Today’s Men’s News (06/28) – Wimbledon

Written by: Staff on 28th June 2012

Today's Men's News (06/28) - Wimbledon |

Wimbledon

Singles – Second Round: L Rosol def. (2) R Nadal 6-7(9-11) 6-4 6-4 2-6 6-4

This was the day’s last match. Unfortunately for Rafael Nadal. Because, with the momentum on Nadal’s side at the end of the fourth set, they had to halt action to close the roof. Nadal was not happy — but they could not possibly have finished the final set without the lights. They either had to suspend the match (which he probably wouldn’t have liked either) or wait perhaps two more games and then close the roof. So they halted for about half an hour to button things down — and then Lukas Rosol came out firing bullets, and broke in Nadal’s very first service game. Somehow Rosol — who had never shown this sort of ability before — kept it up throughout the final set. In the final service game, Rosol held at love on three aces and a quick three-stroke point. Nadal — who was looking pretty shocked by then — was out.

There are no bonus points these days, so it doesn’t help Rosol much. But it hurts Nadal a lot. He falls to #3; Roger Federer is now back at #2.

Singles – Second Round: (4) A Murray def. I Karlovic 7-5

6-7(5-7) 6-2 7-6(9-7)

In the time of Alexander the Great, military tactics were pretty standard: Build a strong right wing and attack with that while holding with the left wing. It was not uncommon for battles to rotate like a pinwheel — or for both sides’ left wings to shatter, resulting in both sides chasing the other as the battles broke in half! A Karlovic versus Murray battle has something of that aspect: Strength against (relative) weakness and weakness against strength, as the serve and the return go head-to-head. Murray, we note, had some trouble in the tiebreaks, when the serve is so big. But the rest of the time, he did fine. He leaves Karlovic still below the Top Fifty.

Singles – Second Round: (5) J Tsonga def. G Garcia-Lopez 6-7(3-7) 6-4 6-1 6-3

Still no signs of hand problems for Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. But he is still more than 500 points behind David Ferrer in the contest for #5.

Singles – Second Round: (7) D Ferrer def. K De Schepper

7-6(7-1) 6-2 6-4

Seven straight wins for David Ferrer. His grip on the #5

ranking is looking stronger and stronger.

Singles – Second Round: (9) J del Potro def. G Soeda 6-2 6-3 1-6 6-4

Juan Martin del Potro seems to be the guy in charge of getting rid of Japanese around here — he will face Kei Nishikori next. The loss appears to mean no Top Fifty spot for Go Soeda. He keeps falling just short.

Singles – Second Round: (10) M Fish def. J Ward 6-3 5-7 6-4 6-7(3-7) 6-3

Mardy Fish seems to be having to use all the energy he saved in all the time he missed…. And he still needs two more wins to defend his points and keep the #12 ranking. At least he looks safe in the Top Fifteen.

Singles – Second Round: X Malisse def. (13) G Simon 6-4 6-4 7-6(7-5)

Maybe Xavier Malisse will stay Top Hundred after all — he has now defended half his points from last year. Gilles Simon loses another Top Ten chance. (Anyone else wonder what the women in the crowd have to say?) Nicolas Almagro has to be liking his chances of reaching #10; Simon was his closest remaining competitor.

Singles – Second Round: (16) M Cilic def. L Kubot 7-6(7-4) 6-2 6-1

Lukasz Kubot is going to fall well below #50.

Singles – Second Round: (17) F Verdasco def. G Zemlja

7-6(7-4) 7-6(7-4) 3-6 6-3

Fernando Verdasco is now the leading candidate to take the Top Fifteen spot that Gael Monfils is certain to lose, although the matter is not settled.

Singles – Second Round: (19) K Nishikori def. F Serra 6-3 7-5 6-2

Kei Nishikori is up to #18 in safe points; his Top Twenty spot now looks sure.

Singles – Second Round: B Paire def. (22) A Dolgopolov

7-6(7-2) 6-4 6-4

This is definitely turning into a breakthrough year for

Benoit Paire. Alexandr Dolgopolov still has a shot to make the Top Twenty, but this makes it distinctly less likely.

Singles – Second Round: (27) P Kohlschreiber def. M Jaziri 6-1 7-6(7-2) 6-1

Philipp Kohlschreiber hasn’t clinched a Top Thirty spot yet, but it is definitely the way to bet.

Singles – Second Round: (28) R Stepanek def. B Becker 6-2 7-6(7-4) 6-3

Radek Stepanek lost his opener last year, so it appears very likely that he will hit the Top 25.

Singles – Second Round: (30) A Roddick def. B Phau 6-3

7-6(7-1) 6-3

Andy Roddick keeps winning, but he hasn’t moved yet — so far, he has merely been defending points. One more win would make his Top 25 spot secure.

Singles – Second Round: L Lacko def. J Melzer 6-4 6-7(4-7) 3-6 6-3 6-4

Jurgen Melzer loses a few points and will not rise above

#35.

Singles – Second Round: B Baker def. J Nieminen 6-0 6-2 6-4

This was pretty typical of Jarkko Nieminen on grass. It

makes you wonder what happened that he beat Feliciano Lopez so easily…. Just winning his opener appears to have been sufficient to put Nieminen in the Top Forty.

Singles – Second Round: M Baghdatis def. G Dimitrov 7-5 4-1, retired (illness) Marcos Baghdatis defends his points. That puts him right at #40 in safe points, but he hasn’t clinched the spot yet.

Singles – Second Round: D Goffin def. J Levine 4-6 6-4 6-1 6-3

If David Goffin played as well at lesser events as he plays at Slams, he would be Top Fifty. He now has 286 Slam points, which exceeds the Slam point total for twenty of the Top Fifty entering this week.

Singles – Second Round: A Falla def. N Mahut 6-4 6-3 4-6 4-6 7-5

Apparently it isn’t John Isner that always defeats Nicolas Mahut at Wimbledon. It’s Isner’s draw spot….

Doubles – First Round: (4) Paes/Stepanek def.

Ebelthite/Peers 6-2 6-4 6-2

Leander Paes hasn’t clinched the #5 ranking yet, and Radek Stepanek is far from clinching a Top Ten spot, but this

moves them closer.

Doubles – First Round: (5) Lindstedt/Tecau def.

Dlouhy/Mertinak 7-6(9-7) 7-6(7-5) 7-6(7-4)

Lindstedt/Tecau were probably more worried about this match than they needed to be; Lukas Dlouhy is falling off a cliff. But Lindstedt/Tecau need a lot more than this to stay Top Ten — or even Top Fifteen.

Doubles – First Round: Guccione/Hewitt def. (6) Peya/Zimonjic 7-6(7-3) 7-6(7-3) 3-6 7-6(7-3)

Michael Llodra’s decision to team with Arnaud Clement as Clement closes out his career proves costly for Nenad Zimonjic. Llodra and Zimonjic were semifinalists last year, so Zimonjic will fall to no better than (although probably no worse than) #9. That means the contest for #5 is effectively down to Paes and Llodra. We currently show the Top Ten as follows:

1..(1) Mirnyi………….9520

1..(1) Nestor………….9520

3..(3) Bryan…………..6920

5..(7) Paes……………6245

6..(5) Llodra………….6130

7..(8) Matkowski……….6085

7..(9) Fyrstenberg……..6085

9..(6) Zimonjic………..6030

10.(12) Qureshi…………4510

Doubles – First Round: Marray/Nielsen def. (9)

Granollers/Lopez 6-7(3-7) 6-4 7-6(7-4) 2-6 7-5

There is no word for this but shocking. It is very bad news for Spain’s Olympic team. They seemed to have a chance in doubles. But maybe not on grass….

Doubles – First Round: Brown/Marach def. (11) Cermak/Polasek 6-2 6-2 1-6 2-6 7-5

Doubles – First Round: (12) S Gonzalez/Kas def.

Broady/Golding 7-6(7-2) 4-6 6-3 6-3

Doubles – First Round: (16) Sa/Soares def. Benneteau/Mahut 6-7(3-7) 6-4 6-3 7-6(7-5)

Doubles – First Round: Reynolds/van der Merwe def.

Cipolla/Fognini 7-5 4-6 6-1 6-7(5-7) 6-3

Doubles – First Round: Lipsky/R Ram def. Hanley/Knowles 3-6 6-4 3-6 6-4 7-5

Doubles – First Round: Chela/Schwank def. Bogomolov/Sela 6-3 6-4 6-2

Doubles – First Round: Cerretani/Roger-Vasselin def.

Lorenzi/Paire 6-4 7-6(7-4) 7-6(9-7)

Doubles – First Round: Ratiwatana/Ratiwatana def. Stakhovsky/Tursunov 6-7(3-7) 6-3 3-6 6-3 6-4

Doubles – First Round: Becker/Stebe def. Cabal/Farah 6-3 1-6 6-3 6-4

Ordinarily we’d call this an upset — but maybe not on grass.

Mixed Doubles – First Round: Robson/Inglot def. Grandin/Lipsky 7-6(7-2) 6-4

Mixed Doubles – First Round: Kudryavtseva/Hanley def. Keothavong/Marray 6-4 6-4

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