Bangkok
Singles – First Round: (5) F Verdasco def. T Ito 3-6 6-0 6-2
This match made no difference to Fernando Verdasco; he needs a final to budge his point total.
Singles – First Round: (6) V Troicki def. S Stakhovsky 6-7(4-7) 7-5 6-3
Viktor Troicki is defending semifinalist points; he needs a final to have any shot at returning to the Top Thirty. On the other hand, he isn’t likely to fall more than two spots.
Singles – First Round: (7) J Nieminen def. (Q) Y Sugita 6-1 retired (Right Ankle)
A funny turnaround: Last week, it was Jarkko Nieminen who could not finish his match.
Singles – First Round: (8) B Tomic def. G Garcia-Lopez 6-0 6-2
One more win should assure a Top Forty spot for Bernard Tomic.
Singles – First Round: (Q) H Moriya def. R Haase 2-6 7-6(8-6) 6-3
Robin Haase loses only a few points, but it might be enough to drop him out of the Top Fifty. Certainly he will have no margin to spare.
Singles – First Round: D Young def. Y Lu 5-7 6-2 7-5
Donald Young was last year’s finalist. That’s a third of his points. Even with this win, he is only about ##155 in safe points….
Singles – First Round: D Sela def. (WC) M Chiudinelli 6-4 6-4
Marco Chiudinelli remains not too much above #150.
Singles – First Round: G Dimitrov def. (Q) T Yang 6-3 3-6 7-6(9-7)
Yang Tsung-Hua is #249, so this was really a pretty impressive result for him.
Doubles – First Round: (3) Marrero/Verdasco def. Monfils/Simon 6-0 6-1
We’d have to say, based on the numbers in the doubles Race, that Marrero/Verdasco are pretty well out of it — but they don’t seem to have realized that yet.
Doubles – First Round: Tipsarevic/Waske def. Ito/Soeda 6-0 6-2
Kuala Lumpur
Singles – First Round: (7) J Benneteau def. C Berlocq 7-6(7-2) 6-3
Carlos Berlocq’s miserable second half is causing him to lose most of the ground he gained in the first half. We’d guess he’ll stay Top Fifty this week, but he will have to add another required event in two weeks, meaning that he’ll lose an optional score, and he’ll likely fall out then.
Singles – First Round: M Ebden def. (WC) P Davydenko 6-0 7-6(7-3)
Note that that is Philip Davydenko, not Nikolay. In the circumstances, we’re not sure whether the first or the second set score surprises us more….
Singles – First Round: A Ramos def. (Q) J Knowle 6-1 6-4
Remember what we told you yesterday about doubles specialists in the singles here? Here is exhibit A. A pretty solid result for Julian Knowle, considering.
Doubles – First Round: (2) Bracciali/Melo def. Baker/Ram 6-4 6-3
Doubles – First Round: (3) Peya/Soares def. (WC) Si/Wang 6-2 6-2
Doubles – First Round: (Alt) Pospisil/Singh def. Cerretani/Ebden 6-4 6-4
Doubles – First Round: Fleming/Hutchins def. Falla/Sijsling 6-3 6-2
Doubles – First Round: N Davydenko/Norman def. Elgin/Istomin 6-3 6-0
Interesting to see Nikolay Davydenko playing doubles here — but not with Philip.