Kei Nishikori is the top seed, fresh off defending in Memphis, where he defeated Ivo Karlovic.
Also in the Delray draw are Lleyton Hewitt, Marin Cilic, Feliciano Lopez, Tommy Haas, John Isner, Kevin Anderson, Vasek Pospisil, and American wildcards Ryan Harrison and Jack Sock.
Tennis-prose is going to provide in depth coverage from this magnificent event for the entire week, so please stay tuned…
In other tennis news, it looks like Tomas Berdych has been inspired by Stan Wawrinka’s major win in Melbourne, as he has just won his first title in over a year in Amsterdam. Berdych, did not win any singles titles last year.
Congrats to the emerging fine doubles team of former American division III player Eric Butorac and South African veteran journeyman Raven Klaasen, who have followed up there Australian Open final performance by winning the Memphis doubles title in straight sets over the Bryan Brothers.
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Andrew Miller · February 17, 2014 at 11:34 am
Sock’s chance is now. Both Sock and Harrison should aim to go deep.
loreley · February 17, 2014 at 12:06 pm
Can you guys give me a hint why Baghdatis got wildcards for Memphis & Delray?
Gulbis had to play qualification last year as a former Champion. I don’t blame him that he prefers Marseille over Delray, since they helped him with a wildcard last year.
Dan Markowitz · February 17, 2014 at 11:41 pm
What I saw of Sock today was not promising. He’s fitter, more serious, but the forehand has too much spin to it and backhand is a pedestrian shot. Manny just killed him today by nailing him to his backhand side and then hitting his flat sharp-angled bh cross court that Sock could barely reach.
Q-ball tonight gave it a good effort, but he doesn’t play a smart game. He hit many fh inside out balls ten feet deep against Lopez tonight. He wasn’t nearly patient enough and when he did try to rush the net from the baseline, he approached mostly to F Lo’s forehand which passed Sam repeatedly. Another bad day for American men’s tennis. Let’s see if Klahn can redeem the boys with a win against Hewitt tomorrow.
Andrew Miller · February 18, 2014 at 2:17 am
Hewitt! Tough match.
Andrew Miller · February 18, 2014 at 2:20 am
“pedestrian shot”. Unfortunately Sock has no backhand. It’s unfortunate as he plays fairly strategic ball out there.
Dan markowitz · February 18, 2014 at 5:36 am
You wonder if Sock’s and Sloane Stephen’s troubles now are that they’re more into each other than their tennis. Probably not. It’s just tough out there but that was brought up by a reporter here. Cilic and Dr Ivo and Nishikori are all here and they were all finalists last week . A prominent coach, according to the Florida Sun Sentinel’s Harvey Fialkov said that taking PED’s is rampant in the game. Vince Spadea Sr. Said that recovery is the big gain from taking drugs, particularly blood spinning.
Greg Sharko, the ATP star man extraordinaire is here and I’ll try to find out more about the testing and whether they do blood testing. Ginepri lost in last round of qualis and it’s sad not to see Blake or Fish, who just became a dad, here when they used to play this event every year. Sparse crowd for Querrey-Lopez and one wonders how they keep this event here when on a beautiful day and night there weren’t many people watching the tennis.
Dan markowitz · February 18, 2014 at 5:39 am
How’s this for a match today? Dr Ivo vs Samuel Groth. Wouldn’t want to be the fence in this match.
Andrew Miller · February 18, 2014 at 10:21 am
Night matches – tragic. Huge day in U.S. mens tennis in Delray, with almost everyone from Isner on down in a match.
bjk · February 18, 2014 at 10:55 am
The guy coached by Yoav Schab will win the Bogie-Sela match.
Abe Froman · February 18, 2014 at 12:19 pm
mazel tov dudi !
Andrew Miller · February 18, 2014 at 2:05 pm
Hewitt killing Klahn. 6-3 3-0.
Dan markowitz · February 18, 2014 at 3:04 pm
Watching Harry Lu after Steve Jo just destroyed Kukusjhkin, Lu up a break as Harry has missed into net a few backhands. Basically, HRry’s distaff wing is as weak as Klahn’s who Hewitt said has an obvious weak bh. Lleyton also said a PlYer shouldn’t get so many points on Challenger circuit.
Andrew Miller · February 18, 2014 at 3:07 pm
…6-3, 6-1, 65 minutes. Welcome to the big leagues. Adopted U.S. player Vesely (Thiem is also being carded – as in given a visa to play for the states) fared better in his loss…3 sets, 100+ minutes vs. Baghd. Delray’s U.S. contingent has been smashed. Where is the U.S.’ Wawrinka – the mild mannered Swiss who turned the tables on tennis’ elite.
Andrew Miller · February 18, 2014 at 3:10 pm
Hope Klahn knows Hewitt said that – maybe that will light a fire under him to accelerate his game plan and pull a Russell next time. Like Scoop said I think with Fish – when a reporter confronted him and that “put down” – calling him in essence a no one – changed him from journeyman to one time top ten player. Look at Russell and the publicist – if I’m Klahn I’m firing my publicist and getting ready for my rematch. Hewitt has a way of bringing out the best in other people – meaning the best in their games!
Gaurang · February 18, 2014 at 4:14 pm
Andrew — didnt know about this: “Adopted U.S. player Vesely (Thiem is also being carded – as in given a visa to play for the states)”
What does this mean, can you elaborate? Are they adopting US citizenship?
AndrewM · February 18, 2014 at 7:31 pm
Was a joke! Sorry about that Gaurang. I was trying to communicate that the U.S. players’ struggles, since Roddick retired, are so significant in terms of their performance at even small U.S. tournaments that the country might as well extend visas to good non-U.S. players to shake things up. This is never going to happen and Vesely and Thiem should not play for the U.S. (and would not want to).
The news from Delray tournament isn’t all bad. Rhyne Williams beat Alejandro Falla (retired in 2nd set), Ryan Harrison advanced even though Lu won his first set and then retired promptly (meaning Harrison lucked out), and the Isner-Russell match ensures that another U.S. player keeps going in the tournament.
I’m surprised Klahn didn’t put up much of a struggle but I think Gaurang pointed it out pretty clearly that without addressing some deficiencies in his game it will be hard to win these kinds of matches.
Tennis is global but I am always surprised by the 1st round losses after players have some momentum. Maybe players like Klahn and Smyczek had some tough luck in hard first rounders vs. Hewitt and Kevin Anderson, but they have to win those kinds of matches to make it on the regular tour. Nothing against Hewitt – he’s one of the tour’s greatest fighters – but I thought Klahn would do better.
Andrew Miller · February 18, 2014 at 7:44 pm
Sorry about that Gaurang – I made a joke. My thinking was that the U.S. tennis players’ struggles are so persistent that the U.S. should start giving visas to awesome players like Thiem and Vesely. Canada’s done this to some extent by taking Jesse Levine (born in Canada but played for the U.S. until a few years ago) but Canadian tennis has had a bit of a renaissance with the solid playing of Raonic and Popsisil, as well as Dancevic, so not even Levine can make their Davis Cup team. Great Britain did this also by taking Rusedski from Canada. France did it by taking Mary Pierce from Canada and the U.S.
Dan markowitz · February 18, 2014 at 8:01 pm
Harry was being outplayed by Lu until “Andy ” surprisingly retired. It was embarrassing how he sprayed his backhand. Only Johnson looks to be hitting a groove. Jay Berger was watching Harry, but that didn’t stop him from coming close to imploding. The mental challenges of pro tennis are daunting, then the physical challenges of playing in this heat and on unforgiving hard courts are punishing.
Andrew Miller · February 18, 2014 at 10:54 pm
Klahn/hewitt: first two games looked good – klahn didn’t seem intimidated. I think it might have hit him that he was playing Hewitt and his game then unraveled. But no apologies from here on out klahn has to play up to have a shot in these matches. His backhand looked much improved though is still something other pros will pick on.
Dan markowitz · February 18, 2014 at 11:47 pm
Klahn walked past me on the grounds after defeat and looked none the chastened. Not a big guy though. I was surprised, might be 6 but no taller. My son got to take a lesson at an a nice little academy here in Delray today where Jesse Levine and apparently Ben Becker and Dr Ivo work out. And it’s always interesting seeing these touring pros and top junior players work out. Levine took part in the morning practice and it was tough, 86 degrees by 11 am. The pro told my wife that Players from back east are told to drink more water because they’re not used to the heat.
Levine who I was told by Van Winitsky, a McEnroe contemporary who actually was the No. 1 junior in the world ahead of Mac right up to Mac reaching Wimby semis at 17, said Jesse is coming back after elbow surgery and will try to Qualy at Miami. Levine hit w this 13 yr old beanpole skinny kid named Robert Hammond who hits quite a ball.
But make no doubt about it, this is a brutal game. Winitsky who played in the era of wood racquets, blew out his shoulder in his early 20’s and still came back to make Top 30. He hit with my son afterward and what a beautiful fluid lefty stroke he has. He told me Pancho SEGURA said Winisky was the greatest player he ever saw, better than Laver.
Winisky actually at 55 played the pre-Qualy at Delray and beat all the young promising players except Kozlov, but he said he woke up after aging 3 matches and could barely move from hip and back pain. The only guy who seems I injured by his tennis jones is Scoop, who also hit w Cal today, the kid had a big day, and looked spry and sharp.
Scoop Malinowski · February 19, 2014 at 10:08 am
I watched the entire Hewitt-Klahn match. Hewitt was jacked up from the get go, coming off that bad loss to Russell has him fired up. Hewitt had two Dfs in the first game but still won it. Hewitt got in his groove and is better than Klahn from the baseline. The first break came at 3-2. Klahn has that weird loopy forehand. Hewitt’s intensity was the difference, he yelled about seven come ons and many fist pumps. Klahn waved his arms in helpess despair after the second break in the second set. He knows what it feels like to play a wall who has 598 career ATP wins, that’s 595 more than he does – Klahn has 3, I repeat 3 career ATP level wins. After the match Hewitt said it took him a few games to figure out Klahn’s strengths and weaknesses.
Andrew Miller · February 19, 2014 at 10:48 am
3 games!
Scoop Malinowski · February 19, 2014 at 11:25 am
Hewitt coming off that loss to Russell in Memphis, you just know he’s on the warpath and Klahn and next Matosevic and then Ivo or Anderson are in trouble.
Scoop Malinowski · February 19, 2014 at 11:25 am
Goin to wwatch Mannarino Lopez now.