Rolex Masters Monte Carlo

[herios]

The draw is out:

http://www.atpworldtour.com/posting/2015/410/mds.pdf

Projected QF:

Djokovic - Cilic
Nadal- Ferrer
Raonic - Berdych
Federer - Wawrinka

 

[herios]

WC awarded to: Monfils (who initially pulled out), Puillet, Balleret and Youzhny.
I am seeing in the draw for the first time in many months Florian Mayer who has a protected ranking.

 

[Kieran]

Potentially interesting early matches: Novak-Almagro and Rafa-Thiem. It's a good field, and difficult to see Stanley retaining his cup, which opens the door for Roger to roll through his half, though he has a potentially interesting first match, slated to be against Chardy.

Dolgo v Coric is the match of the first round, for me, followed by Verdasco-Grigor.

Get the white coats ready, we might need an on-court intervention by a gang of shrinks: JJ faces FFF in round one... :eyepop

 

[Murat Baslamisli]

Roger , by avoiding Rafa's side, has a great chance to defend the final's points from last year, if he chooses to play. Nadal gets David again for the quarters and probably has revenge in mind. But mind is not enough and he has to show up. If he is still off, David proved he can beat him.
Nadal-Nol semi might be the real final, if they are both on their game. Nole will be , I am sure. It is up to Rafa to step up.

 

[Murat Baslamisli]

A second look at Roger's quarter though , it is no cakewalk. Chardy always bothers people, and than Dog or Coric, with Stan or Dimitrov ahead. Roger needs to play from the get go. No warm ups for him.

 

[mrzz]

Lots of interesting matches on R1 and potentially on R2. A lot of upsets in the making...

Federer x Coric on clay would be very interesting, and would give a good glimpse of where his clay game is now. (I am assuming Coric is a good clay courter, but I never saw him play in the surface. Just now that he is a returning machine).

 

[nehmeth]

A second look at Roger's quarter though , it is no cakewalk. Chardy always bothers people, and than Dog or Coric, with Stan or Dimitrov ahead. Roger needs to play from the get go. No warm ups for him.

Really, this is a pretty evenly distributed draw. Wish I were there.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

Roger , by avoiding Rafa's side, has a great chance to defend the final's points from last year, if he chooses to play.

Why do you doubt? Roger will play, he is not fickle minded.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

A second look at Roger's quarter though , it is no cakewalk. Chardy always bothers people, and than Dog or Coric, with Stan or Dimitrov ahead. Roger needs to play from the get go. No warm ups for him.

Forget Coric/Dog; La Monf might be the third round opp for Fed.

 

[tented]

Monday, April 13, 2015

COURT CENTRAL Start 10:30 am

Andreas Haider-Maurer (AUT) v [13] Ernests Gulbis (LAT)

Borna Coric (CRO) v Alexandr Dolgopolov (UKR)

Fabio Fognini (ITA) v Jerzy Janowicz (POL)

Steve Johnson (USA) v [15] John Isner (USA)

---

COURT DES PRINCES Start 10:30 am

Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) v Mikhail Kukushkin (KAZ)

[Q] Denis Kudla (USA) v [Q] Benoit Paire (FRA)

Joao Sousa (POR) v [Q] Edouard Roger-Vasselin (FRA)

Benjamin Becker (GER) v [12] Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP)

---

COURT 2 Start 12:30 pm

Pablo Carreno Busta (ESP) v Sergiy Stakhovsky (UKR)

Jeremy Chardy (FRA) / Marin Cilic (CRO) v [WC] Romain Arneodo (MON) / Benjamin Balleret (MON)

---

COURT 9 Start 12:30 pm

[Q] Norbert Gombos (SVK) v David Goffin (BEL)

[LL] Denis Istomin (UZB) v [Q] Albert Ramos-Vinolas (ESP)

---

COURT 11 Start 12:30 pm

Marin Draganja (CRO) / Henri Kontinen (FIN) v Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) / Max Mirnyi (BLR)

[PR] Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) / Florian Mayer (GER) v Bernard Tomic (AUS) / Viktor Troicki (SRB)

 

[herios]

Florian Mayer has pulled out over a year ago during the Miami master (2014) with a groin injury.
he has not played ever since so therefore, from a 32 ranked he has become a player with inactive status, not having any ranking points.
He has entered Monte Carlo after 13 months of absence with a protected ranking.
And he has started his comeback with a win, defeating M. Youzhny in straight sets.
Welcome back Florian!!!
clap

 

[GameSetAndMath]

In doubles action, Nestor and Paes join forces in MC. I don't know whether these two have
ever played together. But, each one of them is individually a great doubles player. Assuming
they click, this could be another match made is heaven (just like Martina and Mirza in WTA).

 

[the AntiPusher]

Roger , by avoiding Rafa's side, has a great chance to defend the final's points from last year, if he chooses to play. Nadal gets David again for the quarters and probably has revenge in mind. But mind is not enough and he has to show up. If he is still off, David proved he can beat him.
Nadal-Nol semi might be the real final, if they are both on their game. Nole will be , I am sure. It is up to Rafa to step up.

It is up to Rafa to step up.

Rafa has no choice but to step up, he is in dire straits due to his current play which is reflected in his ranking freefall

 

[the AntiPusher]

A second look at Roger's quarter though , it is no cakewalk. Chardy always bothers people, and than Dog or Coric, with Stan or Dimitrov ahead. Roger needs to play from the get go. No warm ups for him.

Really, this is a pretty evenly distributed draw. Wish I were there.

Man.. I have to try to attend MC soon while Rafa is still playing.. That place is breathtaking

 

[Federberg]

Ernest... :nono

 

[Murat Baslamisli]

Ernest... :nono

Seriously...after playing out of his mind against Roger at RG, what did he do for the rest of the year?

Lost the first 6-1, bagelled in the second.

And that forehand is like an eclipse...do not look directly at it or you will hurt your eyes.

 

[Murat Baslamisli]

Has anyone watched the Dog-Coric match? Looks like it was a tight one, but well done to the Dog.

 

[Federberg]

Ernest... :nono

Seriously...after playing out of his mind against Roger at RG, what did he do for the rest of the year?

Lost the first 6-1, bagelled in the second.

And that forehand is like an eclipse...do not look directly at it it or you will hurt your eyes.

:laydownlaughing

 

[herios]

Has anyone watched the Dog-Coric match? Looks like it was a tight one, but well done to the Dog.

I watched some of it from the end tail of the second set to the end.
Borna has to work on an aspect of his game and that is the serve.
45% first serve in and 9 DF is not good at all. Especially against someone like Dolgo who takes the ball very early.
Also I do not like his court positioning, way too defensive, a few steps behind the service line, including the second serve.
That gave plenty of opportunity to the Dog to drop shot him successfully.
Hopefully he will work on his weaknesses and learn.

 

[tented]

Tuesday, April 14, 2015

COURT CENTRAL Start 10:30 am

[WC/14] Gael Monfils (FRA) v [Q] Andrey Kuznetsov (RUS)

[11] Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) v [LL] Jan-Lennard Struff (GER)

[1] Novak Djokovic (SRB) v [Q] Albert Ramos-Vinolas (ESP)

Victor Estrella Burgos (DOM) v [5] David Ferrer (ESP)

---

COURT DES PRINCES Start 10:30 am

Dominic Thiem (AUT) v [WC] Lucas Pouille (FRA)

[16] Tommy Robredo (ESP) v Andreas Seppi (ITA)

Fernando Verdasco (ESP) v [9] Grigor Dimitrov (BUL)

[PR] Florian Mayer (GER) v [8] Marin Cilic (CRO)

---

COURT 2 Start 10:30 am

Jiri Vesely (CZE) v Juan Monaco (ARG)

Jeremy Chardy (FRA) v [Q] Diego Schwartzman (ARG)

[10] Gilles Simon (FRA) v [WC] Benjamin Balleret (MON)

Jamie Murray (GBR) / John Peers (AUS) v Gael Monfils (FRA) / Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA)

---

COURT 9 Start 10:30 am

Marcel Granollers (ESP) v Adrian Mannarino (FRA)

Rohan Bopanna (IND) / Florin Mergea (ROU) v [WC] Benoit Paire (FRA) / Stan Wawrinka (SUI)

Viktor Troicki (SRB) v Martin Klizan (SVK)

Bernard Tomic (AUS) v Andreas Haider-Maurer (AUT)

---

COURT 11 Start 12:00 noon

Juan Sebastian Cabal (COL) / Robert Farah (COL) v Simone Bolelli (ITA) / Fabio Fognini (ITA)

[Alt] Robin Haase (NED) / Raven Klaasen (RSA) v Adrian Mannarino (FRA) / Lukas Rosol (CZE)