Preview and Picks for matches on Saturday, May 8, 2010

Serbia Open in Belgrade, Serbia

Semifinals:

(unseeded) Filip Krajinovic (SRB)  vs.  (#3 seed) Sam Querrey

I am unfamiliar with Krajinovic's game.  I do know he had taken a one set lead over Novak Djokovic, when Djokovic then "pussed" out and retired from the match.  Sam Querrey is arguably the best American player on clay.  So with my limited knowledge of Krajinovic and knowing that Querrey is a solid clay courter and top25 player I have to pick Querrey in this matchup.

Pick- Querrey

Result:  Sam Querrey 6-1, 6-2.

(#4 seed) Stanislas Wawrinka  vs.  (#2 seed) John Isner

Wawrinka is a gamer, and a decent clay court player.  Isner relies on a big serve and his groundstrokes which aren't that great are getting better.  The serve of Isner will be nullified by the slow clay surface, and that will open the door for Wawrinka to out work the big American and move into the final.

Pick- Wawrinka

RESULT:  John Isner 7-5, 7-5.

BMW Open in Munich, Germany.

Semifinals:

(#1 seed) Marin Cilic  vs.  (#5 seed) Marcos Baghdatis

Too bad this is match isn't being played on hardcourt.  Both of these guys are fun to watch and have an assortment of shots, but neither has been doing well during the clay court stretch.  Baghdatis hasn't really been playing a lot on the dirt, and Cilic has struggled while he has.  This is a tough match to call, but for some reason I feel that Baghdatis will tweak an injury or not play his best and Cilic will be playing in the final on Sunday.

Pick- Cilic

RESULT:  Marin Cilic 3-6, 6-2, 6-3.

(unseeded) Philipp Petzschner  vs.  (#2 seed) Mikhail Youzhny

This is Youzhny's tournament to lose.  He seems to always play well in Munich, making it to 2 previous finals there and looking to make it to a third.  Petzschner is always a tough competitor who will spring the occasional upset, but not this time.  Youzhny advances to another final in three sets.

Pick- Youzhny

RESULT:  Mikhail Youzhny 7-5, 7-6.

Estoril Open in Estoril, Portugal

Mens Semifinals:

(#1 seed) Roger Federer  vs.  (#4 seed) Albert Montanes
Federer should be embarrassed to have entered this tournament.  This is probably the weakest of the three this week.  The guys confidence isn't real high right now, and that is why he probably decided to go to the Estoril Open and beat up on a bunch of "no-name jobbers".  Fed is just pissing his pants trying to avoid Rafa on the clay, and seems to be doing a good job of doing it....Montanes has no chance in this match.  He's a good little clay court player, but he has nothing that will put Federer in danger.
Pick- Federer
RESULT:  Albert Montanes 6-2, 7-6.

(#5 seed) Guillermo Garcia-Lopez  vs.  (unseeded) Frederico Gil
Two clay court specialists who will battle it out to see who will get their ass handed to them by Federer in the final.  Garcia-Lopez has been having a pretty solid clay court season, and before this week Gil has done pretty much nothing this whole year.  Gil will be at home and have a little home court advantage, but it will take more for him to get the final.  Something he doesn't have.  Garcia-Lopez will win a tough 3 setter.
Pick- Garcia-Lopez
RESULT- Frederico Gil 6-2, 5-7, 6-3.

Womens Final:

(unseeded) Anastasjia Sevastova  vs.  (unseeded)  Arantxa Parra Santonja
I am not sure if the womens final of the Estoril Open will be on Saturday or be on Sunday with the mens final.  So I'll just pretend it is on Saturday.  Well I don't know a whole lot about each of these girls.  Parra Santonja is from Spain and probably does well on the clay.  Sevastova has been winning some matches this clay court season, so she looks to do well on the dirt as well.  Sevastova seems to be the more consistent player, so I will go with her.  Parra Santonja has an excellent chance of winning this match as well.  Its 50-50.  I'm just taking a guess.
Pick- Sevastova
RESULT:  Anastasjia Sevastova 6-2, 7-5.

Internazionali BNL D'Italia in Rome, Italy

Final:

(#7 seed)  Jelena Jankovic  vs.  (unseeded) Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez

This is a WTA premier event, an event that is just below the Grand Slams.  Ask yourself if you can picture Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez as a Premier Event Champion.  I say "no".  Jankovic does well on clay with her defensive style and has the intangibles and experience needed to beat a player who is not used to being in the spotlight of big events.  So based on premonition I am picking Jankovic to be the champion of Rome.

Pick- Jankovic

RESULT:  Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez 7-6, 7-5.

Andy Murray gets to vote for the first time.

On Thursday, Andy Murray got up and went to vote in the British general election for the first time in his life.

Murray did not reveal who he voted for, but did say that he has paid a lot of attention to the campaigns of each of the candidates.  "The TV debates got me hooked," Murray told the British press in an interview.

"We obviously do a lot of travelling and spend a lot of time in hotel rooms... I had Sky News and BBC News on every single day. I was pretty much hooked on it."


After polls closed, Murray wrote on his Twitter account, "Just sat down to watch the election, and get a lovely out of competition drug test ahhhhhh booohoo."


Picture of Murray holding his ballot.

Vera Zvonareva melting down.

Here is a fun video of Vera Zvonareva flipping out on her racket, while being "tooled" by Samantha Stosur.  THIS IS AWESOME!!

Del Potro out indefinetly after wrist surgery.

Juan Martin Del Potro's season is now in jeopardy.  The U.S. Open champion will miss both the French Open and Wimbledon, and there is a good chance he will not be back to defend his U.S. Open championship.

Del Potro has been bothered by the wrist all this year.  He played in pain at the Australian Open, and after the first Grand Slam of the year took time off to heal and rest the injury.  After a few months it wasn't getting much better, so that led to the decision to have the surgery done.

In a letter from Del Potro read on Argentine radio, he said he will have surgery Tuesday at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. The fifth-ranked player said previous treatments had not solved the problem.

"This is not a happy time in my life,'' Del Potro said in the letter. "But I am used to fighting against adversity and I have all the strength to go forward.''

He dismissed reports in Argentina that he is suffering from depression, calling them "malicious and false.''

Del Potro's agent Ugo Colombini told Argentine media there "is no exact date'' for the player's return.

Preview of This Weeks Tournaments (May 3-9, 2010)

The Serbian Open is a ATP event being played on red clay in Belgrade, Serbia.  Last years winner Novak Djokovic is back to defend his title and win the 67,430 in Euros.

Top 4 Seeds:

1. Novak Djokovic (#2 world ranking)

2. John Isner (#22)

3. Sam Querrey (#23)

4. Stanislas Wawrinka (#26)

Other notables in the field:  Ivo Karlovic, Viktor Troicki, Janko Tipsarevic, Andreas Seppi, Richard Gasquet, Igor Andreev, and Novak Djokovic's brother, Marko Djokovic.

The BMW Open by FWU Retakaful is a red clay tournament being played in Munich, Germany.  Tomas Berdych is looking to go back-to-back this week.  The winner will walk away with 68,450 euros.

Top 4 seeds:

1. Marin Cilic (#11 world ranking)

2. Mikhail Youzhny (#13)

3. Tomas Berdych (#14)

4. Philipp Kohlschreiber (#29)

Other notables in the field:  Marcos Baghdatis, Nicolas Almagro, Julien Benneteau, Benjamin Becker, Mario Ancic, and Jeremy Chardy.

The Estoril Open in Estoril, Portugal is a joint venue for both the ATP and WTA.  Both tournaments will be played on red clay.

Albert Montanes is the mens defending champion.  He will have a difficult winning again with a solid field of contenders.  (actually, now looking at it, Roger Federer has this one in the bag.)

Top 4 seeds:

1. Roger Federer (#1 world ranking)

2. Ivan Ljubicic (#2)

3. Gael Monfils (#18)

4. Albert Montanes (#31)

Other notables in the field:  Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, Florian Mayer, Juan Ignacio "cha cha" Chela, Pablo Cuevas, and Arnaud Clement.

On the womens side, Yanina Wickmayer will not be defending her title.  She has chosen to play in Rome this week.

Top 4 seeds:

1. Agnes Szavay  (#33 world ranking)

2. Sorana Cirstea (#39)

3. Aleksandra Wozniak (#46)

4. Anabel Medina Garrigues (#48)

Other notables in the field:  Melinda Czink, Magdalena Rybarikova, Shuai Peng, Sybille Bammer, Kimiko Date Krumm, Jill Craybas, and Alize Cornet.

Midland "Jobber" in the field:  Arantxa Rus

In Rome, Italy the WTA is holding a Premier event, being played on red clay.  Dinara Safina won this tournament last year and will be participating again this year. 

Top 8 seeds:

1. Serena Williams (#1 world ranking)

2. Caroline Wozniacki (#2)

3. Dinara Safina (#3)

4. Venus Williams (#4)

5. Svetlana Kuznetsova (#5)

6. Elena Dementieva (#6)

7. Jelena Jankovic (#7)

8. Agnieszka Radwanska (#8)

Other notables in the field:  Victoria Azarenka, Yanina Wickmayer, Flavia Pennetta, Francesca "Scheever" Schiavone, Nadia Petrova, Vera Zvonareva, Shahar Peer, Dominika Cibulkova, Maria Kirilenko, Bethanie Mattek-Sands, Melanie Oudin, and Ana Ivanovic.

No Midland "jobbers" playing in this event.

Nadal wins Rome, and Henin takes title in Stuttgart.

Sorry about the delay.  Was busy on Sunday, so most of you know who won the matches.  I sure hope this isn't your only source for tennis news.

In Rome, Rafael Nadal beat David Ferrer 7-5, 6-2.   Rafa continues to dominate on the dirt.

(Nadal on the left, Ferrer looking thrilled on the right.)


And in Stuttgart, Germany  Justine Henin won her first championship since coming out of retirement.  She defeated Samantha Stosur in the final 6-4, 2-6, 6-1.

(Henin "jacked" over the win)

*** Look for a preview of this weeks tournaments either tonight or early tomorrow.

Preview and Picks for the finals of Stuttgart and Rome.

Rome Final

(#3 seed) Rafael Nadal  vs.  (#13 seed) David Ferrer

The two best clay courters playing at this particular moment.  Nadal is close to impossible to beat on the red stuff, but David Ferrer going into this match has the most match wins on clay this season.  Its not going to be enough.  I'd pick Ferrer to beat anyone not named Nadal or Federer.  Ferrer will make it interesting for a bit, but Nadal unfortunately will win in straight sets.

Pick - Nadal

RESULT:  Rafael Nadal 7-5, 6-2.

Stuttgart Final

(#7 seed) Samantha Stosur  vs.  (unseeded) Justine Henin

Samantha Stosur is undefeated on clay this year.  Justine Henin before her retirement dominated the clay court season.  Henin isn't quite what she once was, but is looking better and better with each passing match.  Stosur is in top form, and is playing probably the best tennis of her life.  This is a tough match to call, but I have a feeling Henin will win her first tournament since coming out of retirement.

Pick - Henin

RESULT:  Justine Henin 6-4, 2-6, 6-1.

Benesova edges Helep for Fes title.

Iveta Benesova of the Czech Republic won her 2nd career WTA title by defeating Simona Halep of Romania in straight sets, 6-4, 6-2.  Benesova also won the doubles championship with partner Anabel Medina Garrigues.  This was Benesova's first singles title in more than 6 years.

"It has been such a long time since Acapulco, six years," said Benesova. "I'm just happy I could make it again. I'm happy I could play both events here - Anabel really helped me a lot, she’s a great player. And winning both singles and doubles... it couldn't be better."

Halep who is best known for getting breast reduction surgery in the offseason to help her game came out nervous and quickly fell behind 5-2 in the first set.  She was able to mount a small comeback to make it 5-4, but Benesova shut the door and took the set 6-4.  Nerves definetly played a factor in Halep's play.  She was playing in her first ever WTA final, and her downfall was too many unforced errors.  Benesova was able to capitalize on the mistakes and take the 2nd set and championship 6-2.

Gonzo to start working with a "killer"

#12 ranked player in the world, Fernando Gonzalez of Chile will begin working with Darren "Killer" Cahill on a part-time basis as his coach. 

Gonzalez posted this on his website about the change in coaches:  "I will begin to work with Australian Darren Cahill, a coach that got a lot of results with Agassi and Hewitt at their best moments and in different years,. It won’t be full time because of his obligations but I trust he will help my aggresive tennis with the best tactical moves of the Australian school."

Cahill is best known for his work currently on ESPN television during the Grand Slam events, but he also serves as a coach for the player development program with adidas, which happens to be Gonzalez's sponsor.

"Killer" Cahill.

Preview and Picks for matches on Saturday, May 1, 2010

Saturday will feature the mens semifinal matches in Rome, Italy.

(unseeded)  Ernests Gulbis  vs.  (#3 seed) Rafael Nadal

Gulbis has had a nice run, but now it will be done.  Nadal will dominate.

Pick - Nadal

RESULT:  Rafael Nadal 6-4, 3-6, 6-4.

(#13 seed) David Ferrer  vs.  (#6 seed) Fernando Verdasco

Just when I think Verdasco is about to hit a wall, he keeps winning.  Everytime I pick against the guy he wins.  So, because I am rooting for David Ferrer to win this match, and I think Ferrer has an excellent chance of doing so, I will not chance it by picking against Verdasco.  So I am going to pick Verdasco even though if I was putting money down on this match I'd lay it on Ferrer.

Pick - Verdasco

RESULT:  David Ferrer 7-5, 6-3.

The Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, a WTA event in Stuttgart, Germany is also in the semifinal stage.

(unseeded) Anna Lapushchenkova  vs.  (#7 seed)  Samantha Stosur

Lapushchenkova keeps surprising with every win, but Stosur is too good.  Stosur will end this Cinderella story.

Pick - Stosur

RESULT:  Samantha Stosur 7-5, 6-3.

(unseeded) Justine Henin  vs.  (unseeded) Shahar Peer

Henin still isn't playing up to her full potential, but she is playing well.  Well enough to beat two top 12 players in Yanina Wickmayer and Jelena Jankovic.  Compared to what she has been through facing Shahar Peer is an easy task.  Henin has too much fire power for Peer in this one.

Pick - Henin

RESULT:  Justine Henin 6-3, 6-2.

This is the Final of the WTA tournament in Fes, Morocco.

(#7 seed) Iveta Benesova  vs.  (unseeded) Simona Halep

Chopping off her boobs seems to be doing wonders for Halep, making it to her first ever WTA final.  Benesova isn't the flashiest player but she does just enough to keep winning.  And that is how I see this final turning out.  Benesova has the experience advantage, and will jump on the nervous Romanian early and go on to win the title.

Pick - Benesova

RESULT:  Iveta Benesova 6-4, 6-2.