Ivo Karlovic Retires After First Game, Why? Results from Rio, Delray, and Marseille

Written by: Staff on 19th February 2014

Ivo Karlovic Retires After First Game, Why? Results from Rio, Delray, and Marseille

epa04078359 Ivo Karlovic of Croatia hits a return shot to Jack Sock of the USA in their quarter final match in the US National Indoor Tennis Championships at the Racquet Club of Memphis in Memphis, Tennessee, USA, 14 February 2014. EPA/TANNEN MAURY |

Editor’s Note: Ivo Karlovic had food poisoning.

PRO TOUR NEWS

* No Top Forty spot for Monaco after loss to Bellucci in Rio; Klizan pulls out

* Tsonga back in Marseille quarterfinal

* Karlovic retires after one game in Delray Beach

****** TODAY’S MEN’S NEWS ******

Rio de Janeiro

Singles – Second Round: (4) T Robredo def. (Q) D Lajovic 6-2 6-1

Tommy Robredo defends his points; one more win would make him Top Fifteen.

Singles – Second Round: (WC) T Bellucci def. (7) J Monaco 4-6 6-3 6-3

Thomaz Bellucci is still below #100, but maybe this is a sign that he is finally coming out of his long slump. He costs Juan Monaco the chance to return to the Top Forty.

Singles – Second Round: (8) P Andujar def. (Q) M Klizan walkover

No sooner did Martin Klizan come back to life than he had to quit, but at least he’s close to a return to the Top Hundred.

Doubles – First Round: (2) Marrero/Melo def. Begemann/Emmrich 7-6(7-4) 7-5

Doubles – First Round: (3) Granollers/M Lopez def. Andujar/J Sousa 6-2 6-2

Granollers/Lopez follow up their title last week with an efficient win. That has to be at least slightly promising.

Doubles – First Round: Bracciali/Fognini def. Marach/Mergea 6-3 6-4

Doubles – First Round: Cuevas/Zeballos def. Demoliner/Souza 6-4 6-3

Marseille

Singles – First Round: (7) J Benneteau def. J Huta Galung 6-1 6-4

Julien Benneteau just fell out of the Top Fifty, so he would like a good result here to get his ranking back on track. But the organizers aren’t making things easy for him; this was the last match of the first round.

Singles – First Round: (8) N Mahut def. K de Schepper 7-6(7-2) 6-3

Nicolas Mahut is still below the Top Forty, but one more win would probably take him above that mark.

Singles – First Round: R Bautista Agut def. D Brown 7-5 4-6 6-3

Roberto Bautista Agut’s decision to stay in Europe rather than play clay in Latin America remains surprising, but this week, it’s working. It’s not even necessarily a bad idea; Bautista Agut’s clay ATP record over the last year is 8-7, his record on other surfaces is 16-13.(17-13 counting this win), so he’s actually slightly better away from clay.

Singles – First Round: M Llodra def. L Lacko 6-3 7-6(7-2)

That’s the first singles win for Michael Llodra this year. He remains far below the Top Hundred.

Singles – First Round: (Q) R Berankis def. J Hajek 6-5, retired

At least Llodra is doing better than Ricardas Berankis. He scores his first ATP win since Winston-Salem last summer!

Singles – First Round: J Struff def. (Q) D Guez 3-6 6-1 6-1

A big day for first-win-since-es…. Jan-Lennard Struff earns his first since Stockholm 2013.

Singles – Second Round: (1) R Gasquet def. B Kavcic 6-3 6-3

An efficient start for Richard Gasquet here — but no points yet; he needs a final.

Singles – Second Round: (2) J Tsonga def. N Davydenko 7-6(7-4) 7-6(8-6)

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga extends his winning streak here, but this isn’t yet enough points to count for him. Happily, his #10 ranking is safe.

Doubles – First Round: Cerretani/Shamasdin def. (WC) Herbert/Olivetti 7-6(7-5) 7-6(7-5)

Doubles – Quarterfinal: Kretschmer/Satschko def. Brown/Krajicek 6-3 6-2

This is pretty astounding. Gero Kretschmer is 28, and came here with only one career ATP doubles win — and yet he is ranked #92. Alexander Satschko is 33, also with one ATP win, and ranked #93. How have they stayed alive this long, and what in the world are they doing in a semifinal?

Delray Beach

Singles – First Round: (7) M Cilic def. B Becker 6-1 6-3

Marin Cilic just crossed the Atlantic from the Rotterdam final, and he also faced a surface change, so this is a nice start — but he needs a final to add to his point total.

Singles – Second Round: (4) K Anderson def. I Karlovic 1-0, retired

A depressing result so soon after Karlovic made the Memphis final. Any additional points will count for Kevin Anderson.

Singles – Second Round: (6) F Lopez def. A Mannarino 4-6 6-4 6-2

That’s the second straight struggle for Feliciano Lopez, and because he has big points coming off, he is still a mere #36 in safe points….

Doubles – First Round: (1) Bryan/Bryan def. (WC) Mannarino/Russell 6-1 6-3

At least Bryan/Bryan won’t have to worry about Butorac/Klaasen beating them this week:

Doubles – First Round: Bangoura/Mirzadeh def. (2) Butorac/Klaasen 7-5 3-6 10-5

What a crazy week for nobodies-in-particular. Neither Sekou Bangoura nor Vahid Mirzadeh had ever won an ATP match; each had one previous loss.

Doubles – First Round: Becker/F Lopez def. Bogomolov/Sela 6-1 6-4

Doubles – First Round: (WC) Harrison/Sock def. Bednarek/Karlovic walkover

Doubles – Quarterfinal: Cermak/Elgin def. Klahn/Smyczek 6-2 6-2

****** 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: Ivo Karlovic — Moved 24 places, from #80 to #56.

Karlovic made the Memphis final before losing to Kei Nishikori.

Runner-Up: Dominic Thiem — Moved 14 places, from #113 to #99

Thiem qualified for Rotterdam and made the second round before losing to Andy Murray.

Biggest Percentage Mover — Cut Ranking By Highest Percent (Top 100)

Leader: Karlovic, cut ranking 30%

Runner-Up: Marin Cilic — Moved 8 places, 22%, from #37 to #29

Cilic made the Rotterdam final before losing to Tomas Berdych. We frankly thought he would end up higher (it’s very hard to figure out what counts for Cilic, because of the penalty tournaments on his record), but it’s still a pretty good move.

Biggest Loser — Most Places Lost (Top 100)

Loser: Julien Benneteau — Dropped 28 places, from #39 to #67

Benneteau was last year’s Rotterdam finalist; this year, he lost his opener to Janowicz.

Biggest Percentage Loser — Worst Percentage Increase in Ranking (Top 100)

Loser: Benneteau, ranking increased 72%.

Ranking Notes

For a week with a 500 point event, the moves were surprisingly small. Karlovic (30%), Cilic (22%), and David Ferrer (up 20%, to #4) were the only players to rise as much as 20%. Igor Sijsling rose 19% (to #52), Yen-Hsun Lu finally managed to make the Top Fifty (up 15%, to #46), but no one else exceeded the 15% mark.

Benneteau’s 72% drop was by far the largest; the next-biggest decline was by Juan Martin del Potro, who fell 25% (to #5) as a result of failing to defend in Rotterdam. Martin Klizan fell 21% (to #108); no one else fell more than 18%.

Our Personal Picks for “Best Mover of the Week”

These are subjective picks!

Karlovic’s move is so much better than anyone else’s that it’s really hard to even suggest anyone else.

KEYWORDS: Movers Men Karlovic

******** THIS WEEK IN TENNIS ********

THIS WEEK ON THE ATP WORLD TOUR:

Rotterdam (500/Indoor Hard). Defending Champion: Juan Martin del Potro

Memphis (250/Indoor Hard). Defending Champion (as an ATP 500): Kei Nishikori

Buenos Aires (250/Clay). Defending Champion: David Ferrer

NEXT WEEK ON THE ATP WORLD TOUR:

Dubai (500/Hard). Defending Champion: Novak Djokovic

Acapulco (500/Hard). Defending Champion: Rafael Nadal

Sao Paulo (250/Indoor Hard). Defending Champion: (new event)

******** STATS AND FACTS ********

RANKINGS

Estimated ATP World Tour Rankings

As of February 19, 2013

Rank &

Prior…Player………..Points

1..(1) Nadal………….14125

2..(2) Djokovic……….10580

3..(3) Wawrinka………..5560

4..(4) Ferrer………….5280

5..(5) Del Potro……….4960

6..(6) Berdych…………4890

7..(7) Murray………….4795

8..(8) Federer…………4305

9..(9) Gasquet…………2950

10.(10) Tsonga………….2680

11.(11) Raonic………….2440

12.(12) Haas……………2435

13.(13) Isner…………..2320

14.(14) Fognini…………2260

15.(16) Youzhny…………2100

16.(17) Robredo…………2050

17.(18) Almagro…………1930

18.(19) Janowicz………..1750

19.(15) Nishikori……….1715

20.(20) Dimitrov………..1675

21.(21) Anderson………..1580

22.(23) Gulbis………….1558

23.(22) Simon…………..1485

24.(24) Monfils…………1475

25.(25) Kohlschreiber……1375

26.(26) Pospisil………..1359

27.(29) Cilic…………..1295

28.(30) Paire…………..1275

29.(28) Tursunov………..1257

30.(31) Mayer…………..1245

**DRAWS

Rio de Janeiro — week of February 17, 2014

……………..QF

1 Nadal

6 Granollers

4 Robredo……..(4)Robredo

8 Andujar……..(8)Andujar

5 Almagro

3 Fognini

7 Monaco………Bellucci(WC)

2 Ferrer

STATUS OF SEEDS

1 Nadal

2 Ferrer

3 Fognini

4 Robredo

5 Almagro……lost 1R (Dolgopolov)

6 Granollers…lost 1R (Sousa)

7 Monaco…….lost 2R (Bellucci)

8 Andujar

Marseille — week of February 17, 2014

……………….QF

1 Gasquet……….(1)Gasquet

5 Dodig

3 Gulbis

8 Mahut

7 Benneteau

4 Seppi

6 Roger-Vasselin

2 Tsonga………..(2)Tsonga

STATUS OF SEEDS

1 Gasquet

2 Tsonga

3 Gulbis

4 Seppi

5 Dodig

6 Roger-Vasselin

7 Benneteau

8 Mahut

Delray Beach — week of February 17, 2014

1 Haas

6 F Lopez…….(6)Lopez

4 Anderson……(4)Anderson

8 Hewitt

7 Cilic

3 Nishikori

[Williams(Q)]

2 Isner

STATUS OF SEEDS

1 Haas

2 Isner

3 Nishikori

4 Anderson

5 Pospisil….WITHDREW

6 F Lopez

7 Cilic

8 Hewitt

******** SCORES ********

THURSDAY

Rio de Janeiro (so far)

Singles – Second Round

(4) T Robredo def. (Q) D Lajovic 6-2 6-1

(WC) T Bellucci def. (7) J Monaco 4-6 6-3 6-3

(8) P Andujar def. (Q) M Klizan walkover

Doubles – First Round

(2) Marrero/Melo def. Begemann/Emmrich 7-6(7-4) 7-5

(3) Granollers/M Lopez def. Andujar/J Sousa 6-2 6-2

Bracciali/Fognini def. Marach/Mergea 6-3 6-4

Cuevas/Zeballos def. Demoliner/Souza 6-4 6-3

Marseille

Singles – First Round

(7) J Benneteau def. J Huta Galung 6-1 6-4

(8) N Mahut def. K de Schepper 7-6(7-2) 6-3

R Bautista Agut def. D Brown 7-5 4-6 6-3

M Llodra def. L Lacko 6-3 7-6(7-2)

(Q) R Berankis def. J Hajek 6-5, retired

J Struff def. (Q) D Guez 3-6 6-1 6-1

Singles – Second Round

(1) R Gasquet def. B Kavcic 6-3 6-3

(2) J Tsonga def. N Davydenko 7-6(7-4) 7-6(8-6)

Doubles – First Round

Cerretani/Shamasdin def. (WC) Herbert/Olivetti 7-6(7-5) 7-6(7-5)

Doubles – Quarterfinal

Kretschmer/Satschko def. Brown/Krajicek 6-3 6-2

Delray Beach (so far)

Singles – First Round

(7) M Cilic def. B Becker 6-1 6-3

Singles – Second Round

(4) K Anderson def. I Karlovic 1-0, retired

(6) F Lopez def. A Mannarino 4-6 6-4 6-2

Doubles – First Round

(1) Bryan/Bryan def. (WC) Mannarino/Russell 6-1 6-3

Bangoura/Mirzadeh def. (2) Butorac/Klaasen 7-5 3-6 10-5

Becker/F Lopez def. Bogomolov/Sela 6-1 6-4

(WC) Harrison/Sock def. Bednarek/Karlovic walkover

Doubles – Quarterfinal

Cermak/Elgin def. Klahn/Smyczek 6-2 6-2

Topics: 10sballs, Atp, Benjamin Becker, Bob Bryan, Delray Beach, Ivo Karlovic, Jo Wilfried Tsonga, Juan Monaco, Kevin Anderson, Marin Cilic, Marseille, Mike Bryan, Pablo Andujar, Rio, Sports, Tennis, Tennis News

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February 19, 2014 at 7:22 pm

Ivo Karlovic Retires After First Game, Why? Results from Rio, Delray, and Marseille – http://t.co/RHOokoD4ok @ivokarlovic #tennis #ATP #news