The grass court season 2013 has commenced. In Queens Querrey survived the newcomer Aljaz Bedene. Feliciano Lopez outlasted Ricardas Berankis. Jarkko Nieminen edged Ryan Harrison 63 63. Denis Istomin beat the young Russian Andre Kuznetsov 6-3 in the third.
Murray has been practicing on grass for a few weeks and is the favorite to win Queens. It looks like the back injury may have been a ploy to get out of playing Roland Garros, where, let’s face it, he had no chance to win the title. Now Murray has a head start on everyone else and all his energies and focus are targeted on the big daddy – Wimbledon.
At Halle, Nadal unsurprisingly pulled out. Roger Federer and Tommy Haas, the defending champ, are playing doubles together.
Ernests Gulbis beat Marcos Baghdatis to set up a second round showdown with his rival this year Haas. Gael Monfils zapped Milos Raonic 64 62, as the struggles continue for the Canadian. Another surprise was Mirza Basic winning his first ATP level match, taking down Jerzy Janowicz 76 36 76. Cedrik Marcel Stebe defeated Jimmy Wang to set up a match with his former practice partner in Dubai, Roger Federer. Stebe told me in Sarasota he was asked by Federer to join him in Dubai for a training camp after Fed watched his Australian Open battle with Lleyton Hewitt last year.
Hewitt is also in Halle, overcoming Michael Russell in three sets yesterday.
My picks for Halle and Queens are Gulbis and Murray.
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« Previous 1 2Scoop Malinowski · June 16, 2013 at 4:21 pm
Murray is going all out this year for Wimbledon, and you might have to make him the favorite, with that extra two weeks of practice on the grass. He’s my pick to win it. Fed continues his mastery of poor Youzhny who is now 0-15 vs. Fed, Youz played an amazing first set, in the tiebreak Fed even clipped a net cord backhand pass on the net and another amazing backhand up the line which landed on the line but Youz still hung tough and pulled out the set. I interviewed Sobkin about Youz vs. Fed and he came very close in Halle also in 2003, was up a set and mini break in tiebreak but Fed escaped. Fed is Houdini like how he can escape Youzhny. Youzhny’s only win over Fed was in US Open junior doubles in 98 ) according to Sobkin, partnered with K Beck vs. Fed and Oli Rochus who were up a set and started goofing/joking around in the second set, according to Boris Sobkin.
Andrew Miller · June 16, 2013 at 4:56 pm
Lendl, Murray’s coach, tried this before – skip the French and zero in on Wimbledon. I think it got him the semifinals, not a bad place to be for Murray. Interesting Lendl has no official autobiography or biography. It’s fitting he has two books on instruction though. As if Lendl prefers his technique and strategy live on, rather than his story.
Andrew Miller · June 16, 2013 at 4:59 pm
Maybe Fed’s more complete now but isnt that what he had to do to return into contention for majors? Early on he was outstanding – really amazing in 2004, 2005, 2006. Djokovic hasn’t really plowed through prime Fed – he’s plowed through silver-age Fed. He has however plowed through golden age Rafa. And given that Rafa’s the worst matchup in the world for almost all people, that definitely spells Djokovic right there.
Steve · June 16, 2013 at 5:27 pm
I feel like Nadal is a ticking time bomb if faces a Rosol/Brands/Gulbis-type player. Obviously players that can go for huge offensive winners and keep the points short esp. if such a match takes place on Center Court with a closed roof.
JP · June 16, 2013 at 6:20 pm
Hard to say, Nadal has the best doctor in the world, he predicted the tendinitis would bother him earlier in his comeback but would get better, and amazingly it was true, just in time for the semi and final of the French. Could be another year that he dominates after another mysterious absence.
Scoop Malinowski · June 16, 2013 at 6:57 pm
Nadal’s knee looks and always has looked fine to me, no limp, he still has incredible movement, I think it’s all been a smokescreen to use for other reasons, ie excuses for losing, etc. I have never seen him limp or hobble on that knee, he still even does that flying leap after matches and lands on the supposedly damaged knee. Over two hundred pounds pounding down on the knee on that victory jump — that should tell you all you need to know about how strong his knee is. If the knee was such a cause for concern I’m sure Uncle Toni would disallow Rafa from doing that victory leap after amazing wins.
Scoop Malinowski · June 16, 2013 at 7:00 pm
Andew, If Djok, Murray and Nadal never improved from 2008, Fed would still be #1. But they got better and stronger and smarter to a greater extent than Fed has since then. Fed has lost his aura of invincibility because of those players, not because his talents have declined, IMO. Fed is still an amazing player, as he showed Zverev, Haas and Youzhny in Halle.
Steve · June 16, 2013 at 8:20 pm
Fed has just entered his Bronze age. Take it from someone that predicted his Wimby victory last year. This year he actually needs the roof closed to beat Nadal and Murray. I believe he can take out Djoker with no roof –that’s still a pick-em match due to how their styles match-up.
I know it’s early in their team-up but I am not impressed so far by the Rasheed/Tsonga alliance. Tsonga needs to move in a diff. direction quickly, IMO. I know Rasheed worked well with Hewitt but Tsonga is a totally diff. personality & skill set.
Scoop Malinowski · June 17, 2013 at 9:47 am
Steve do you think if Tsonga hired Piatti he would win multiple majors ) Hard to blame Rasheed for Tsonga’s inability to overcome the top 4, he’s not the only ATP player falling short by any stretch.
JP · June 17, 2013 at 10:38 am
Tsonga also seems now to be committing to his two hand backhand, something he should always have been doing, instead of that half-hearted one hand experiment. Also he needs to develop a better tactical sense. Personally, I think he has made some progress recently, but I could be wrong …
Steve · June 17, 2013 at 1:29 pm
You know Tsonga being Tsonga he can turn around and get to the Wimby finals but I just would like to see more consistency day in/day out, not just talking about it.
I don’t know Tsonga’s personality that well except that he’s very funny. So I’d have to do research on him to figure out a good coach for him. Who knows maybe their alliance will work out but he didn’t play with focus against Murray in the 2nd half of the match.
I’d love to see the success % of his one-hander –it often works for him when he uses it.
Steve · June 17, 2013 at 1:33 pm
@Scoop, Tsonga really has the fire power to get a slam. I’d hate to see him not get one and he’s 28. He could electrify tennis with a slam win.
Piatti is a good fit for Gasquet, Tsonga is diff. can of worms.
Scoop Malinowski · June 17, 2013 at 3:15 pm
If Tsonga were to have played Puerta, Philippoussis, Schuettler, Martin, Rusedski or Clement in his Slam final in stead of Djokovic, I’m pretty sure he’d have won a major title. Tough luck for Tsonga Steve.
Scoop Malinowski · June 17, 2013 at 3:16 pm
Tsonga most certainly has the firepower to win a major, Steve, so did Soderling, Gonzalez, Blake, Berdych, but…
Steve · June 17, 2013 at 6:32 pm
Scoop, Tsonga can play at higher levels than those guys you list. Even slightly higher than Birdman.
Scoop Malinowski · June 17, 2013 at 9:15 pm
Steve, Tsonga can play at a lower level too, like we saw in the Ferrer match at FO, flat as a pancake.
Harold · June 18, 2013 at 11:55 am
Did Llodra psych out Paire again? Saw the score Paire retired adter 3 games.
Not one of the French contingent is mentally tough enough go win 7 matches in a Major, they might have a big win every now and then in the 1/4’s, but they wont keep it together to win the next 2 matches.
In 10 years they’ll be screaming 1983 at RG, like anti NY Ranger fans screamed 1940 until they won a cup
Steve · June 19, 2013 at 9:00 am
Of course Scoop but Tsonga can hit highs, he can crush Nadal at times the guys you listed can’t ever do that.
Henk · June 19, 2013 at 7:55 pm
Steve: “Crush Nadal at times” ??
As far as I remember, Jo only really ‘crushed’ him once (when he played lights-out-tennis)at the AUS Open semis back in 2008. Otherwise it’s 6-2 for Nadal on HC (!!), 2-0 on Clay and 1-0 for Jo (Queen’s 2011) on Grass, with the man from Mallorca subsequently reaching the finals at Wimbledon that year.