Rome
Singles – Final: (5) R Nadal def. (2) R Federer 6-1 6-3
An hour and nine minutes. Some marquee final this was…. But then, Roger Federer hasn’t won a title all year. He was supposed to do it here?
The big news is, Rafael Nadal has pulled off the seemingly-impossible feat. His clay season was good enough, and he inflicted enough pain on David Ferrer along the way, that Nadal has returned to #4. He will be the #4 Roland Garros seed, with poor Ferrer, who had back-to-back unlucky draws, relegated to #5. Novak Djokovic will be #1, Andy Murray #2 (assuming he plays), and Federer #3.
It would be nice to have more to say. But there isn’t much else to talk about, except Nadal’s numerous clay records, and you know about those….
Singles – Final: (1) Bryan/Bryan def. (6) Bhupathi/Bopanna 6-2 6-3
This was, frankly, a pretty monotonous midday. First Serena Williams won (yawn), then the Bryans won (yawn-yawn). Then Nadal won. (Repeat previous chorus.) A pretty good event for Americans, but also pretty predictable. It’s the sixth title for the Bryans this year, with four of them high-tier (Australian Open, Indian Wells, Madrid, Rome). That’s 5000 points right there! The year-end #1 ranking really does seem a certainty for them.
Nice
Singles – First Round: R Berankis def. (8) D Istomin 6-2 6-2
A big upset based on the rankings, but Denis Istomin has no fondness whatsoever for clay. And the conditions probably didn’t help — several matches were suspended due to rain, so the clay must have been particularly slow.
Singles – First Round: (WC) E Roger-Vasselin def. A Falla 7-5, retired (left calf)
Obviously not how Falla wanted to go into Roland Garros….
Dusseldorf
Singles – First Round: D Brands def. (5) L Rosol 6-4 6-3
Although there is always the temptation to blame this on week-before-Slam-itis, it’s worth remembering that Daniel Brands is having a very good year. Based on current form, this isn’t a very big surprise.
Singles – First Round: J Hajek def. E Donskoy 6-2 6-2
Evgeny Donskoy is Top Hundred, but it’s all Challengers. We’re still waiting to see some of that game at the ATP level.
Singles – First Round: I Dodig def. B Kavcic 7-5 6-4
Ivan Dodig wasn’t seeded here, but he has his ranking back up around #50. Given how bad his results were last year, that means he has been playing like a Top Forty player lately. Maybe he should have been seeded….
Doubles – First Round: (4) Nielsen/Sa def. (WC) R Becker/Schulz 6-2 6-2
Note that that is not Benjamin Becker, it’s Richard Becker. And, no, we don’t know who he is either. It looks as if it may be a while before we learn, too.
****** TODAY’S FEATURE ******
KEYWORDS: No Feature Today
******** THIS WEEK IN TENNIS ********
THIS WEEK ON THE ATP WORLD TOUR:
Nice (250/Clay). Defending Champion: Nicolas Almagro
Dusseldorf. Defending Champion: (No individual champion/Serbia in team competition)
NEXT WEEK ON THE ATP WORLD TOUR:
Roland Garros (Slam/Clay). Defending Champion: Rafael Nadal
******** STATS AND FACTS ********
RANKINGS
Estimated ATP World Tour Rankings
As of May 19, 2013
Rank &
Prior…Player………..Points
1..(1) Djokovic……….12310
2..(2) Murray………….8750
3..(3) Federer…………8000
4..(5) Nadal…………..6895
5..(4) Ferrer………….6740
6..(6) Berdych…………4700
7..(7) Del Potro……….4320
8..(8) Tsonga………….3795
9..(9) Gasquet…………3090
10.(11) Tipsarevic………2640
11.(10) Wawrinka………..2630
12.(13) Cilic…………..2570
13.(12) Almagro…………2490
14.(14) Haas……………2340
15.(15) Nishikori……….2315
16.(16) Raonic………….2225
17.(17) Simon…………..1940
18.(18) Monaco………….1750
19.(22) Kohlschreiber……1750
20.(19) Querrey…………1730
21.(20) Isner…………..1690
22.(21) Seppi…………..1530
23.(24) Janowicz………..1518
24.(23) Dolgopolov………1500
25.(27) Anderson………..1420
26.(36) Paire…………..1405
27.(29) Chardy………….1371
28.(26) Dimitrov………..1355
29.(25) Fognini…………1345
30.(28) Mayer…………..1295
**DRAWS
Rome — Week of May 13
WINNER: Rafael Nadal
……………..3R……………QF…………SF………F
1 Djokovic…….(1)Djokovic……Djokovic
15 Wawrinka……Dolgopolov
11 Cilic………Anderson
6 Berdych……..(6)Berdych…….Berdych…….Berdych
4 Ferrer………(4)Ferrer……..Ferrer
14 Raonic……..Kohlschreiber
10 Tipsarevic….Gulbis(Q)
5 Nadal……….(5)Nadal………Nadal………Nadal….Nadal
7 del Potro……(7)del Potro
12 Almagro…….Paire…………Paire………Paire
16 Nishikori…..Chardy
3 Murray………Granollers…….Granollers
8 Tsonga………Janowicz………Janowicz
9 Gasquet……..(9)Gasquet
13 Haas……….Simon
2 Federer……..(2)Federer…….Federer…….Federer..Federer
STATUS OF SEEDS:
1 Djokovic………lost QF (Berdych)
2 Federer……….lost F (Nadal)
3 Murray………..lost 2R (Granollers)
4 Ferrer………..lost QF (Nadal)
5 Nadal…………WON TOURNAMENT
6 Berdych……….lost SF (Nadal)
7 del Potro……..lost 3R (Paire)
8 Tsonga………..lost 2R (Janowicz)
9 Gasquet……….lost 3R (Janowicz)
10 Tipsarevic……WITHDREW (replaced by Rosol)
11 Cilic………..lost 2R (Anderson)
12 Almagro………lost 1R (Benneteau)
13 Haas…………lost 1R (Youzhny)
14 Raonic……….lost 1R (Kohlschreiber)
15 Wawrinka……..WITHDREW from 2R
16 Nishikori…….lost 2R (Chardy)
Dusseldorf — Week of May 20
1 Tipsarevic
7 Troicki
3 Monaco (WC)
8 Davydenko
5 Rosol
4 Kohlschreiber
6 Nieminen
2 Haas (WC)
STATUS OF SEEDS
1 Tipsarevic
2 Haas (WC)
3 Monaco (WC)
4 Kohlschreiber
5 Rosol………..lost 1R (Brands)
6 Nieminen
7 Troicki
8 Davydenko
Nice — Week of May 20
1 Berdych
7 Granollers
3 Querrey
8 Istomin
6 Fognini
4 Isner
5 Seppi
2 Simon
STATUS OF SEEDS
1 Berdych
2 Simon
3 Querrey
4 Isner
5 Seppi
6 Fognini
7 Granollers
8 Istomin……lost 1R (Berankis)
******** SCORES ********
SUNDAY
Rome
Singles – Final
(5) R Nadal def. (2) R Federer 6-1 6-3
Doubles – Final
(1) Bryan/Bryan def. (6) Bhupathi/Bopanna 6-2 6-3
Dusseldorf
Singles – First Round
D Brands def. (5) L Rosol 6-4 6-3
J Hajek def. E Donskoy 6-2 6-2
I Dodig def. B Kavcic 7-5 6-4
Doubles – First Round
(4) Nielsen/Sa def. (WC) R Becker/Schulz 6-2 6-2
Nice
Singles – First Round
R Berankis def. (8) D Istomin 6-2 6-2
(WC) E Roger-Vasselin def. A Falla 7-5, retired (left calf)
©Daily tennis news wire
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