The Ivo Karlovic vs Tommy Robredo rivalry resumes this week in Barcelona where the 35 year old Spaniard was granted a wildcard.
Robredo has locked horns with the 39 year old Dr. Ivo three times and lost all three in close matches. First time was in 2004 in Rome 76 64. Then two years later in Las Vegas, with an identical score.
The third clash was in 2008 Hamburg on clay with Ivo again prevailing 36 62 76.
Will the Barcelona fourth showdown be the charm for Tommy, who is ranked 202 to Ivo’s 76?
Robredo has won 12 career singles titles to Ivo’s eight.
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1 2 Next »Hartt · April 23, 2018 at 9:50 am
My posts are not showing up on the Insider Stories thread, so will try this one to see if it makes a difference.
Bad news for us crazy tennis enthusiasts – Kohli hwas withdrawn from Barcelona, so no Kohli vs Simon match. 🙁
Scoop Malinowski · April 23, 2018 at 10:01 am
That’s too bad for Kohlshreiber, he looked healthy in Monte Carlo, did not seem in any pain when he lost that match.
Scoop Malinowski · April 23, 2018 at 11:53 am
Ivo saved a MP and is even now with Robredo 67 76 22 in third. Ivo going for 4-0 career vs Tommy. I still remember watching young Tommy play on ESPN in the late 90s with Cliff Drysdale telling us every time he played, and it was many times that Robredo was featured in ESPN matches, that Tommy’s father named him after the Who song Tommy because he was a big fan of The Who. Must have heard Cliffy tell that anecdote about twenty times. 🙂 Tommy still wearing Sergio Tacchini attire and using Dunlop racquet, just like he did in the beginning.
catherine · April 23, 2018 at 12:22 pm
Hartt – my comments aren’t showing up either there and I’ve posted two – so here’s another one – Marta Kostyuk bt Cornet in Stuttgart. Marta not 16 until June.
Scoop – please do you think something can be done about the disappearing comments ? I’ve no idea what, as I’m not computer literate. But it’s a shame because this is a good site.
I did read Hartt’s post and one of yours and I replied but all have gone as of this moment. I’ll check later on.
Hartt · April 23, 2018 at 12:31 pm
I saw parts of the Tommy vs Dr. Ivo match, including the last couple games – where Tommy played a poor service game to get broken and Dr. Ivo went on to win the match. Very disappointing result, I thought Tommy was playing well and had a real shot. I especially enjoyed his successful lob, not an easy thing to do against Karlovic!
catherine · April 23, 2018 at 4:01 pm
Kasatkina lost SS to Rybarikova in Stuttgart – not a particularly good match and Daria is really chubby. Maybe a good rest and rethink her diet 🙂
catherine · April 23, 2018 at 4:04 pm
Kvitova plays Kerber first round in Stuttgart – I feel quite sorry for Angie. Draw didn’t go her way.
Doug Day · April 23, 2018 at 4:49 pm
Marathon man says take that Rafa. Back in 2013 Tommy became first man in 86 yrs to comeback from 2 sets down in 3 consecutive matches. (See why I play fast-four scoring?)
Krzysztof · April 23, 2018 at 5:19 pm
Doug Day, did you not forget about Edberg at US Open 92? he also came back from 2 sets down back then in 3 consecutive matches.
Scoop Malinowski · April 23, 2018 at 8:14 pm
Nice memory Krzysztof. Edberg was on fire in 92 in NY, maybe the best tennis of his life.
Doug Day · April 23, 2018 at 9:04 pm
Maybe but check it out: wikipedia shows Edberg winning one of first two sets in every match. Gotta be down 2 with 3 to play pressure. Am I missing something?
Doug Day · April 23, 2018 at 10:48 pm
Krzysztof, maybe, but Wikipedia shows Edberg won one out of the first two sets in every match at 92 Open. In 2013 French Robredo had to win 3 in a row 3 times in a row. He was 0-2 those 3 consecutive matches and came back. A touch more pressure
Doug Day · April 23, 2018 at 10:51 pm
Scoop the delay in comments posting has increased of late. I wait a few hours and don’t see it so I try again. Sorry for double posts.
catherine · April 24, 2018 at 8:01 am
15 year old Kostyuk carries on in Stuttgart – she’ll now meet Sharapova or Garcia.
catherine · April 24, 2018 at 8:20 am
Kostyuk is very good, but at 15, please, no overplaying or overpraising. Lottner wasn’t too much of a challenge.
catherine · April 24, 2018 at 8:38 am
I’m still banging on about Stuttgart and will go on doing so until my posts stick.
catherine · April 24, 2018 at 9:01 am
Radwanska lost 1st set to Vekic in Istanbul 🙂
catherine · April 24, 2018 at 9:50 am
All my posts have disappeared. Sharapova in 2nd set v Garcia, who has had a convict hair cut under her hat it seems.
catherine · April 24, 2018 at 11:22 am
Garcia bt Sharapova in 3 – well played Caroline ! And that’s me from Stuttgart 🙂
Hartt · April 24, 2018 at 11:31 am
I did not see the match – I just don’t enjoy watching Maria. But did follow the scores towards the end. Well done, Garcia!
Interesting about the 15-year-old.
Scoop Malinowski · April 24, 2018 at 11:34 am
Sharapova might have jumped the shark during her ban. Tired of watching her too. Good win for Garcia, still think she can do major damage in the WTA. Kostyuk is the real deal. No shortage of major teen talent coming up now.
Duke Carnoustie · April 24, 2018 at 1:29 pm
Maria hasn’t won since the Aussie Open. Still I expect her to make a run here and there.
Coco v. Stephens tomorrow should be a blowout. Kerber v. Kvitova should be epic, and I’ll take Ang.
Who would believe that the surviving American in Barcelona is Fratangelo. He plays Chung next. Schawartzman v. Tsitsipas is the match to watch.
catherine · April 24, 2018 at 3:22 pm
I think it’s sort of sad the way Caroline’s parents follow her around the world even now, because they have to put up with her inconsistant results and she’s 24, not a teenager. Maybe it’s time for Dad to step back. Still – that’s the way they seem to want it. After all, Caro Woz’s father’s still a presence.
Julia lost today, let down from Fed Cup probably. Petra may feel the same 🙂
Hartt · April 24, 2018 at 6:06 pm
Two young women won today – 15-year-old Kostyuk and 18-year-old Vondrousova (over Goerges). There are several teenagers in the top 200, so yes, that is a good sign for the future of women’s tennis.
Scoop Malinowski · April 24, 2018 at 6:14 pm
I don’t know Catherine, it works ok for me. Wozniacki is just 24? Seems older, like maybe 27. Her dad is omnipresent. Some parents of top players are. Fed, Nadal, Capriati, Hewitt, Berdych. Yuri Sharapov disappeared a long time ago.
catherine · April 24, 2018 at 8:36 pm
I meant Caroline Garcia is 24. It’s her parents.
Joe Blow · April 24, 2018 at 9:05 pm
Catherine
Quite the day.. Fat shaming Kasaktina, then telling Garcia to send her parents home. Hope Haley wins her match, or she’ll be in your gulag
catherine · April 25, 2018 at 2:11 am
Dear Mr Blow, my fan –
I’m not the only person who has commented on Kasatkina’s weight gain, and I’m sure she’s aware of it too and will slim down at some point – she is just enjoying life at present and why not ?
I’m also wondering how much Garcia’s parents can help her now and whether her results might be more consistent if she can play without maybe feeling she’s letting family down etc. They are obviously close.
Caroline is very publicly not close to the French players although Kiki was observed watching the match. Hoping Sharapova would win ? Who knows.
Haley ? Is that Halep ? I don’t care if she wins or loses. I’ll just be interested to see what garment Nike
are decking her out with in Stuttgart.
catherine · April 25, 2018 at 2:17 am
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/apr/24/ring-death-drug-cheats-billy-joe-saunders-martin-murray
Off topic Scoop but I don’t know if you’ve seen this – anyway I’m sure you’ve got thoughts on the subject.
catherine · April 25, 2018 at 7:45 am
Hartt – Svitilona reads ! She reads business books and psychology books and then when her brain gets tired she reads romances….not sure what language she’s reading them in though. If it’s English I’m very impressed.
(I’d be interested to know how many non-English speaking players are actually literate in English, ie can read and write.)
catherine · April 25, 2018 at 9:49 am
News from Stuttgart: Keys out to Pavs and Sloane flattened by Coco 6-0 SS.
Barcelona – Djoko out
And most important of all – Garbine Muguruza is featured posing all over Spanish Vogue. Is this vanity or just foolishness ? I can guess Conchita Martinez saw that coming and jumped ship 🙂
catherine · April 25, 2018 at 10:26 am
Britbox – the last comment you can see here from me was addressed to Hartt but there are two, I think, which I have posted since and aren’t here, but may pop up when I submit this.
I have to leave the site now but I’ll be back later today (British time).
Scoop Malinowski · April 25, 2018 at 10:33 am
Catherine, ped use in boxing runs deep, I have heard prominent boxers talk about it and other prominent boxers have told me about conversations of they had with other prominent boxers. There is deep corruption in boxing and the top stars are protected. Canelo testing positive was just a scheme to buy him more time to wait and hope Golovkin continues to decline with age as he’s 36 going on 37. I believe the WBC is protecting Canelo who is a big moneymaker for the industry and he has far greater long term earning power than Golovkin who is fading now though still a great fighter. Boxing is being ruined by greed and corruption now, it’s far worse than it ever was since I began covering it in the late 80s in college.
Scoop Malinowski · April 25, 2018 at 10:34 am
Catherine, all the Russian eastern Euros read. And they read about serious topics.
Chazz · April 25, 2018 at 11:37 am
Stephens losing to Coco 6-0, 6-1 is mind blowing. Coco has been terrible for most of the year. I can’t even begin to figure that one out.
Chazz · April 25, 2018 at 12:20 pm
Also, Tsitsipas beating Schwartzman 6-2, 6-1 on clay. Wow. Tsitsipas is for real. That is a great win over a very talented Schwartzman, who is in the top 20 now by the way.
Hartt · April 25, 2018 at 12:21 pm
Am very impressed that Svitolina reads serious stuff as well as romance novels.
And am also impressed by how many Europeans can read and write English as well as speak it. There are several on Match Call Migrants, and one fellow from Romania often writes the introductions to our weekly threads. He knows a lot of colloquial English, and you have to read his posts very carefully to see that English is not his native language.
catherine · April 25, 2018 at 1:05 pm
Hartt – English is taught from early on in European schools and a lot of young people come to Britain for college courses and to work, mainly to improve their English.
I know the Romanian guy you’re talking about – I used to read his posts – and I suspect he has lived and worked in the UK or US at some point. Possibly US.
One reason I notice Kerber’s rather poor English – I wouldn’t be surprised if she didn’t learn it at school, or maybe only briefly. Most of the Germans speak quite well.
I saw that CoCo/Sloane match – it was terrible. Sloane looked and played as though she could hardly be bothered to drag herself around the court. Only injury could excuse her performance. Haven’t heard of any.
catherine · April 25, 2018 at 1:25 pm
Kerber/Kvitova is about to start but I’m not taking sides because I’ve seen a preview of the soon-to-be-published tennis integrity report highlighting problems the game has with betting 🙂
catherine · April 25, 2018 at 2:47 pm
Angie wins in SS because she is wearing a new necklace. Petra was a bit flat but Angie took advantage of that.
(same problem with lost comments – but I’ll persevere)
Scoop Malinowski · April 25, 2018 at 7:19 pm
Chazz, it’s also suspect, both are Fed Cup buds.
Scoop Malinowski · April 25, 2018 at 7:20 pm
Chazz, Tsitsipas looks the best of the young guns but keep in mind Felix beat him at the US Open boys junior final a year and a half ago. Felix should be inspired by the very good results of the Greek.
Joe Blow · April 25, 2018 at 7:30 pm
There’s A “Tsunami” Of Corruption Inside Tennis, Review Finds – BuzzFeed News
Joe Blow · April 25, 2018 at 7:32 pm
The Tennis Racket – http://www.buzzfeed.com
Scoop Malinowski · April 25, 2018 at 8:07 pm
I had lunch a few years ago with a former top five player at the US Open media cafeteria. He’s a big boxing fan and we enjoyed a conversation about boxing tennis. One thing I remember saying while discussing the deep corruption in boxing, “that’s one reason why I like tennis so much because there is no corruption in tennis unlike boxing.” And this player gave me a look as if he was shocked how naive I was. He said nothing to rebut that obviously false observation but the look he gave me spoke volumes and I will never forget it.
catherine · April 26, 2018 at 1:36 am
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tennis/2018/04/25/former-world-no-1-yevgeny-kafelnikov-investigated-maybe-maybe/
Relevant.
Duke Carnoustie · April 26, 2018 at 1:36 am
That Coco score is insane. Clearly Sloane tanked the match.
Garbine in some odd outfits in that photo shoot.
Meanwhile Fed is in Zambia pouring money into one of the world’s most corrupt countries. He will regain No. 1 if Rafa doesn’t win this week.
I know Ando is from South Africa but anyone else from there? Their tennis culture isn’t present anymore. Them and Sweden don’t seem to produce players anymore. Same with Thailand since the excellent Srichaphan retired. I remember he married some amazing beauty queen.
catherine · April 26, 2018 at 1:43 am
Duke
Yes – I think Sloane tanked. And Garbine is losing it a bit IMO.
Although she could play Kerber in Stuttgart so we’ll see.
I’ve wondered about South Africa, whether it’s the political situation – SA still active in cricket and rugby.
catherine · April 26, 2018 at 2:03 am
Yes I think Sloane tanked. She just walked away from the match.
SA – tennis probably affected by the political situation although cricket and rugby still going strong.
catherine · April 26, 2018 at 2:05 am
Garbine – I think she’s losing it although she may play Kerber in Stuttgart which could tell us something.