BARCELONA - ATP 500 - Apr. 19-27, 2014.

[Denis]

Will be rooting for Nishikori, but I'm fine with either. Nice to see some fresh faces in a final during the clay season.

 

[Fiero425]

Will be rooting for Nishikori, but I'm fine with either. Nice to see some fresh faces in a final during the clay season.

Bout time too! Maybe this is how people felt in '83 & '84 when Martina was not only winning, she was annihilating all challengers!

 

[Iona16]

I read on twitter that Almagro turned up at his press conference on crutches. I watched the match but he didn't seem to be struggling with an injury. Did I miss something?

 

[Murat Baslamisli]

^ I watched the whole thing too but did not get any sense of injury. All credit to him for playing it out .

 

[Moxie]

I was surprised to read this here, so I did a little digging in the Spanish press. Nico says he'd been carrying around a small pain in the bottom of his foot for some time, but nothing that affected his play. On the last point of the match today, he felt something stronger. He said it absolutely didn't affect his play today, but now he can't walk on it. He's waiting for x-rays to tell him what's going on. Hopefully nothing to spoil the rest of the clay season for him.

 

[Iona16]

I was surprised to read this here, so I did a little digging in the Spanish press. Nico says he'd been carrying around a small pain in the bottom of his foot for some time, but nothing that affected his play. On the last point of the match today, he felt something stronger. He said it absolutely didn't affect his play today, but now he can't walk on it. He's waiting for x-rays to tell him what's going on. Hopefully nothing to spoil the rest of the clay season for him.

Thanks for the info Moxie.

 

[Murat Baslamisli]

Nishikori up 4-2 in the first. Rare hold. I think there has been 3 breaks so far. Nishikori hugging the baseline, taking everything early.

 

[Murat Baslamisli]

It's like Chang told him, like a father would tell his son " Listen, I ran left and right, 15 feet from the baseline all my playing life, so you don't have to..."

 

[Moxie]

Giraldo got the early break on Kei's first serve, but after a fight with the chair over a call, he dropped serve and has been his own worst enemy ever since. He'd better pull his head back together.

 

[Murat Baslamisli]

Nishikori wraps the first one up 6-2. Giraldo has no reason the be stressed. Just play the game that got you here. He already achieved more than what he expected, so relax, enjoy the opportunity.

 

[Denis]

Nishikori up 4-2 in the first. Rare hold. I think there has been 3 breaks so far. Nishikori hugging the baseline, taking everything early.

That's what I like about Nishikori's game, it has similarities to that of Agassi and Davydenko hitting so early. Hope he keeps it up. Up a break at the moment in the second.

 

[Denis]

up two breaks in the second, giraldo clearly ran out of steam reaching the finals.

 

[Denis]

Great win by Nishikori. It's a big title, I think bigger than his memphis titles. barcelona is quite a prestigious tournament, also considering the previous winners.

 

[Riotbeard]

Great win by Nishikori. It's a big title, I think bigger than his memphis titles. barcelona is quite a prestigious tournament, also considering the previous winners.

He has also won the japan 500, but yes much bigger, because of who was playing, winning a clay 500 with all those home town clay court specialist is no easy feat. Am I right in thinking he did not drop a set either?

 

[Moxie]

Great win by Nishikori. It's a big title, I think bigger than his memphis titles. barcelona is quite a prestigious tournament, also considering the previous winners.

He has also won the japan 500, but yes much bigger, because of who was playing, winning a clay 500 with all those home town clay court specialist is no easy feat. Am I right in thinking he did not drop a set either?

I heard them say he dropped one set. Looking at the rankings for tomorrow, this could put him up to #12.

 

[herios]

Great win by Nishikori. It's a big title, I think bigger than his memphis titles. barcelona is quite a prestigious tournament, also considering the previous winners.

He has also won the japan 500, but yes much bigger, because of who was playing, winning a clay 500 with all those home town clay court specialist is no easy feat. Am I right in thinking he did not drop a set either?

I heard them say he dropped one set. Looking at the rankings for tomorrow, this could put him up to #12.

Confirmed. He will be 12th, just one spot shy of his best ranking, 11.
Tsonga slips to 13.

 

[pavlik89]

[video=youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5OgJCddefw[/video]

 

[tented]

I hope Gulbis wins! It'd be nice and emotional for Almagro if he won there though being a Spaniard.

Almagro will lose his SF.

✓

My prediction: Nishikori wins Barcelona.

✓

 

[herios]

I hope Gulbis wins! It'd be nice and emotional for Almagro if he won there though being a Spaniard.

Almagro will lose his SF.

✓

My prediction: Nishikori wins Barcelona.

✓

Yesterday, after I looked at the Kei-Ernie match result, your prediction came to my mind, without waiting for the second SF outcome, "tented could be right. Kei seems unstoppable this week".

PS. I hope Roger gets him again in his bracket in Madrid

 

[JesuslookslikeBorg]

zero tennis fans thought that the actual winner of the tourney would be who it turned out to be.

so its a *surprise*. who said the tour was stale ?..changes are afoot this year.