* Ferrer looks strong in comeback
* Djokovic, Federer cruise
* Verdasco first seed to fall on day that saw most top players win
* Benneteau saves match point to beat Gulbis
* Baghdatis keeps up hot run with upset of Kohlschreiber
****** TODAY’S MEN’S NEWS ******
Miami
Singles – First Round (Late Thursday): S Querrey def. S Stakhovsky 7-6(7-2) 6-3
Given how Sam Querrey has been playing this year, any win is good news. But this still leaves him below #70 in safe points; he needs two more wins to defend his result from last year.
Singles – Second Round: (2) N Djokovic def. J Chardy 6-4 6-3
Who says Novak Djokovic is slow? This took less than an hour and a half. Of course, some of that was because Jeremy Chardy hurt his ankle. Chardy, even though he adds points, will lose at least one ranking spot.
Singles – Second Round: (4) D Ferrer def. T Gabashvili 6-4 6-0
David Ferrer missed Indian Wells, but it certainly looks as if he’s fully fit now! He still has more than 500 points to defend, though, so he is only #5 — and a weak #5 — in safe points. He leaves Teimuraz Gabashvili still right around #60.
Singles – Second Round: (5) R Federer def. I Karlovic 6-4 7-6(7-4)
The score makes this look closer than it was — Roger Federer lost only three points on serve (he won 94% of first serve points, 92% of second serve points). Ivo Karlovic did pretty well on serve, too, but you knew he was doomed if it came to a tiebreak. For a guy who wasn’t sure he would play, Federer certainly looks solid — moving him just a little closer to the #4 ranking. Karlovic remains just below #50.
Singles – Second Round: (9) R Gasquet def. A Gonzalez 7-6(9-7) 6-4
Richard Gasquet is defending semifinalist points, so he’ll need more than this to stay #9. He hasn’t even clinched his Top Ten spot yet.
Singles – Second Round: (11) J Tsonga def. A Mannarino 6-2 6-4
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Richard Gasquet, and Milos Raonic are still very nearly tied in the contest for the last Top Ten spot (and not too far behind John Isner in the contest for #9), but Tsonga looked rather better than Gasquet in his opener. Perhaps that’s a good omen for him.
Singles – Second Round: (15) G Dimitrov def. A Montanes 6-1 6-7(5-7) 6-3
Surprisingly tough for Grigor Dimitrov — but, fortunately, he has defended his points; this will probably be enough to keep him Top Fifteen. Albert Montanes will probably be a little above #60.
Singles – Second Round: (16) T Robredo def. (Q) D Thiem 6-4 7-6(10-8)
Not a very promising result for Tommy Robredo, who will have much tougher opponents in the next few rounds — he faces Novak Djokovic in the Round of Sixteen. But the good news is, he’s on the brink of the Top Fifteen.
Singles – Second Round: (17) K Anderson def. H Zeballos 6-4 6-3
Kevin Anderson defends his points, but he’ll need at least two more wins to move in the rankings.
Singles – Second Round: (20) K Nishikori def. M Matosevic 6-4 6-1
A solid start, but Kei Nishikori needs one more win to defend his points, and he’ll need at least two to hit the Top Twenty.
Singles – Second Round: J Benneteau def. (21) E Gulbis 6-4 4-6 7-5
Julien Benneteau was down a break in the third, and after he got it back, he came very close to suffering another — he had to save a match point to reach 5-5. Having survived that, he broke, and served it out after two hours and twenty minutes. Which means no Top Twenty spot for Ernests Gulbis; he won’t rise above #22. Benneteau is now #50 in safe points, although a Top Fifty spot is by no means assured.
Singles – Second Round: (WC) M Baghdatis def. (24) P Kohlschreiber 3-6 7-6(7-1) 7-6(7-5)
Why is it that it’s always the late matches that go on forever? Marcos Baghdatis looked dead, then he looked like he was going to cruise to victory, and then after two hours these two ended up in a third set tiebreak. Philipp Kohlschreiber, who has never been much of a big-event player, wasn’t defending anything, so he won’t fall much below his current #25 — but he won’t rise, either.
Singles – Second Round: (Q) T de Bakker def. (28) F Verdasco 7-6(7-4) 6-7(3-7) 6-2
After nine seeds had won here, Fernando Verdasco became the first to be eliminated — and by a qualifier ranked #162! Fortunately for him, he lost his opener last year also, but this means he won’t rise above his current #29.
Singles – Second Round: (30) F Mayer def. I Dodig 6-3 6-2
On paper, this should have one of the day’s more competitive matches — Florian Mayer was ranked only five spots ahead of Ivan Dodig. It obviously wasn’t as interesting as it should have been. Mayer is up to #30 in safe points; Dodig will stay right around his current #37.
Singles – Second Round: (31) A Seppi def. R Stepanek 7-6(10-8) 4-6 6-4
Andreas Seppi finally earns a good win — and he definitely earned it; this took two hours and 52 minutes. But he still needs one more win to defend his points; he’s only #34 in safe points. Radek Stepanek will be between #45 and #50.
Singles – Second Round: (32) F Lopez def. J Vesely 6-2 7-6(7-3)
Every point he earns here is a bonus for Feliciano Lopez. This won’t quite put him back in the Top Thirty, but one more win very likely would.
Doubles – First Round: (3) Dodig/Melo def. Knowle/Pospisil 1-6 6-1 10-5
Knowle/Pospisil are an interesting team — a crafty 39-year-old and a powerful but unpolished youngster. But they had a very tough draw.
Doubles – First Round: (7) Bopanna/Qureshi def. Bolelli/Fognini 6-3 6-2
Doubles – First Round: Haase/Marray def. Cilic/Dlouhy 6-4 7-6(7-4)
Doubles – First Round: Rosol/Zeballos def. Almagro/Garcia-Lopez 6-3 6-7(3-7) 10-6
Doubles – First Round: (WC) Harrison/Sock def. (WC) Baughman/Redlicki 7-5 6-4
If you’re wondering, Deiton Baughman is 17, Martin Redlicki is 18, and they have no ATP experience. Both are ranked, but both are below #900. The surprise is perhaps that they did as well as they did.
Doubles – First Round: Cabal/Farah def. Granollers/M Lopez 1-6 6-4 12-10
The horrid slump continues for Granollers/Lopez — note that they came here unseeded. And they got a tough draw, and it cost them. Bet they’re wishing they had been the ones to face Baughman/Redlicki….
Doubles – First Round: Marach/Tursunov def. S Gonzalez/Lipsky 7-6(7-5) 3-6 11-9
******** STATS AND FACTS ********
RANKINGS
Estimated ATP World Tour Rankings
As of March 21, 2013
Rank &
Prior…Player………..Points
1..(1) Nadal………….13140
2..(2) Djokovic……….10855
3..(3) Wawrinka………..5660
4..(5) Federer…………5090
5..(4) Ferrer………….4595
6..(7) Berdych…………4370
7..(8) Del Potro……….4260
8..(6) Murray………….3805
9.(10) Isner…………..2635
10..(9) Gasquet…………2590
11.(11) Tsonga………….2570
12.(12) Raonic………….2540
13.(14) Fognini…………2260
14.(16) Dimitrov………..2130
15.(17) Robredo…………2095
16.(15) Youzhny…………2090
17.(13) Haas……………2085
18.(18) Anderson………..1940
19.(19) Almagro…………1715
19.(20) Janowicz………..1715
21.(21) Nishikori……….1670
22.(22) Gulbis………….1655
23.(23) Dolgopolov………1520
24.(24) Monfils…………1510
24.(25) Kohlschreiber……1510
26.(28) Pospisil………..1333
27.(26) Cilic…………..1330
28.(27) Simon…………..1315
29.(29) Verdasco………..1270
30.(32) Mayer…………..1245
**DRAWS
Miami — week of March 17, 2014
1 Nadal
29 Tursunov
19 Janowicz
14 Fognini
12 Raonic
23 Monfils
27 Pospisil
[Becker(LL)]
3 Wawrinka
25 Cilic
22 Dolgopolov
13 Haas
10 Isner
18 Almagro
26 Simon
7 Berdych
5 Federer………..(5)Federer
28 Verdasco………de Bakker(Q)
17 Anderson………(17)Anderson
9 Gasquet………..(9)Gasquet
15 Dimitrov………(15)Dimitrov
20 Nishikori……..(20)Nishikori
31 Seppi…………(31)Seppi
4 Ferrer…………(4)Ferrer
6 Murray…………
32 Lopez…………(32)Lopez
24 Kohlschreiber….Baghdatis(WC)
11 Tsonga………..(11)Tsonga
16 Robredo……….(16)Robredo
21 Gulbis………..Benneteau
30 Mayer…………(30)Mayer
2 Djokovic……….(2)Djokovic
STATUS OF SEEDS:
1 Nadal
2 Djokovic
3 Wawrinka
4 Ferrer
5 Federer
6 Murray
7 Berdych
8 del Potro………WITHDREW (replaced by Becker)
9 Gasquet
10 Isner
11 Tsonga
12 Raonic
13 Haas
14 Fognini
15 Dimitrov
16 Robredo
17 Anderson
18 Almagro
19 Janowicz
20 Nishikori
21 Gulbis………lost 2R (Benneteau)
22 Dolgopolov
23 Monfils
24 Kohlschreiber..lost 2R (Baghdatis)
25 Cilic
26 Simon
27 Pospisil
28 Verdasco…….lost 2R (de Bakker)
29 Tursunov
30 Mayer
31 Seppi
32 Lopez
******** SCORES ********
FRIDAY
Miami
Singles – Second Round
(2) N Djokovic def. J Chardy 6-4 6-3
(4) D Ferrer def. T Gabashvili 6-4 6-0
(5) R Federer def. I Karlovic 6-4 7-6(7-4)
(9) R Gasquet def. A Gonzalez 7-6(9-7) 6-4
(11) J Tsonga def. A Mannarino 6-2 6-4
(15) G Dimitrov def. A Montanes 6-1 6-7(5-7) 6-3
(16) T Robredo def. (Q) D Thiem 6-4 7-6(10-8)
(17) K Anderson def. H Zeballos 6-4 6-3
(20) K Nishikori def. M Matosevic 6-4 6-1
J Benneteau def. (21) E Gulbis 6-4 4-6 7-5
(WC) M Baghdatis def. (24) P Kohlschreiber 3-6 7-6(7-1) 7-6(7-5)
(Q) T de Bakker def. (28) F Verdasco 7-6(7-4) 6-7(3-7) 6-2
(30) F Mayer def. I Dodig 6-3 6-2
(31) A Seppi def. R Stepanek 7-6(10-8) 4-6 6-4
(32) F Lopez def. J Vesely 6-2 7-6(7-3)
Doubles – First Round
(3) Dodig/Melo def. Knowle/Pospisil 1-6 6-1 10-5
(7) Bopanna/Qureshi def. Bolelli/Fognini 6-3 6-2
Haase/Marray def. Cilic/Dlouhy 6-4 7-6(7-4)
Rosol/Zeballos def. Almagro/Garcia-Lopez 6-3 6-7(3-7) 10-6
(WC) Harrison/Sock def. (WC) Baughman/Redlicki 7-5 6-4
Cabal/Farah def. Granollers/M Lopez 1-6 6-4 12-10
Marach/Tursunov def. S Gonzalez/Lipsky 7-6(7-5) 3-6 11-9
Topics: 10sballs, Atp World Tour, Ernests Gulbis, GRIGOR DIMITROV, Ivo Karlovic, Jo Wilfried Tsonga, Miami, milos raonic, Novak Djokovic, Richard Gasquet, Roger Federer, Sam Querrey, Sony Open, Sports, Tennis, Tennis News
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