Miami
Late Wednesday:
Singles – Quarterfinal: (15) T Haas def. (11) G Simon 6-3 6-1
If Tommy Haas could beat Novak Djokovic, it is perhaps no surprise that he could thrash Gilles Simon. It will be fascinating to see how much higher he can go. Already he is up to #14 (meaning that Milos Raonic won’t make the Top 15 after all). Gilles Simon will not rise above his current #13 — and Haas could pass him with a final.
Thursday:
Singles – Quarterfinal: (2) A Murray def. (11) M Cilic 6-4 6-3
Andy Murray got off to a slow start here, but it obviously didn’t last. Murray costs Cilic his Top Ten chance — meaning that the Top Ten is closed, and will feature the sane ten players we had coming in. As for Murray, two more wins and he will rise to #2.
Singles – Quarterfinal: (8) R Gasquet def. (4) T Berdych 6-3 6-3
Tomas Berdych has something of a history of slow starts, and slow finishes, and slow middles, and somehow muddling through. But, this time, he just muddled; it took only about an hour and a quarter. He stays #6, and still a weak #6. Richard Gasquet, on the other hand, is moving; he had already reached #9, and he is now a pretty strong #9; he could even become France’s #1 player with a title here. Andy Murray, meanwhile, must be chortling. Surely he can handle Gasquet — and he won’t have to face Novak Djokovic in the final….
Doubles – Quarterfinal: Dimitrov/Nielsen def. Haas/Malisse 6-4 2-6 10-7
Tommy Haas surely did not expect to do this well in both singles and doubles — if he had, he wouldn’t have signed up for both. He was the last guy still standing in both; at this point, he’s probably glad to be done with the doubles! Frederik Nielsen is probably just glad to remind people that he continues to exist since winning his Wimbledon title.
Doubles – Semifinal (5) Qureshi/Rojer def. (2) Granollers/M Lopez 6-3 6-2
Evidently it simply isn’t safe to be a doubles favorite around here…. More cushion for the Bryans in the contest for #1, not that they need it.