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Day One Delray Beach and Dolgopolov
10 Comments · Posted by Scoop Malinowski in Articles, Scoop
Arrive at the Delray Beach tournament for I think the seventh or eighth year in a row. Denis Kudla notches an important win over Lukas Lacko, 63 64. ATP level wins for Kudla have been few and far between. But he impressively dismissed the respected Lacko on stadium court.
Next up Alexander Dolgopolov overcame some adversity and defeated the Guillermo Canas coached Teymuraz Gabashvili 76 63. Dolgo now sports Joma attire and shoes. He’s coming off a meniscus knee injury in Australia where he had to see nine doctors in three days. He played Rio last year but opted to play the hard courts in Delray this year, his preferred surface, to regain points.
Dolgopolov quotes after match: “I need to win matches. I lost two first rounds in the last two tournaments and I had a scare of an injury in Australian Open. It was a rough month. It doesn’t help when you have to defend a thousand points in February after an injury.”
“I’m dropping points. I need points to be high ranked. I need some wins.”
The Dog is still in the top 30 and feels taking the hard court events over the clay in South America. “I’m more confident, better results on hard courts.”
I spoke with a linesperson who told me a tale about the mercurial Fognini in Miami last year. Fognini was back by the wall and almost bumped into this linesperson, who dodged the collision. The crowd laughed at the near human crash but Fognini did not like being laughed at. “He told me Next time I will hit you. Then he saw that I’m Latin so he said it again the second time in Spanish. I will hit you next time.”
Thanasi Kokkinakis just destroyed Alex Kuznetsov in two quick sets to make the main draw. Kokkinakis is hitting the ball hard, watch out for this rising Aussie teen.
Dr. Ivo bested Dustin Brown in the main event night match 62 in the third before a sparse crowd. The night doubles match preceded with Tomic and Troicki edging Groth/Guccione in a super tiebreak.
Marinko Matosevic is being coached here by Ashley Fisher.
A rumor making the rounds is that this year could be the final year of the Miami Open. The Masters Series event could transfer from Key Biscayne to Dubai or China. Just a rumor floating here in Delray. See you tomorrow.
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Andrew Miller · February 17, 2015 at 2:24 pm
Last year of Miami? BAD IDEA. Among best tournaments globally, certainly worthy of “fifth slam” status or best of the rest of the tournaments beyond the slams – no other Masters comes close. Not Madrid with the ball girls, not Rome with the Foro Italico – none of it. Players like the Miami tournament and it’s considered mandatory viewing in the Americas.
The one tournament Nadal hasn’t won yet, or one of the last few. I’d guess if Nadal doesn’t win it this year given the rumors, he never will.
Dan markowitz · February 17, 2015 at 3:19 pm
If Miami is the fifth slam, how come Fed chooses to play IW instead?
jg · February 17, 2015 at 4:18 pm
didn’t someone raise the issue of making Miami a clay court event (green clay), I like that idea, it would start out the clay court season and there used to be a bunch of har tru mens tournaments in the US, there are none (other than the minor US clay court in Houston with some sort of brown clay, at least Nadal would be in favor of it. There are too many hard court events as it is.
Ryan Balon · February 17, 2015 at 6:25 pm
Indian Wells by far is the Fifth grand slam…..
Hawk eye on every court, three great stadium courts, bleacher seating to watch the big guns practice and 5 star restuarants such as Nobu on site
The weather is always perfect, never rains and isn’t humid
I’m sorry but Miami is no IW
Andrew Miller · February 17, 2015 at 6:55 pm
Always like the Miami tourney. Surprised anyone would move it. Maybe since Lebron took his game back to cleveland miami hasnt been the same!
Dan Markowitz · February 17, 2015 at 7:42 pm
I agree with, Ryan. I’ve never taken to Miami really. The stadium is old. The grounds are secluded where you can’t really see who’s playing on the side courts. I’m looking forward to seeing the new confines of IW, but when I’ve been in the past, it was very impressive and the weather is much more conducive for watching tennis. Granted, Miami is a much more happening place than the desert 200 miles out of LA, but the site itself goes to IW.
Scoop Malinowski · February 17, 2015 at 7:50 pm
Well Dan, there are rumors of a rift between Federer and the IMG owned Miami Open. And I’ve heard this from multiple insiders.
Scoop Malinowski · February 17, 2015 at 7:52 pm
IW definitely has surpassed Miami on the cool and respect scale. Everybody every insider I talk to prefers IW well over Miami. It’s not even close.
Andrew Miller · February 17, 2015 at 7:58 pm
Yeah but iw doesnt have the Miami crowd! Always liked the latin aspect, with guys like delpo getting a heros welcome.
Or how canas could beat federer. Or roddick for that matter – one of his only wins was in miami. Saw that match, Roddick was playing confidant ball that day. Saw fed too on anothwr occasion, agassi , courier, the djokovix family, graf – Lots of good memories.
Scoop Malinowski · February 17, 2015 at 8:50 pm
Yes, you get some electric atmospheres in Miami, Rios would always “bring the stadium alive”, as one photographer told me. Delpo on grandstand was a rock star. Fed or Rafa in stadium is always special. Even a match like Farah and Cabal vs. Sock and Harrison last year was like Davis Cup. I’ve never heard an IW match sound on TV like Davis Cup. Long live the Miami Open.