****** EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ******
* Federer starts strong in Basel, but still likely to fall in rankings
* Dolgopolov also opens well but is around #50 in safe points
* Fognini spoils Klizan’s return to action
* Bautista Agut upsets struggling Anderson, who may lose Top Twenty spot
* Tipsarevic out hurt, will stay near bottom of Top Thirty
* Murray/Peers beat struggling Benneteau/Zimonjic in contest for last London spot
* Mirnyi/Tecau lose again, London hopes take another blow.
****** TODAY’S MEN’S NEWS ******
Basel
Roger Federer began his home event with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over France’s Adrian Mannarino as the Swiss fights for a place in the year-end final in London next month, Federer did not disappoint in the first round, winning in 71 minutes.
Federer has won Basel five times from nine finals but now needs top showings here and next in Paris if he is to claim his place in London along with the rest of the elite. He stands provisional eight, five point behind good friend and compatriot Stabiles Wawrinka.
“I want to compete for London, but I’ve got to win matches to get there,” he said. “I need to approach this (goal) in the correct way. But I’m going to give everything I have to get to London. It’s great be back in Basel, I get so much energy from this crowd,” Federer said after a victory in which he broke Mannarino four times. “I’m concentrating on playing well and hoping to qualify.”
Federer went up an early break against Mannarino, ranked 62nd. But the Frenchman got it back in the fourth game for 2-all before Federer settled in, winning the first set in just over half an hour, He ran away to victory in the second with two breaks of serve to advance for his 48th win at the tournament.
Federer takes the third seeding this week behind Argentine holder Juan Del Potro and Czech Tomas Berdych, who is next in the queue for a London place. He will await the winner from Horacio Zaballos and Denis Istomin. Elsewhere in the opening round, German qualifier Tobias Kane beat Romanian Victor Hanes cu 6-4, 6-4 and Lukas Ku bot of Poland stopped Spain’s Daniel Pimento-Traver 7-6 (8-6), 6-2.
Valencia
Two Spaniards swept to home wins on opening day, with Marcel Granollers beating slumping Serb and former top 10 player Janko Tipsarevic 1-2 when Tipsarevic retired injured after just a few minutes on court. Roberto Bautista took more Spanish success, defeating South African eighth seed Kevin Anderson 3-6, 7-6(5). 6-3. Russian Dmitry Tursunov produced a Spanish defeat, beating Albert Montanes 6-4, 6-1.
******** THIS WEEK IN TENNIS ********
THIS WEEK ON THE ATP WORLD TOUR:
Valencia (500/Indoor Hard). Defending Champion: David Ferrer
Basel (500/Indoor Hard). Defending Champion: Juan Martin del Potro
NEXT WEEK ON THE ATP WORLD TOUR:
Paris (1000/Indoor Hard). Defending Champion: David Ferrer
******** STATS AND FACTS ********
RANKINGS
Estimated ATP World Tour Rankings
As of October 21, 2013
Rank &
Prior…Player………..Points
1..(1) Nadal………….11520
2..(2) Djokovic……….11120
3..(3) Ferrer………….6450
4..(4) Murray………….6295
5..(5) Del Potro……….4910
6..(7) Berdych…………4180
7..(6) Federer…………3990
8..(8) Wawrinka………..3240
9..(9) Tsonga………….3235
10.(10) Gasquet…………3130
11.(11) Raonic………….2860
12.(12) Haas……………2425
13.(13) Almagro…………2200
14.(14) Isner…………..2070
15.(15) Janowicz………..2060
16.(16) Simon…………..2060
17.(17) Fognini…………1965
18.(18) Nishikori……….1885
19.(19) Robredo…………1830
20.(20) Anderson………..1730
21.(21) Youzhny…………1690
22.(22) Dimitrov………..1500
23.(24) Kohlschreiber……1445
24.(25) Gulbis………….1431
25.(27) Seppi…………..1395
26.(26) Paire…………..1380
27.(23) Melzer………….1325
28.(28) Tipsarevic………1310
29.(30) Lopez…………..1275
30.(31) Monfils…………1230
**DRAWS
Basel — Week of October 22
1 del Potro
Laaksonen (WC)
Becker (Q)
Baghdatis
Mathieu (Q)
Kudla (Q)
Llodra
5 Gasquet
4 Wawrinka
Roger-Vasselin
Hanescu
Kamke (Q)
Gimeno-Traver
Kubot
Brands
7 Seppi
8 Dimitrov
Stepanek
Dolgopolov (WC)
de Schepper
Istomin
Zeballos
Mannarino
3 Federer
6 Nishikori
Chiudinelli (WC)
Berlocq
Dodig
V Pospisil
Haase
Karlovic
2 Berdych
Valencia — Week of October 22
1 Ferrer
Monfils
F Lopez
Benneteau
Garcia-Lopez
Qualifier
Qualifier
5 Janowicz
3 Almagro
Andujar
Verdasco (WC)
Qualifier
Tipsarevic
Granollers
Klizan
7 Fognini
8 Anderson
Bautista Agut
Montanes
Tursunov
F Mayer
Chardy
Gulbis
4 Isner
6 Simon
Qualifier
Nieminen
Paire
Youzhny
Tomic
Kohlschreiber
2 Haas
******** SCORES ********
MONDAY
Basel
Singles – First Round
[3] R Federer (SUI) d A Mannarino (FRA) 64 62
[Q] T Kamke (GER) d V Hanescu (ROU) 64 64
L Kubot (POL) d D Gimeno-Traver (ESP) 76(6) 62
[WC] A Dolgopolov (UKR) d K De Schepper (FRA) 64 64
Doubles – First Round
[3] M Fyrstenberg (POL) / M Matkowski (POL) d [WC] M Chiudinelli (SUI) / M Lammer (SUI) 63 16 17-15
A Begemann (GER) / M Emmrich (GER) d [4] M Mirnyi (BLR) / H Tecau (ROU) 63 64
Valencia
Singles – First Round
[7] F Fognini (ITA) d M Klizan (SVK) 75 36 60
[WC] R Bautista Agut (ESP) d [8] K Anderson (RSA) 36 76(5) 63
M Granollers (ESP) d J Tipsarevic (SRB) 12 ret. (foot)
D Tursunov (RUS) d A Montanes (ESP) 64 61
Doubles – First Round
[2] A Peya (AUT) / B Soares (BRA) d [WC] P Andujar (ESP) / G Garcia-Lopez (ESP) 64 76(2)
J Murray (GBR) / J Peers (AUS) d J Benneteau (FRA) / N Zimonjic (SRB) 63 62
J Isner (USA) / F Lopez (ESP) d P Kohlschreiber (GER) / F Mayer (GER) 63 67(7) 10-7
Topics: 10sballs, Andy Murray, Atp, Janko Tipsarevic, Juan Martin Del Potro, Marcel Granollers, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Sports, Stanislas Wawrinka, Tennis, Tennis News