****** EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ******
* Tsonga upset in Tokyo, will all to no better than #9
* Tipsarevic also upset
* Bryans shocked by clay experts
****** TODAY’S MEN’S NEWS ******
Tokyo
Singles – First Round: (3) M Raonic def. (WC) G Soeda 6-4 7-6(7-0)
Six straight wins for Milos Raonic. He still has a lot of defending to do, and remains at #11 (a ranking he has now clinched due Tommy Haas’s loss), but the points count in the Race….
Singles – First Round: J Chardy def. (Q) M Chiudinelli 7-6(7-2) 3-6 7-6(8-6)
This had been halted by rain the day before, so Jeremy Chardy may not be too tired after this. He hopes — he needs at least one more win to move in the rankings.
Singles – Second Round: (1) (WC) J Del Potro def. C Berlocq 6-2 6-2
No points for Juan Martin del Potro yet, but anything else he does here will move him closer to Roger Federer and the #6 ranking.
Singles – Second Round: I Dodig def. (2) J Tsonga 6-4 7-6(7-5)
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga looked all right in his first match, but this is perhaps an indication that he still suffers some rust. And he was defending finalist points. This causes him to fall from #8 to #9, behind Stanislas Wawrinka. And Richard Gasquet could still pass him as well. Ivan Dodig is on the brink of the Top Thirty.
Singles – Second Round: A Dolgopolov def. (8) J Tipsarevic 6-3 7-6(7-2)
Janko Tipsarevic loses quarterfinalist points and will fall from #23 to #24 or possibly #25. Alexandr Dolgopolov could rise as high as #35.
Singles – Second Round: J Nieminen def. (LL) M Przysiezny 6-7(4-7) 6-4 6-2
This might put Jarkko Nieminen in the Top Forty.
Doubles – First Round: (PR) Almagro/Cuevas def. (1) Bryan/Bryan 7-5 1-6 10-6
Hard to believe this would happen on a hardcourt — although the Bryans may not have been entirely motivated; they’ve clinched the year-end #1 and they hardly need more titles….
Doubles – First Round: (2) Granollers/Lopez def. Nieminen/Tursunov 6-4 6-4
Not a big win, but right now, Granollers/Lopez can use almost anything.
Doubles – First Round: (4) Bopanna/Roger-Vasselin def. Monaco/Zeballos 7-5 4-6 10-5
Doubles – First Round: J Murray/Peers def. (WC) Ito/Soeda 6-3 6-2
Five straight for Murray/Peers.
Doubles – First Round: Knowle/Melzer def. Gonzalez/Lipsky 6-4 7-5
Doubles – First Round: (Alt) Begemann/Emmrich def. Bracciali/Tipsarevic 6-3 6-3
Begemann/Emmrich replaced Dlouhy/Llodra; Michael Llodra’s back is still bad (he withdrew from the singles also).
Beijing
Singles – Second Round: (2) R Nadal def. P Kohlschreiber 6-4 7-6(7-3)
Another step closer to #1 for Rafael Nadal. Two more wins and he’s in no matter what Novak Djokovic does.
Singles – Second Round: (8) J Isner def. (Q) R Bautista Agut 6-2 6-7(3-7) 6-4
This absolutely guarantees John Isner’s return to the Top Fifteen — he will likely be #13.
Singles – Second Round: F Fognini def. (WC) L Hewitt 6-0 6-2
After a great first half, Fabio Fognini hasn’t looked too good lately. This must feel promising — and will almost certainly gain him at least one ranking spot.
Doubles – First Round: (1) Nestor/Paes def. Isner/Querrey 6-2 6-2
Daniel Nestor is 41. Leander Paes is 40. What in the world does it say that one of the oldest doubles teams in history can break two of the strongest servers in tennis four times? Believe it or not, Nestor/Paes converted every break chance they had!
Doubles – First Round: Mirnyi/Tecau def. (4) Benneteau/Zimonjic 6-3 6-4
Benneteau/Zimonjic continue to struggle very badly in recent months.
Doubles – First Round: Marrero/Verdasco def. Dimitrov/Robredo 7-5 6-7(5-7) 10-7
Doubles – Quarterfinal: Fognini/Seppi def. (3) Qureshi/Rojer 6-2 7-6(7-5)
Doubles – Quarterfinal: Djokovic/Wawrinka def. Haas/F Mayer 6-2 6-1
A nice result for Djokovic/Wawrinka, but we really have to wonder why Novak Djokovic chose to play doubles in a week when the #1 singles ranking is on the line!
Player News
As you probably already know, former Wimbledon finalist and world #3 David Nalbandian on Tuesday announced his retirement. The 31-year-old’s shoulder is too bad for him to continue. He retires with eleven tournament titles, including winning the 2005 year-end Championships; he also had, in his prime, a stellar record for Argentina’s Davis Cup team.
Expect to see more in World News.
****** TODAY’S FEATURE ******
This Week’s Movers — Men
Each week, Daily Tennis will look at the biggest movers of the week, looking at how they did what they did.
Biggest Upward Mover — Most Places Moved (Top 100)
Leader: Joao Sousa — Moved 26 places, from #77 to #51.
Sousa won Kuala Lumpur for his first career title.
Runner-Up: Leonardo Mayer — Moved 16 places, from #94 to #78
Mayer made the final of the Orleans Challenger. With Florian Mayer taking a big dive this week, we might actually see Leonardo become the #1 Mayer soon.
Biggest Percentage Mover — Cut Ranking By Highest Percent (Top 100)
Leader: Sousa, cut ranking 33%
Runner-Up: Mayer, 17%
Biggest Loser — Most Places Lost (Top 100)
Loser: David Goffin — Dropped 22 places, from #71 to #93
Last year, Goffin won the Orleans Challenger. This year, he didn’t even play.
Biggest Percentage Loser — Worst Percentage Increase in Ranking (Top 100)
Loser: Goffin, ranking increased 31%.
Ranking Notes
It’s a good thing we had Joao Sousa, or it would have been a really boring week. His 33% move was, of course, the only improvement of more than 17%. Mayer and Tomas Berdych (up 17%, to #5) had the next biggest moves; Radek Stepanek, who rose 16% (to #43) was the only other player to rise as much as 15%. Stepanek has also made the interesting decision to play a Challenger this week rather than go to Asia.
On the down side, only three players fell more than 15%: Goffin (down 31%), plus Juan Monaco (down 20%, to #36) and Roger Federer (down 20%, to #6). The news is in fact even worse for Federer than that, because he is only #7 in the Race; he needs to kick it into gear if he wants to go to London — and he is the only contender (other than Andy Murray, who is clinched) who is taking this week off.
Our Personal Picks for “Best Mover of the Week”
These are subjective picks!
Obviously Sousa. He had the biggest move, he’s at a career high, and he won his first title.
******** THIS WEEK IN TENNIS ********
THIS WEEK ON THE ATP WORLD TOUR:
Beijing (500/Hard). Defending Champion: Novak Djokovic
Tokyo (500/Hard). Defending Champion: Kei Nishikori
NEXT WEEK ON THE ATP WORLD TOUR:
Shanghai (1000/Hard). Defending Champion: Novak Djokovic
******** STATS AND FACTS ********
RANKINGS
Estimated ATP World Tour Rankings
As of October 2, 2013
Rank &
Prior…Player………..Points
1..(2) Nadal………….10950
2..(1) Djokovic……….10665
3..(3) Murray………….6895
4..(4) Ferrer………….6710
5..(5) Berdych…………4520
6..(6) Federer…………4515
7..(7) Del Potro……….4315
8..(9) Wawrinka………..3150
9..(8) Tsonga………….3115
10.(10) Gasquet…………3005
11.(11) Raonic………….2560
12.(12) Haas……………2265
13.(16) Isner…………..2115
14.(14) Simon…………..2095
15.(15) Janowicz………..2085
16.(17) Almagro…………1940
17.(19) Fognini…………1885
18.(18) Robredo…………1830
19.(13) Nishikori……….1795
20.(21) Anderson………..1775
21.(20) Youzhny…………1735
22.(22) Seppi…………..1555
23.(25) Kohlschreiber……1445
24.(23) Tipsarevic………1435
25.(26) Melzer………….1425
26.(27) Gulbis………….1381
27.(28) Paire…………..1380
28.(29) Dimitrov………..1375
29.(24) Lopez…………..1320
30.(34) Dodig…………..1240
**DRAWS
Beijing — Week of September 29
……………QF
1 Djokovic
6 Wawrinka
3 Ferrer
5 Gasquet
8 Isner……..(8)Isner
4 Berdych……(4)Berdych
7 Haas………Fognini
2 Nadal……..(2)Nadal
STATUS OF SEEDS:
1 Djokovic
2 Nadal
3 Ferrer
4 Berdych
5 Gasquet
6 Wawrinka
7 Haas………lost 1R (Hewitt)
8 Isner
Tokyo — Week of September 29
………………..QF
1 del Potro………(1)del Potro
8 Tipsarevic……..Dolgopolov
4 Nishikori
6 Almagro
7 Anderson
3 Raonic
[Przysiezny(LL)]….Nieminen
2 Tsonga…………Dodig
STATUS OF SEEDS:
1 del Potro
2 Tsonga…….lost 2R (Dodig)
3 Raonic
4 Nishikori
5 Simon……..WITHDREW
6 Almagro
7 Anderson…..lost 1R (Lacko)
8 Tipsarevic…lost 2R (Dolgopolov)
******** SCORES ********
WEDNESDAY
Tokyo
Singles – First Round
(3) M Raonic def. (WC) G Soeda 6-4 7-6(7-0)
J Chardy def. (Q) M Chiudinelli 7-6(7-2) 3-6 7-6(8-6)
Singles – Second Round
(1) (WC) J Del Potro def. C Berlocq 6-2 6-2
I Dodig def. (2) J Tsonga 6-4 7-6(7-5)
A Dolgopolov def. (8) J Tipsarevic 6-3 7-6(7-2)
J Nieminen def. (LL) M Przysiezny 6-7(4-7) 6-4 6-2
Doubles – First Round
(PR) Almagro/Cuevas def. (1) Bryan/Bryan 7-5 1-6 10-6
(2) Granollers/Lopez def. Nieminen/Tursunov 6-4 6-4
(4) Bopanna/Roger-Vasselin def. Monaco/Zeballos 7-5 4-6 10-5
J Murray/Peers def. (WC) Ito/Soeda 6-3 6-2
Knowle/Melzer def. Gonzalez/Lipsky 6-4 7-5
(Alt) Begemann/Emmrich def. Bracciali/Tipsarevic 6-3 6-3
Beijing
Singles – Second Round
(2) R Nadal def. P Kohlschreiber 6-4 7-6(7-3)
(8) J Isner def. (Q) R Bautista Agut 6-2 6-7(3-7) 6-4
F Fognini def. (WC) L Hewitt 6-0 6-2
Doubles – First Round
(1) Nestor/Paes def. Isner/Querrey 6-2 6-2
Mirnyi/Tecau def. (4) Benneteau/Zimonjic 6-3 6-4
Marrero/Verdasco def. Dimitrov/Robredo 7-5 6-7(5-7) 10-7
Doubles – Quarterfinal
Fognini/Seppi def. (3) Qureshi/Rojer 6-2 7-6(7-5)
Djokovic/Wawrinka def. Haas/F Mayer 6-2 6-1
Topics: 10sballs, Atp, Bob Bryan, Janko Tipsarevic, Jo Wilfried Tsonga, Juan Martin Del Potro, Mike Bryan, milos raonic, Richard Gasquet, Sports, Stanislas Wawrinka, Tennis, Tennis News