Hamburg
Singles – Second Round: (1) N Almagro def. N Davydenko 6-4 6-3
That’s a few more points defended for Nicolas Almagro, but he is still well below the Top Ten in safe points. Nikolay Davydenko will be around #45.
Singles – Second Round: (3) J Monaco def. (Q) D Munoz-de la Nava 7-6(7-4) 6-3
The points are starting to count for Juan Monaco, improving his odds of rising to the #12 ranking — but he’ll need at least a final, and very possibly a title, to rise above that.
Singles – Second Round: (6) P Kohlschreiber def. F Fognini 7-5 6-2
One more win might well put Philipp Kohlschreiber in the Top Twenty.
Singles – Second Round: J Chardy def. (WC) J Reister 7-5 6-4
Hard to believe this was the same Julian Reister who beat Fernando Verdasco…. It appears Jeremy Chardy will be making the Top Fifty.
Doubles – Quarterfinal: Marrero/Verdasco def. (2) Peya/Zimonjic 7-5 4-6 10-8 (Match TB)
Doubles – Quarterfinal: Dutra Silva/Munoz de la Nava def. Haase/Rojer 6-3 3-6 13-11 (Match TB)
Gstaad
Singles – Second Round: (1) J Tipsarevic def. (Q) M Fischer 4-6 7-6(7-1) 6-3
Janko Tipsarevic still can’t beg, steal, or borrow an easy match. But he somehow keeps winning. Problem is, he needs a title to count toward his ranking. So, at least so far, all this hard work is for absolutely nothing.
Singles – Second Round: L Kubot def. (2) M Granollers 6-4 6-2
Both result and score are pretty shocking. This raises a real possibility that Marcel Granollers will lose his new Top Twenty spot.
Singles – Second Round: (Q) J Hernych def. (7) S Giraldo 6-3 2-6 6-4
What a horrible place for seeds! Santiago Giraldo was the seventh to play — and the sixth to lose before the quarterfinal. That may cost him his Top Forty spot.
Singles – Second Round: G Dimitrov def. (Q) D Brown 7-6(7-3) 3-6 6-2
There is only one seed left in the bottom half here (Feliciano Lopez), and Grigor Dimitrov doesn’t have to face him until the semifinal anyway. Dimitrov isn’t Top Fifty yet, but if he can take advantage of this opportunity, he will be.
Doubles – Quarterfinal: (1) Granollers/M Lopez def. Mertinak/Moser 7-5 6-2
Whatever went wrong with Marcel Granollers in the singles, it evidently wasn’t physical.
Doubles – Quarterfinal: Farah/Giraldo def. Ungur/Volandri walkover (Volandri – Gastrointestinal)
Atlanta
Singles – Second Round: M Ebden def. J Blake 6-7(6-8) 6-4 6-4
This means no return to the Top Hundred for James Blake at this time. He would have needed a semifinal.
Doubles – First Round: Klaasen/Young def. (2) S Gonzalez/Lipsky 6-2 7-6(7-5)
Olympics
On Thursday, things got really serious. Rafael Nadal has pulled out of the Olympics, saying he would not be able to compete effectively due to the effects of his knee injury.
Nadal is the highest-ranked player to withdraw so far.
If we learn more details, expect to see them in World News.