Today’s Men’s News (08/15)

Written by: Staff on 15th August 2012

Today's Men's News (08/15)

epa03282401 Rafael Nadal of Spain returns to Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil during their first round match for the Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, in London, Britain, 26 June 2012. EPA/ANDY RAIN |

Cincinnati

The first big news of the day was from off-court. Rafael Nadal is out of the U. S. Open. His knee is just too bad. That means he will probably fall to #4 after the Open, and he is out of the hunt for the year-end #1. And suddenly the question becomes whether Novak Djokovic or Roger Federer will have Andy Murray in his half of the draw….

Singles – Second Round: (1) R Federer def. A Bogomolov Jr. 6-3 6-2

Roger Federer got in trouble serving this out, but by then he was in such complete control that it hardly mattered. He hasn’t clinched the #1 ranking yet, but it certainly looks as if he wants to….

Singles – Second Round: (2) N Djokovic def. A Seppi 7-6(7-4) 6-2

Novak Djokovic’s sixth straight win costs Andreas Seppi his Top 25 chance.

Singles – Second Round: (3) A Murray def. (WC) S Querrey 6-2 6-4

Looks as if Andy Murray’s knee is recovering well. He leaves Sam Querrey at the bottom of the Top Thirty. Still, that will get Querrey a U. S. Open seed.

Singles – Second Round: S Wawrinka def. (4) D Ferrer 6-4 6-1

The Spanish are really suffering right now. Rafael Nadal out for the next month at least. Nicolas Almagro didn’t play here. And now David Ferrer out. And in an hour and twelve minutes. When is the last time David Ferrer had a match that short? Ferrer will stay at #5, but he’s falling very far off the pace of the Top Four. Stanislas Wawrinka is slugging it out with Mardy Fish for the #25 ranking — and hence the #24 U. S. Open seed.

Singles – Second Round: (6) J del Potro def. T Haas 7-5 6-2

Tommy Haas will end up just below the Top Twenty. Still pretty amazing, considering where he was a few months ago.

Singles – Second Round: P Andujar def. (7) J Tipsarevic 6-4 4-1, retired

It has to be quite a problem to get Iron Man Tipsarevic to pull out…. And he was defending semifinalist points, so he will fall from #8 to #9. Good thing Rafael Nadal’s withdrawal assures he will still get the #8 U. S. Open seed. Amazingly, Pablo Andujar still has a shot at seeding, too, although not much of one; we’d guess he’ll need a semifinal to make it.

Singles – Second Round: R Stepanek def. (8) J Monaco 7-6(7-2) 6-1

Radek Stepanek still has a faint chance at a U. S. Open seed, but he needs several hundred more points. Juan Monaco loses his chance to return to the Top Ten.

Singles – Second Round: (10) M Fish def. C Berloq 6-3 6-1

Mardy Fish keeps himself close to the Top 25. One more win would clinch a Top 24 U. S. Open seed for him. No seed for Carlos Berlocq, though; he’ll be below #40.

Singles – Second Round: (12) M Cilic def. (Q) J Levine 7-5 7-6(8-6)

With Rafael Nadal out, Marin Cilic is now almost assured of the #12 U. S. Open seed.

Singles – Second Round: (14) K Nishikori def. (WC) J Blake 2-6 6-4 6-4

Kei Nishikori finds himself with a good shot at the #16 Open seed. One more win would take him past Gilles Simon, which would let him clinch.

Singles – Second Round: M Raonic def. M Baghdatis 6-7(6-8) 6-3 6-4

Milos Raonic is right on Kei Nishikori’s heels in the contest for the #16 seed. He too could assure himself a high spot with one more win.

Singles – Second Round: V Troicki def. (WC) L Hewitt 6-2 6-0

Viktor Troicki’s seed is now assured; he’s almost certainly going to hit the Top Thirty.

Singles – Second Round: (LL) J Chardy def. D Istomin 6-4 6-3

Had Denis Istomin won this, he would have clinched his seed. As it is, he is at #33 in safe points — good enough to earn the the last seed if no one else passes him. But the next active player is none other than Jeremy Chardy. Two more wins and Chardy, not Istomin, earns the last Open seed.

Singles – Second Round: N Davydenko def. F Mayer 6-3 6-3

No Top Twenty spot for Florian Mayer at this time. But he is guaranteed a Top 24 U. S. Open seed.

Doubles – First Round: Dodig/Melo def. Berdych/F Mayer 6-4 6-3

Ivan Dodig is going nowhere in singles, but he has been posting some pretty good doubles results lately.

Doubles – First Round: Cabal/Soares def. Fleming/Hutchins 6-4 6-4

Doubles – First Round: (WC) B Baker/R Ram def. Benneteau/Gasquet 6-4 6-7(4-7) 10-2 (Match TB)