Barcelona Open 2019, Spain, ATP 500

[El Dude]

Hater

Haha. I actually like Grigor quite a bit, both his game and personality. But he'll always have that underachiever shadow hanging over him. At least he won the WTF and a Masters.

 

[mrzz]

Struff is the typical nightmare draw for Nadal in the first week in Wimbledon. But this is Barcelona...

My usual prediction to a Struff - Nadal game on clay would be:

6x0 6x(-2)

And I like Struff, but the last adjective I would use to describe him is solid. The second last is clay-courter. I am very surprised he went this far (on clay). He took out rather easily a low-ranked, qualifier, clay court specialist in Delien (I would have bet on Delien), than a guy with solid clay credentials in Goffin, and a reasonable clay courter, but on the rise player in Tsitsipas. The three results are surprising to me, given Struff's style. Of course, beating Nadal would be much more than all those three surprises put together.

So, if those three wins by Struff are not, well, accidents, and if Nadal shows up like he did on his first match, then there is an outside chance of an upset. Highly unlikely. But it would interesting to see anyway.

 

[Moxie]

Last Barcelona for Ferrer. He didn't go down without a fight. http://videos.marca.com/v/0_ajrh1rq...ie-a-barcelona?uetv_pl=otros-deportes&count=0

 

[JesuslookslikeBorg]

hope rafa v thiem sf happens....vamos innit.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

I'd have fancied his chances better against the young one-handed Greek. Struff is looking on-form, he's very tall and has a 2hbh. Rafa had better hurry up and find his form and his serve.

Thiem gets Pella tomorrow, so that's not a given, either. And the two Lucky Losers are into the quarter-finals: Jarry and Carballes Baena. Nishikori will likely take out PCB tomorrow, but Jarry v. Medvedev could be very interesting.

You should know your Spaniards better. That is RCB and not PCB.

 

[Carol]

Rafa has to step it up. In the past a 5 or 6 Rafa (out of 10) would still beat everyone on clay except the very best like Nole. But now, there are guys out there who will take him out if he is not 7 or 8. He has not been 7 or 8 so far on clay.

I know but give him a little bit more time, it’s clear that his mind/confidence is not working well and after the USO has not have enough time to recovered it, he needs a good win and then it would be another story. By the way Novak’s game at the present is not to shoot rockets either

 

[herios]

Medvedev dismissed LL Jarry.

 

[isabelle]

Medvedev's dangerous floater on clay

 

[herios]

Medvedev's dangerous floater on clay

I would not consider him a floater, because he is ranked in the top 16.
Top players would not meet him before R4 in a slam

 

[mrzz]

You should know your Spaniards better. That is RCB and not PCB.

She is lucky Javier Barranco Cosano and and Alberto Barroso Campos are yet to make waves.

But that is not all. Can you believe the mess she would make if we had also Alvaro Lopez San Martin, Alberto Romero de Avila Senise and Daniel Munoz de la Nava higher up? Actually If I remember correctly she already confused once Adrian Menendez-Maceiras for Andres Artunedo Martinavarro. Total lack of respect if you want my opinion.

 

[Murat Baslamisli]

Rafa had to step it up . Good for him. Struff has a lot of power but some really suspect shot selection. he pulls the trigger way too early too many times. But still putting up a fight.

 

[Murat Baslamisli]

Wow...Nadal's match point winner was one of the best shots of the year for sure. He was pushed today and he stepped it up.

 

[Moxie]

Wow...Nadal's match point winner was one of the best shots of the year for sure. He was pushed today and he stepped it up.

That was a helluva shot. Great way to finish. He's incrementally better, but some ways to go yet.

 

[mrzz]

Caught of a games of the match and Struff realy improved his game in a lot of ways, good to him. Nadal, as @Moxie put, getting better step by step.

So far a monster match between Thiem and Pella. Nightmare draw for Thiem, three very good clay courters playing quite well.

 

[herios]

Guido Pella has improved IMO. Probably the win of his maiden title gave his confidence a boost as well.

 

[mrzz]

Guido Pella has improved IMO. Probably the win of his maiden title gave his confidence a boost as well.

He surely improved. The main difference is the power. First he would rely more on his solid base line game and his good touch when closer to the net, but know he can really hit the ball as well from both wings.

 

[Fiero425]

Caught of a games of the match and Struff realy improved his game in a lot of ways, good to him. Nadal, as @Moxie put, getting better step by step.

So far a monster match between Thiem and Pella. Nightmare draw for Thiem, three very good clay courters playing quite well.

This tourney's come a long way in the last several years with the draw and play; even though owned by Rafa! Two LL getting to the QF's is really something even at this 500 level event! I always thought a WC or LL getting to the SF of a Masters was eventful, but not sure this has happened before! :whistle:

 

[mrzz]

This tourney's come a long way in the last several years with the draw and play; even though owned by Rafa! Two LL getting to the QF's is really something even at this 500 level event! I always thought a WC or LL getting to the SF of a Masters was eventful, but not sure this has happened before! :whistle:

The two LL's are very good players. Kind of a coincidence that Jarry dropped in rankings suddenly, and being a very aggressive player he is prone to lose matches he as supposed to win. As for Baena, he never really established himself in the top 50, but he is a good player with an unorthodox clay game. I expected him to navigate smoothly the qualies, but he didn't... both guys got lucky and compensated in the main draw. Two dangerous floaters for RG.

In the mean time Thiem and Pella hammering the ball. I am tired just for watching!

 

[mrzz]

Thiem wins a very high quality match. Perfect build up for an absolute classic tomorrow.

 

[tented]

Thiem wins a very high quality match. Perfect build up for an absolute classic tomorrow.

Thiem, followed by (probably) Nishikori, makes this a challenging final two rounds, and an excellent test of where Rafa is these days, especially after the MC loss.