyrgios fare at the French open as a seeded player for the first time? Also can Dominic Thiem be the surprise package at this year’s event?

How will Simon, Monfils and Tsonga perform and will France produce its first champion since Yannick Noah in 1983 (Henri Leconte was the last French to reach the final in 1988 losing to Wilander).

These are just some of the questions that will be asked as the countdown to the French Open continues. Will the big names be there when it matters most? Who will win the men’s and women’s titles in 2015? And can Novak Djokovic finally get the monkey off his back and complete his Grand Slam set?

Source link

French Open 2015 Men’s Draw Preview and Analysis with Predictions

French Open 2015 Men’s Draw Preview and Analysis with Predictions

  • Posted: May 24, 2015

French Open 2015 Draw Preview and Prediction

After an eventful clay swing, the time has come for the second slam of the year. This year, Rafael Nadal‘s struggles were even more noticeable than ever as he went without a European clay court title prior to the French Open for the first time since 2004. With a 72-7 record over the past year, Novak Djokovic comes into the tournament more favoured than ever as he looks to complete the career grand slam.
Quarter 1 – Nadal vs Djokovic

After a drop in the rankings to number 6, it opened up the possibility of Nadal being placed with Djokovic much earlier than many would hope for – much like in 2013 when the pair met in the semi final . It feels like this has been said every year since 2011 but Djokovic will have his best chance to date of winning his first French Open. In recent years, Nadal remained favourite with the bookmakers but they are strongly in favour of the World No.1 on this occasion and if he can see off Nadal in the quarter finals, assuming they meet, the title almost seems a given.

As part of his 35-2 season to date, Djokovic won both the Monte Carlo and Rome Masters defeating six top 10 players in the process. One of those was a straight sets win over Nadal in Monte Carlo, their only meeting so far this year. Djokovic is clearly the best player in the world right now and the numbers back it up, only a Madrid withdrawal denying a chance at the clay Masters sweep.

Meanwhile, Nadal lost matches to Djokovic, Fabio Fognini, Stan Wawrinka and Andy Murray during the European clay swing, the last of which was in the Madrid final against an opponent he had dominated on the surface. It’s cliché to say that Nadal over 5 sets is a different animal but a 66-1 record at Roland Garros means you can never really count him out. If he can make to the final four, there’s no doubt he is the favourite to win once more. Already outside the top 5, Nadal’s ranking is set to drop even further if he flops. With his 2000 points from last year removed, he would be projected to be outside the top 10 if he departs from the tournament early.

In terms of this quarter, Djokovic looks like he will have no issues in the early rounds. The first seed he can meet is Bernard Tomic, who has struggled on clay. Australia might have a better chance of a run to the third round from Thanasi Kokkinakis who continues to improve and was a Challenger winner last week in Bordeaux. Richard Gasquet has a clay title to his name this year but has a 1-11 career record against Djokovic. While he performs better on faster surfaces, Kevin Anderson is at least capable enough of playing to his seeding and making the third round.

Meanwhile, Nadal opens against the young wildcard Quentin Halys. Already 2-0 against him on the year, Nicolas Almagro is a possible opponent in round two while Adrian Mannarino is another vulnerable seeded player. 18th seed Tommy Robredo may well play Borna Coric in round two, a classic case of the experienced vet against the raw youngster – who already has a win over Nadal in his career. With a seeding of 10, Grigor Dimitrov will improve on his career best third round at the tournament although many see his opener against Jack Sock as a potential upset.

Quarter 2 – Murray vs Ferrer

Once seen as easy pickings for the top guys on clay, Andy Murray is making a strong claim for the player with the best chance outside of the top two. Prior to 2015, he had never won a clay ATP tournament – although rarely playing outside of Masters partly accounts for this. He then went back-to-back in Munich and Madrid, the latter coming without dropping a set to three top 10 players in Raonic, Nishikori and most impressively Nadal. An impressive display of attacking tennis saw him seize the initiative from the start and he never really let up in the 6-3 6-2 victory.

He made the semi final here last year but much of that was put down to a favourable draw and this was backed up by many when Nadal lost just six games to book his place in the final. Seventh seed David Ferrer looks to have the best chances of stopping Murray from at least repeating his 2014 run. The Spaniard was a finalist in 2013 and had solidified himself as someone who you could count on to live up to his seeding. 10 straight quarter finals or better at slams have since been followed up by three fourth rounds or worse. You would expect that the French Open will be the place that Ferrer ends this miniblip.

In amongst this quarter are a number of players who are capable of shocking either player. Nick Kyrgios put to bed any concerns about his ability to perform on clay with a final in Estoril before defeating Roger Federer in Madrid. He feels like someone who thrives on the big stage and has a game to trouble the best if he can keep his head together – his temperament has been called into question on a number of occasions. John Isner remains one of the few players to win two sets at this tournament from Rafael Nadal but as usual, will need to serve out of this world and avoid lengthy matches to do anything worthwhile.

Leonardo Mayer remains a strong player on clay and last year defeated Ferrer in the Munich final. Marin Cilic has failed to hit the heights of his US Open triumph but remains dangerous as he looks to make his first French Open quarter final. The Croatian narrowly missed out on a top 8 seeding which would have markedly improved his chances to do so.

Quarter 3 – Nishikori vs Berdych

With three of the favourites in the top half of the draw, there is no doubt that the draw looks a little kinder to those placed in the bottom half. A first time finalist may well be crowned with just Roger Federer in this half having made one before. Who is fourth favourite is not so clear but of the other contenders, it is probably Kei Nishikori that will have the strongest claim. His run up to the French Open consisted a Barcelona title defence and losses to Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray. It says a lot that the latter was seen as a surprising defeat. After losing in round one last year, the only way is up for Nishikori.

Meanwhile, it has been a recurring theme for Tomas Berdych in 2015. He is unbeaten against players outside the top 10, going 30-0, but has won just two of the nine against those ranked inside the top ten and 0-7 in semi finals and finals combined. With Nishikori’s 3-1 record against Berdych, it would not be a surprise at all for Berdych to make the quarter finals before losing to the first elite opponent – assuming Nishikori gets there.

Nishikori has wins over two of the closest seeds in his draw – Roberto Bautista Agut and Fernando Verdasco but did lose Feliciano Lopez in Indian Wells earlier in the year. Given Lopez’s losses on clay this year, there is little to suggest he could pull it off again against an opponent far more capable on the surface than he is. Berdych appears to have a much tougher route to the quarter finals with Fabio Fognini amongst the possible opponents. The 28th seed’s best run on European clay in 2015 was a Barcelona quarter final yet at the same time he is one of the few players to beat Rafael Nadal multiple times in a year.

Philipp Kohlschreiber‘s last two completed losses were against Andy Murray, who went on to take the titles in Madrid and Munich. A Rome withdrawal will ask questions of his fitness although 2 weeks has passed since then. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga played some of his best tennis in blitzing Roger Federer in straight sets in 2013 but these matches have been few and far between.

Quarter 4 – Wawrinka-Federer

The final quarter throws up some fascinating potential match ups, including of course a battle between the Swiss No.1 and No.2. An early loss in Geneva is hardly ideal preparation for the tournament for Stanislas Wawrinka who has plenty of space to improve on his rankings after losing in round one last year. Wawrinka was another who picked up a victory over Rafael Nadal, this one coming in Rome.

Meanwhile, Roger Federer possibly has his best chance to make another slam final after avoiding Djokovic or Nadal before then. Winning Istanbul before making the final in Rome is a good warm up for the No.2 seed who only made the fourth round last year, losing to Ernests Gulbis. In winning that Istanbul final, Federer defeated Pablo Cuevas in straight sets and did so again the next week in Rome. It feels that the 2008 semi finalist Gael Monfils will be the biggest threat before the quarter finals for Federer, especially with Monfils already having a win over Federer in Monte Carlo this year.

Ernests Gulbis was a semi finalist last year after shocking Federer but his year has been disastrous, going 2-12. An early loss could see Gulbis fall as far as outside the top 80, which would be some drop for the current 24 seed. If he gets it together, last year could be repeated but he would likely need to also beat Wawrinka to have any chance of putting together such a run. Having lost in round one last year, Wawrinka sailing through is far from guaranteed either. After winning Monte Carlo, a disastrous end to the run to the French Open saw him go 1-3 in the following events topped off by a four set loss to Guillermo Garcia Lopez, who interestingly can play Wawrinka in round three.

Source link