****** EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ******
* Delbonis stuns Federer to reach first career final
* To take on Fognini
* Karlovic upsets Anderson to reach first final in three years; will face Falla
****** TODAY’S MEN’S NEWS ******
Hamburg
Singles – Semifinal: (Q) F Delbonis def. (1) (WC) R Federer 7-6(9-7) 7-6(7-4)
In one sense, you could feel this coming: Roger Federer clearly hasn’t been right this week. He was an upset waiting to happen — perhaps because of his new racquet. But to Delbonis? Ouch…. Federer will stay #5, but this is his worst upset in more than a decade. Delbonis is in his first career final — and at a 500 point event, even. He’s increased his points by more than 60%< and will rise from #116 to somewhere around #55.
Singles – Semifinal: (12) F Fognini def. (3) N Almagro 6-4 7-6(7-1)
After the preceding, this seems almost an anticlimax. (Well, a proclimax, since it came first, but anyway….) Fabio Fognini is in his second straight final; he has won nine matches straight, and ought to rise to #19. Nicolas Almagro will be #14.
Doubles – Semifinal: Fyrstenberg/Matkowski def. Dlouhy/Klizan 7-5 4-6 10-7
It’s only one event, but it really does seem as if Fyrstenberg/Matkowski have rediscovered the ability to win. Too bad the clay season is almost over….
Bogota
Singles – Semifinal: I Karlovic def. (2) K Anderson 6-4 6-7(4-7) 6-3
This sort of makes you wonder if there wasn’t something wrong with Ivo Karlovic even before his troubles this spring. He’s playing better now than he has in years. This is his first final since Delray Beach 2010. He costs Kevin Anderson the chance to hit the Top Twenty.
Singles – Semifinal: A Falla def. V Pospisil 6-7(4-7) 6-3 6-4
Vasek Pospisil was the higher-ranked of these two, and has the better tools. But… he really doesn’t have much experience — whereas Alejandro Falla is 29, and was Top Fifty as recently as a year ago. It looks as if experience counts. Falla, who is down to #122, makes his first career final — and also puts himself back in the Top Hundred.
Doubles – Final: (4) Raja/Sharan def. (2) Roger-Vasselin/Sijsling 7-6(7-4) 7-6(7-3)
Pretty amazing — two guys with four doubles wins between them teaming up to earn their first title. It wasn’t exactly easy — Roger-Vasselin/Sijsling actually won 11 more points than the Indians. In fact, the #2 seeds were better in every statistic — except break points won. Somehow, Raja/Sharan saved eight of 11 break points against them, which was just enough — and then they pounced in the tiebreaks. It is, of course, their first title. Their first significant ATP results of any kind, in fact. By earning it, they end Edouard Roger-Vasselin’s winning streak at seven.
****** TODAY’S FEATURE ******
Men’s Look Forward: Atlanta, Gstaad, Umag
Now we start to get serious. Atlanta is the first summer hardcourt event to be held in North America. The preparations for the U. S. Open are on!
Of course, it’s generally not an advantage to be the first event of a cycle, especially when it’s also the hottest, most humid, most physically wearing event.
Which might explain why Janko Tipsarevic, who last week played in Bogota, decided to head back to Europe for Gstaad rather than heading for Georgia. He ended up as the #3 seed. And, yes, the top two are the two Swiss powerhouses, Roger Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka. Federer, after his Hamburg disappointment, is the #1 seed, with Wawrinka #2. Tipsarevic is #3 and in Wawrinka’s half; Juan Monaco, whose ranking just took a big hit, is nonetheless #4 and in Federer’s half. The top four seeds have byes. Feliciano Lopez is #5 and would be the first seed to face Wawrinka; Mikhail Youzhny is #6 and in Monaco’s quarter; Lukas Rosol is #7 and would face Tipsarevic; Federer’s likely quarterfinal opponent is #8 Roberto Bautista Agut. There aren’t many strong unseeded players, but Federer is likely to open against Daniel Brands, Youzhny is certain to start against Paul-Henri Mathieu, and Rosol has to start against Marcel Granollers. After that he would face either Federico Delbonis, who just beat Federer, or Thomaz Bellucci.
That’s a much tougher field than Umag. It managed to hook Richard Gasquet as the top seed, but he is the only Top Twenty player. Based on last week’s ranking list, anyway. As at Gstaad, the top four seeds have byes, so Gasquet, #2 Andreas Seppi, #3 Fabio Fognini, and #4 Alexandr Dolgopolov will get some extra rest — good news for Fognini, who will come in having played ten matches in the previous fourteen days. (Too bad he’s in the same half as Gasquet, given that he’s now the #2 player in the field.) Rounding out the seeds are #5 Tommy Robredo, #6 Martin Klizan, #7 Florian Mayer, and #8 Carlos Berlocq. There are a lot of players on hot streaks in that list, even if they aren’t ranked very high.
And some of the unseeded players could give the seeds a tussle. Gasquet is likely to open against Albert Montanes. Mayer may face Gael Monfils in round two. And Robredo could face Viktor Troicki in round two — and Troicki is a Croat.
Atlanta really did end up weak — only three Top Fifty players! John Isner is the #1 seed, with Kevin Anderson #2 and Ivan Dodig #3. The last bye goes to #4 Igor Sijsling. Yen-Hsun Lu is #5.
But there is big news: Mardy Fish is back! And, because the draw is so weak, he was able to obtain the #6 seed in a very American draw. Lleyton Hewitt is #7; Evgeny Donskoy has the eighth and last seed.
At least there are some decent unseeded names. Donskoy could face James Blake in round two. Dodig’s opener could be against Ricardas Berankis, who is defending the biggest result of his career. Sijsling might start against Ryan Harrison. Lu could face Denis Istomin in round two. And Anderson’s second round match might be against the guy who beat him at Bogota, Ivo Karlovic, who is in on a special exempt.
The Rankings
This was a tough week last year — the week before the Olympics. The two events were Kitzbuhel and Los Angeles, neither of which is back. The Kitzbuhel title went to Robin Haase, with Philipp Kohlschreiber the finalist and semifinalists Filippo Volandri and Martin Klizan. Sam Querrey won Los Angeles, over Ricardas Berankis; Marinko Matosevic and Rajeev Ram were the unlikely semifinalists.
Haase might well end in the #90 range. Berankis might lose his Top Hundred spot. Querrey, who isn’t playing this week, will be out of the Top Twenty.
At the top — don’t expect movement. All this week’s events are 250s, so they don’t mean much to the top players.
KEYWORDS: Preview Atlanta, Gstaad, Umag
******** THIS WEEK IN TENNIS ********
THIS WEEK ON THE ATP WORLD TOUR:
Hamburg (500/Clay). Defending Champion: Juan Monaco
Bogota (250/Clay). Defending Champion: New Event
NEXT WEEK ON THE ATP WORLD TOUR:
Atlanta (250/Hard). Defending Champion: Andy Roddick
Gstaad (250/Clay). Defending Champion: Thomaz Bellucci
Umag (250/Clay). Defending Champion: Marin Cilic
******** STATS AND FACTS ********
RANKINGS
Estimated ATP World Tour Rankings
As of July 19, 2013
Rank &
Prior…Player………..Points
1..(1) Djokovic……….12310
2..(2) Murray………….9360
3..(3) Ferrer………….7120
4..(4) Nadal…………..6860
5..(5) Federer…………5875
6..(6) Berdych…………4865
7..(7) Del Potro……….4500
8..(8) Tsonga………….3480
9..(9) Gasquet…………3045
10.(10) Wawrinka………..2915
11.(12) Nishikori……….2495
12.(11) Haas……………2395
13.(13) Raonic………….2225
14.(15) Almagro…………2135
15.(14) Cilic…………..2075
16.(18) Simon…………..2055
17.(17) Janowicz………..2029
18.(16) Tipsarevic………2025
19.(25) Fognini…………1770
20.(19) Querrey…………1730
21.(23) Anderson………..1635
22.(21) Isner…………..1610
23.(24) Seppi…………..1550
24.(26) Dolgopolov………1500
25.(22) Kohlschreiber……1445
26.(27) Chardy………….1406
27.(28) Paire…………..1405
28.(29) Robredo…………1335
29.(31) Lopez…………..1325
30.(20) Monaco………….1270
**DRAWS
Hamburg — Week of July 15
……………3R……………QF………SF…………F
1 Federer……(1)Federer…….Federer….Federer
15 Gulbis……Hajek(Q)
11 Lopez…….(11)Lopez
7 Dolgopolov…F.Mayer……….Mayer
4 Janowicz…..(4)Janowicz
14 Verdasco….(14)Verdasco…..Verdasco
10 Robredo…..Delbonis(Q)……Delbonis….Delbonis….Delbonis
8 Chardy…….Tursunov
5 Monaco…….(5)Monaco…….Monaco
9 Paire……..(9)Paire
13 Youzhny…..Garcia-Lopez
3 Almagro……(3)Almagro……Almagro……Almagro
6 Seppi……..Granollers
12 Fognini…..(12)Fognini…..Fognini……Fognini…..Fognini
16 Klizan……Berlocq
2 Haas………(2)Haas………Haas
STATUS OF SEEDS:
1 Federer…….lost SF (Delbonis)
2 Haas……….lost QF (Fognini)
3 Almagro…….lost SF (Fognini)
4 Janowicz……lost 3R (Verdasco)
5 Monaco……..lost QF (Almagro)
6 Seppi………lost 2R (Granollers)
7 Dolgopolov….lost 2R (Mayer)
8 Chardy……..lost 2R (Tursunov)
9 Paire………lost 3R (Monaco)
10 Robredo……lost 2R (Delbonis)
11 Lopez……..lost 3R (Mayer)
12 Fognini
13 Youzhny……lost 2R (Garcia-Lopez)
14 Verdasco…..lost QF (Delbonis)
15 Gulbis…….lost 2R (Hajek)
16 Klizan…….lost 2R (Berlocq)
Bogota — Week of July 15
……………….QF…………….SF………F
1 Tipsarevic…….(1)Tipsarevic
8 Malisse……….Falla………….Falla……Falla
4 Roger-Vasselin…Viola
7 Bedene………..Pospisil……….Pospisil
5 Mannarino……..(5)Mannarino
3 Sijsling………Karlovic……….Karlovic…Karlovic
6 Giraldo……….(6)Giraldo
2 Anderson………(2)Anderson…….Anderson
STATUS OF SEEDS:
1 Tipsarevic…….lost QF (Falla)
2 Anderson………lost SF (Karlovic)
3 Sijsling………lost 2R (Karlovic)
4 Roger-Vasselin…lost 2R (Viola)
5 Mannarino……..lost QF (Karlovic)
6 Giraldo……….lost QF (Anderson)
7 Bedene………..lost 1R (Duckworth)
8 Malisse……….lost 1R (Falla)
Atlanta — Week of July 22
1 Isner
–bye
Falla
C Harrison (WC)
Blake
Qualifier
R Ram
8 Donskoy
3 Dodig
–bye
Berankis
Qualifier
Kudla (WC)
Williams (WC)
Roger-Vasselin
7 Hewitt
6 Fish
Russell
Sock
Giraldo
R Harrison
Matosevic
–bye
4 Sijsling
5 Lu
Qualifier
Istomin
Lacko
Qualifier
Karlovic (WC)
–bye
2 Anderson
Gstaad — Week of July 22
1 Federer (WC)
–bye
Brands
Chiudinelli (WC)
Qualifier
Hanescu
Laaksonen (WC)
8 Bautista Agut
4 Monaco
–bye
Garcia-Lopez
Ungur
Andujar
Qualifier
Mathieu
6 Youzhny
7 Rosol
Granollers
Delbonis
Bellucci
Haase
Qualifier
–bye
3 Tipsarevic
5 F Lopez
Qualifier
Stakhovsky
Kuznetsov
Gimeno-Traver
de Schepper
–bye
2 Wawrinka
Umag — Week of July 22
1 Gasquet
–bye
Qualifier
Montanes
Monfils
Pavic (WC)
Qualifier
7 F Mayer
3 Fognini
–bye
Tursunov
de Bakker
L Mayer
Ramos
Lorenzi
6 Klizan
5 Robredo
Hajek
Veic (WC)
Troicki
Qualifier
Bedene
–bye
4 Dolgopolov
8 Berlocq
Qualifier
Coric (WC)
Zeballos
Haider-Maurer
Vesely
–bye
2 Seppi
******** SCORES ********
FRIDAY
Bogota (full results)
Singles – Quarterfinal
A Falla def. (1) J Tipsarevic 3-6 6-2 6-3
(2) K Anderson def. (6} S Giraldo (Col) 6-3 6-3
I Karlovic def. (5} A Mannarino 7-6(7-5) 7-6(7-3)
V Pospisil def. M Viola 3-6 6-3 6-2
Doubles – Semifinal
(4) Raja/Sharan def. (1) Cabal/Farah 6-2 6-3
(2) Roger-Vasselin/Sijsling def. Karlovic/Moser 6-1 7-6(7-3)
SATURDAY
Hamburg
Singles – Semifinal
(Q) F Delbonis def. (1) (WC) R Federer 7-6(9-7) 7-6(7-4)
(12) F Fognini def. (3) N Almagro 6-4 7-6(7-1)
Doubles – Semifinal
Fyrstenberg/Matkowski def. Dlouhy/Klizan 7-5 4-6 10-7
Bogota
Singles – Semifinal
I Karlovic def. (2) K Anderson 6-4 6-7(4-7) 6-3
A Falla def. V Pospisil 6-7(4-7) 6-3 6-4
Doubles – Final
(4) Raja/Sharan def. (2) Roger-Vasselin/Sijsling 7-6(7-4) 7-6(7-3)
©Daily tennis news wire
Topics: 10sballs.com, Delbonis, Fabio Fognini, Ivo Karlovic, Kevin Anderson, Nicolas Almagro, Roger Federer, Sports, Tennis, Tennis News
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