TennisChiro picks the Men’s Quarterfinals: Djokovic, Murray, Federer and Nadal

Written by: Tennischiro on 24th January 2012

TennisChiro picks the Men's Quarterfinals: Djokovic, Murray, Federer and Nadal

Rafael Nadal of Spain hits a return in his men's fourth round match against compatriot Feliciano Lopez at the Australian Open Grand Slam tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia, 22 January 2012. EPA/HOW HWEE YOUNG |

“TennisChiro was wrong on both women’s matches today, Here are his picks for the men!

By the way, so nice to listen to the crisp strike on the ball without any grunting and shreiking as in Vika’s match. Great victory for Clijsters and for her physio! Played the TB beautifully. Didn’t drop a single point on serve!

TennisChiro picks the Men’s Quarterfinals: Djokovic, Murray, Federer and Nadal

We are down to the quarters. Everyone in the last 8 has earned their spot by going through 4 matches in the main draw. However, some have arrived with more convincing victories than others.

So my thoughts on the men’s quarters:

Djokovic/Ferrer. Except for blinking up two sets and a break on Hewitt in the last round, Nole has been virtually flawless in scorching a path to the quarters. The dropped set against Leyton will be a good reminder for him that he can not let down for a minute. He’s played Ferrer many times, but short of an injury, the result here is cast in stone. On a hot day, the heat Ferrer brought to bear on Gasquet was just too much for the stylish Frenchman. He will make his match with Djokovic a joy to watch, but he simply has no weapons to hurt the Serb; he’s learned to thrive on that kind of heat. Even a set would be an accomplishment for the Spaniard, and his indomitable will may be able to accomplish that small victory; but for more than that it’s going to take a “Tebow”!

Murray/Nishikori. Murray continues to roll through the draw building more and more confidence as well as experience with his new, more aggressive approach on the court. Nishikori was a pleasant surprise against Tsonga. I was disappointed that the Frenchman couldn’t muster a more varied answer than “hard, harder and hardest” to the question posed by Kei’s speed, balance and ability to take the ball early. Unfortunately for Nishikori, Murray is almost as fast and may actually cover more court with his greater stride and wingspan; Andy is now probably playing the ball even earlier than Kei. The pendulum swung severely in favor of the young Japanese player when he extended the length of the points against Tsonga as Jo-Wilfred struggled to drag his 210 lbs around the court in 90 degree heat. (He may want to consider the extreme measures Fish went to to drop weight and become more competitive two years ago. Imagine Tsonga 15 to 20 lbs lighter! If you are willing to pay the price, there is definitely a reward.) But Murray has a shot tolerance up there with the best of them and he may be one of the most fit players on the circuit right now. On top of that, the serve gives Murray a big edge. I simply do not see how Nishikori hurts Murray unless the Brit has a really bad day. It will be fun to watch the speed, but I don’t think it will be a very close match.

Del Potro/Federer. Del Potro is really dangerous for Roger. He’s beaten him on the big stage before and he seems to be approaching the level he achieved winning the US Open before injuring his wrist and losing almost a full year. There is no question of his power, but he appears to be moving much better and exhibiting greater shot tolerance. Because of that improved fitness and shot tolerance, I think this will be a very close match. However, Roger has had a very easy path to this point and appears to be firing on all cylinders. He’s going to have to serve well. This will be the first test where we see whether his back is really alright. If not, he’s in trouble. Roger is the master of feeding the opponent what he likes least and playing the match on his terms. That’s why I see him as a heavy favorite. It should be a great match.

Berdych/Nadal. What has happened to Berdych is so sad. He was looking so good. I really thought he could beat Nadal. But I don’t think he is Johnny Mac. He can’t play Nadal and 18,000 screaming spectators. If anything, he has shown himself to be a little thin-skinned. When Almagro hit that ball at Tomas yesterday, Tomas was still trying to return it; he didn’t turn away; and the angle of the shot didn’t actually give Almagro a full empty court to hit into. If he had had a chance at a ball a little to his right, Berdych would have made the lunge to try to reflex it. So Almagro was absolutely within his rights to hit at the big Czech. I don’t think he was trying to hit him in the face; too easy to miss and hit the ball long! I was taught to hit for the forehand side pocket. But now the damage is done and Berdych has made no effort to rescind his actions (not shaking hands after the match for those of you that don’t know) and remarks. If he doesn’t do something to correct the impression he has created, I think it will have a major impact on a career that appeared to be on the verge of putting him into the upper echelon of the game with a real chance at a top 3 or 4 ranking and even good chances for Grand Slam championships. It’s such a shame for all that to be sidetracked by what was really a non-event!

A little later I’ll try to add a little hot air about the women’s quarterfinals. In any case, get your popcorn ready and settle in for some great tennis. These should be very entertaining matches.

TennisChiro