First of all before the preview is written about New Haven. I'd like to congratulate the American Michael Russell for winning the Bronx Challenger and I hope he can get through the rest of the year without injury, he has definitely had a bad run with injuries and then he can hopefully qualify for the US Open.
The last event before a Slam usually throws some interesting results before the main event itself, most of the top players don't bother with playing the week before unless they get a good guarantee, though with the Aus Open cause of its lack of lead up play, the fields of Auckland and Sydney tend to be good. At the same time the qualifying rounds of these events are of interest, cause many who would be there are either waiting for the Slam qualies or have WC's into the event.
This is the only time where starting on Sunday is a good thing. As for the results themselves so far, it wasn't a bad day at all. Blogger favourite Andreas Seppi gave Björn Phau a total bitchslapping 6-1 6-1, though it makes me wonder how he can perform like this, yet he can't get past Vinnay Ice and Seppi does need some good performances soon, but he has been lacking consistency and now he plays Chubby Chela in the next round and that could be quite funny. Two tall lanky guys who don't serve that hard playing each other, at least hair colour can tell them apart.
Big Stani Wawrinka had a good week last week in Cincy and he defeated "Superstar" Almagro for the 3rd time in a close match and now plays the Srich who seems to excel at this event for some reason. As for the other matches well Chucho plays Mahut and there are a lot of players I like at this event Nieminen, Calleri, Baghdatis and Lucho who is playing the big Benneteau at the moment and it has gone to the 3rd set and hope Lucho can do it.
Jan Hajek is playing Gicquel and Janne has been the big star of the Challenger circuit, started the year ranked at 354 and is now ranked 84 and that is impressive in anyone's language. He was trying to qualify for Challengers and then he started winning them, hence he is where he is. It's good that he will playing some more main events now and he should be able to do OK, well better than Boris Pashanski or Charly Berlocq.
The results of the events the week before Slams are not usually very indicative of what happens in that event and sure the players don't complain about winning a tournament, but there is always one eye on the larger prize of a Grand Slam and maximising their points there. James Blake is the hometown boy and might win it or he could be out with his friends having a good time and his cooler brother Thomas Blake is playing doubles, he is the one with the cool hair, but since true tennis fans read this or I'd like to think so anyway.
I will get around to profiling one of my all-time favourite players Felix Mantilla soon enough, that was a cheap plug I know.
6 comments:
Seems no one has posted here this week boooo.
Blake losing to Ramirez-Hidalgo, well that was funny. Blake does just swing and hope for the best.
Chela defeating Seppi and Acasuso in straight sets, it seems like he is in some good form of late.
Pashanski provided the highlight of the week so far by interrupting his 13-match losing streak against Gilles Muller, and on a fast court.
I am just waiting to hear your commentary regarding the USO draw and that first round match of Gaudio-Seppi.....
Well, all my faves have gone early so I don't have much to say about that event. Waiting for the USO now.
Calleri is playing the PMK and good form before the US Open, just hope Calleri can continue it and that he turns around a 0-3 record against PMK.
Surprise surprise the PMK won an event before the Slam.
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