Miami

[Moxie]

The question might well be how the undercard performs. While the bottom half of the draw has more marquee names, the top half has more of the up-and-comers (Janowicz, Dolgopolov, Bautista-Agut, Tomic,) and dangerous floaters: Cilic, Fognini. IW saw good runs by less-than-expected players. I'm pretty sure Miami will see an upset or two.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

Among the top 8 seeded players, I believe Stan Wawrinka has the toughest draw.

He has to face Cilic in the 3rd round. Anyone who watched the 1st set of him with
Novak know how good cilic is when on. He is in form being one of three with two titles.

He has to face Dog in the 4th round, another in form player.

He has to face Berdych in the QF. Even though he lost early in IW, he is one
of the players with good results in 2014.

I don't think I need to say any words about SF and F.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

Glad Roger got Ferrer in his quarter though. I would have been happy with Murray also.
Important thing for him in this draw was to avoid being in the quarter of Rafa or Novak.
Draw Gods were gracious enough to give him that.

Now, if he can hold his end (meaning, not losing to no name players or to players
against whom he has huge h2h record), he should be able to get to SF.

If he can do that, that will also make him reenter into top 4, after close to nine months
in the woodshed (out of top 4).

 

[Front242]

Yeah, number 4 ranking will help a lot prior to RG alright so fingers crossed hell do well. If not though he can pick points in the clay events prior to RG anyway as he played practically nothing there last year.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

Yeah, number 4 ranking will help a lot prior to RG alright so fingers crossed hell do well. If not though he can pick points in the clay events prior to RG anyway as he played practically nothing there last year.

I checked the numbers. Fed does not even have to hold his end of the bargain. Even if
he falters in his very first match in Miami, he can become #4 unless one of Ferrer or Berdych
or Del Potro can reach the Finals this year.

In other words, it is virtually certain.

But, let us hope Fed makes it to his 8th consecutive SF or better.

 

[Kieran]

I am giving thumbs down to the organizers, for handing out a WC to Baggy, who is receiving them from every event he entered this year and they were not a few and he gets kicked out almost every time in R1.
In the mean time, Thiem receives no WC and has to battle through qualifications, while he is certainly a big talent who actually has a future in this sport.
Luckily Thiem is doing once again a good job here like in IW, he passed the R1 defeating today R. Williams (USA): 7-6, 6-1.

Good post, herios! This isn't benefiting either the player or the game. The WC's could be better used elsewhere...

 

[Denis]

Rafa should make the finals, easy draw. He can rack up the points lost at IW. If not, he may be in trouble keeping the no 1 spot at the end of the year, these are tourney's that can make the difference in that respect.

Novak gets a nice draw to follow up last week's success. More competition which is good leading up to the clay season, and considering the pressure is lowered now with the IW victory. He can swing more free.

 

[Kieran]

^^ You're back! And before the dirt, which is great.

I agree about Nole, he'll definitely be cock of the walk after IW, but if Rafa doesn't buck up, he'll struggle, His level in IW won't reach the quarters, let alone the final... :nono

 

[DarthFed]

Another chance for Roger to do well in Miami. From memory the only semis he has made here since 06 was the 09 racquet smashing match and the 2011 blowout vs. Rafa. This has not been a kind tournament...

 

[Kieran]

Another chance for Roger to do well in Miami. From memory the only semis he has made here since 06 was the 09 racquet smashing match and the 2011 blowout vs. Rafa. This has not been a kind tournament...

Apart from actually winning it twice, that is.

Agassi, incredibly, has 6 wins there!

 

[DarthFed]

^ Yes, but that still makes it his worst hard court masters event unless you count Paris which he has skipped a bunch of times.

Didn't know that about Agassi, that is great. I'd imagine that is the most wins at a MS event aside from Rafa at MC and Rome.

 

[Front242]

Another chance for Roger to do well in Miami. From memory the only semis he has made here since 06 was the 09 racquet smashing match and the 2011 blowout vs. Rafa. This has not been a kind tournament...

Apart from actually winning it twice, that is.

Agassi, incredibly, has 6 wins there!

He won it in 2005 and 2006 but he's done very little good here since and 2005/2006 was a long time ago. Hopefully this year with his draw he can grab some points anyway and as Bruce Forsyth would say: "points mean prizes!"

 

[huntingyou]

Did I say I'm going to be there this Sunday? Well I just did. I might still buy a ticket for the SF........I got to watch Rafa's first match first and gauge from there.

 

[herios]

Beside ùMisha and Benoit out with oinjuries, There is another absent player in the draw, Pablo Andujar, who I guess is resting to get started the clay season in full force, because in the first week there will be Casablanca which has been his best event to date winning it twice before.

 

[bobvance]

Beside ùMisha and Benoit out with oinjuries, There is another absent player in the draw, Pablo Andujar, who I guess is resting to get started the clay season in full force, because in the first week there will be Casablanca which has been his best event to date winning it twice before.

Did someone say Casablanca?

 

[Denis]

So does anyone know if there is a draw challenge this year?

edit: just found the thread, apparently no draw challenges anymore. Should we attempt creating a thread were everybody lists their semifinalists finalists and winner or something like that?

 

[Moxie]

So does anyone know if there is a draw challenge this year?

edit: just found the thread, apparently no draw challenges anymore. Should we attempt creating a thread were everybody lists their semifinalists finalists and winner or something like that?

I was thinking of something similar, but hadn't worked out how to organize. I'll give a try base on your idea, unless you want to. We should give it a separate thread. TF Miami challenge, or something.

 

[herios]

Following qualified for the main draw:
Golubev, Bogomolov, Thiem, Johnson, Sock, Goffin, Mathieu, Jaziri, Bedene, Wang, De Bakker.

 

[isabelle]

Will Delpo really play this time ? Any (good if possible) news ? Hope he won't retire or pull out in the middle of the tourney, vamos Juan !!

 

[herios]

Today schedule, R1 bottom half:

http://www.atpworldtour.com/Scores/schedule.aspx?EventId=403