Internazionali BNL d'Italia - ATP 1000 - May 11th to May 18th

[GameSetAndMath]

The only genuine warm up event to Rolland Garros is starting tomorrow (in less than
12 hours from now) and no one has yet created this thread. This fact alone shows that
the clay season is kind of lack-luster this year.

Due to multiple reasons, this year's clay season does not seem to be picking up the
steam like it usually does. The pre RG clay season is about to come to an end, yet somehow
it does not feel like it, at least for me.

Let us hope that Rome lives up to expectations with everybody being healthy and
participating with full vigor.

Here is the draw .

There are sizable number of 1st round matches to be played tomorrow, inlcuindg
Isner playing his first match.Here is the OOP

13 matches on tap tomorrow with 7 of them being QRF matches. 6 of them
are first round matches. Two seeds are in action viz., Isner and Robredo.

Let the party begin. Let us have an epic final like in 2006.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

Notable failures in the first round of qualifying in Rome

Tomic folds again.

Carlos Berlocq, a recent clay title winner thrown out in the 1st round of quals.

Albert Montanes, a noted clay specialist has not done anything on clay this year.
He too failed in 1st round of quals.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

All four wild cards were given to Italians. They could have acted gracious and thrown
one to someone else. Bolelli, Volandri, Lorenzi and a new guy that I don't know about
are the WC recipients.

 

[Moxie]

Notable failures in the first round of qualifying in Rome

Tomic folds again.

Carlos Berlocq, a recent clay title winner thrown out in the 1st round of quals.

Albert Montanes, a noted clay specialist has not done anything on clay this year.
He too failed in 1st round of quals.

What are we to make of Tomic, at this point? At a moment when several "up-and-comers" are beginning to up-and-come, Tomic is nowhere to be found. Will he be the Gasquet of his generation?
(All early promise, no payoff.) Actually, at this point he'd be lucky to be Gasquet.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

Sam querry has won the 1st round quals. If he wins the next one, there may be a full
contingent of two USA players in the main draw, which would be definite progress
considering MC and BC (Barcelona) had 0 and Madrid had just 1.

 

[herios]

Sam querry has won the 1st round quals. If he wins the next one, there may be a full
contingent of two USA players in the main draw, which would be definite progress
considering MC and BC (Barcelona) had 0 and Madrid had just 1.

Sam Querry lost to Pere Riba 6-7, 3-6.
There was another American in the qualifications, Jack Sock, who lost his R1 match.
So it will be just John Isner again the lone American.

 

[Murat Baslamisli]

What are we to make of Tomic, at this point? At a moment when several "up-and-comers" are beginning to up-and-come, Tomic is nowhere to be found. Will he be the Gasquet of his generation?
(All early promise, no payoff.) Actually, at this point he'd be lucky to be Gasquet.

I think he needs a reset, back to factory settings. Take a break, dedicate yourself back to the game, play some challengers , satellites, remember what it was like, see how hard people are working and how much they are sacrificing to succeed, just to be able to play the game they love.

He needs to change his head. And dump pops, of course. That ain't working.:nono

 

[golds girl]

What are we to make of Tomic, at this point? At a moment when several "up-and-comers" are beginning to up-and-come, Tomic is nowhere to be found. Will he be the Gasquet of his generation?
(All early promise, no payoff.) Actually, at this point he'd be lucky to be Gasquet.

I think he needs a reset, back to factory settings. Take a break, dedicate yourself back to the game, play some challengers , satellites, remember what it was like, see how hard people are working and how much they are sacrificing to succeed, just to be able to play the game they love.

He needs to change his head. And dump pops, of course. That ain't working.:nono

Wait isn't he still recovering from some surgery/injury? Wanna make sure we're not throwing the baby out with the bath water when the baby's been ill

 

[Murat Baslamisli]

^As long as he is entering tournaments, I have to assume he is fit enough to play. If he is not able to go hard during training , or not training at all and just entering tournaments, that's plain stupid anyways.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

Sam querry has won the 1st round quals. If he wins the next one, there may be a full
contingent of two USA players in the main draw, which would be definite progress
considering MC and BC (Barcelona) had 0 and Madrid had just 1.

Sam Querry lost to Pere Riba 6-7, 3-6.
There was another American in the qualifications, Jack Sock, who lost his R1 match.
So it will be just John Isner again the lone American.

Isner was sent home packing today itself. So, we are now down to 0.

 

[herios]

What are we to make of Tomic, at this point? At a moment when several "up-and-comers" are beginning to up-and-come, Tomic is nowhere to be found. Will he be the Gasquet of his generation?
(All early promise, no payoff.) Actually, at this point he'd be lucky to be Gasquet.

I think he needs a reset, back to factory settings. Take a break, dedicate yourself back to the game, play some challengers , satellites, remember what it was like, see how hard people are working and how much they are sacrificing to succeed, just to be able to play the game they love.

He needs to change his head. And dump pops, of course. That ain't working.:nono

This. He is still very young (21), younger than Nishi, Raonic or Dimi. He could do it.
About the challengers, he will be relegated there soon, if he plays like this. He is already ranked 80+.

 

[herios]

Make a wild guess, where the top seeded qualifier, Santiago Giraldo landed in the draw?
Right, in Murray's quarter
He has his work cut for him before he would get there, Giraldo will meet Cilic in R1, and the winner will meet Melzer who eliminated Isner.

 

[Murat Baslamisli]

Out of the two struggling players, Kohlschreiber beats Janowicz in three sets.
I did not expect Andujar to lose to Radek, but it is Radek...you never know.

The question is, is NiKo playing? If so, how is he going to handle Gulbis in the first round? He is unlucky there with the draw.

 

[Front242]

Poor Tomic may be in slump but surely the fact that he's only just barely back after bilateral hip surgery counts. I'd say we should all cut him some slack and wait till later in the year when presumably and hopefully he should be both feeling and playing better.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

Make a wild guess, where the top seeded qualifier, Santiago Giraldo landed in the draw?
Right, in Murray's quarter
He has his work cut for him before he would get there, Giraldo will meet Cilic in R1, and the winner will meet Melzer who eliminated Isner.

No, he won't get past Cilic. Also Melzer has some injury issues. So, my guess is this time
Murray will be Cilic's fodder.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

Tomorrow there are 11 first round matches. Three catches my eyes.

Tsonga vs. Dog
Fog vs. Lukas
PCB vs. Dr. Evil

 

[JesuslookslikeBorg]

All four wild cards were given to Italians. They could have acted gracious and thrown
one to someone else. Bolelli, Volandri, Lorenzi and a new guy that I don't know about
are the WC recipients.

the atp should stop that..just because a country hasd a big tourney that country shouldn't be harvesting up all the wild cards for home players.:s

its like the old days at Wimbledon when every dismal hopeless oaf who was british got a wild card.

 

[Moxie]

All four wild cards were given to Italians. They could have acted gracious and thrown
one to someone else. Bolelli, Volandri, Lorenzi and a new guy that I don't know about
are the WC recipients.

the atp should stop that..just because a country hasd a big tourney that country shouldn't be harvesting up all the wild cards for home players.:s

its like the old days at Wimbledon when every dismal hopeless oaf who was british got a wild card.

Ask yourself why they would? Who's trading WCs with the Italians for a MS 1000? The US? They don't have enough interest on clay. Spaniards? No way. The French could, but they figure their players will get there or not, and they have no interest in inserting the Italians into their MS. Shanghai has no one to trade. Canada?

 

[herios]

Granollers - F. Lopez 7-5, 6-1.
He will play Murray in R2.

 

[Moxie]

Granollers - F. Lopez 7-5, 6-1.
He will play Murray in R2.

Mini turn-around for Granollers? He's been in a bit of a slump of late.