Daily Men Tennis News – Barcelona, Bucharest, Ranking (04/26/12)

Written by: Staff on 26th April 2012

Barcelona

Singles – Second Round: (1) R Nadal def. G Garcia-Lopez 6-1 6-2
Still no signs of actual knee problems for Rafael Nadal. And, because Barcelona 2011 is already off, these are all free points for him. He can’t catch Novak Djokovic any time soon, but he is building a substantial lead over Roger Federer.

Singles – Second Round: (5) J Tipsarevic def. V Hanescu 7-5 6-4
Nothing that counts yet for Janko Tipsarevic. He can’t move this week anyway.

Singles – Second Round: (3) D Ferrer def. (WC) F Krajinovic 6-0 6-3
David Ferrer has a pile of 500 point events, so this doesn’t count for him. The good news is, with Tomas Berdych out, he will keep the #6 ranking.

Singles – Second Round: (7) F Lopez def. F Cipolla 6-4 6-3
Feliciano Lopez improves his odds of retaining the #16 ranking — but he needs a title to go higher.

Singles – Second Round: (8) K Nishikori def. M Kukushkin 6-3 4-6 6-0
OK, this is just goofy. Mikhail Kukushkin this year has:
* Three wins at a 2000 point event (Australian Open)
* Two wins at a 1000 point event (Monte Carlo)
* One win at a 500 point event (Barcelona)
* Zero wins at any 250 point events
We’re kinda afraid to ask about his Challenger results. Negative wins?

Singles – Second Round: (11) M Raonic def. I Andreev 6-4 6-1
One more win would probably let Milos Raonic stay Top 25.

Singles – Second Round: (13) K Anderson def. (Q) F Delbonis 7-6(7-5) 7-6(7-5)
Nothing that counts yet for Kevin Anderson, but it looks as if one more win would make him Top Thirty.

Singles – Second Round: (Q) R Farah def. (16) P Andujar 7-6(10-8) 4-6 7-5
Pablo Andujar is certainly very tired, but this is still shocking. It costs Andujar his chance to rise above his current #38.

Singles – Second Round: (17) A Ramos def. B Paire 6-3 7-5
One more win and Albert Ramos will likely reach the Top Forty.

Singles – Second Round: J Nieminen def. (LL) E Schwank 6-3 6-7(4-7) 6-4
This will probably take Jarkko Nieminen above #45.

Singles – Second Round: A Montanes def. (15) B Tomic 6-0 5-7 7-5
There goes Bernard Tomic’s chances for a Top Thirty spot. He still has a good chance for a Roland Garros seed, but he could have effectively clinched here.

Singles – Second Round: S Giraldo def. R Haase 6-4 6-3
Robin Haase won’t be making the Top Forty just yet.

Singles – Second Round: F Gil def. (Q) J Sousa 4-6 6-4 6-3
It’s not often you see an all-Portugese match. Especially in the second round…. Frederico Gil still needs more to get back to the Top Hundred, but this helps.

Doubles – First Round: Granollers/M Lopez def. Falla/Giraldo 7-6(7-2) 6-4

Doubles – First Round: Murray/Murray def. Anderson/Moser 6-4 6-4

Doubles – Second Round: (1) Bryan/Bryan def. Marrero/Verdasco 5-7 6-2 10-7 (Match TB)

Doubles – Second Round: (2) Mirnyi/Nestor def. Haase/Nieminen 4-6 6-4 12-14 (Match TB)
Unlike last week, there doesn’t seem much chance that the #1 ranking will change hands this week — but Mirnyi/Nestor can certainly add to the pressure on the Bryans in the coming weeks.

Doubles – Second Round: (8) Marach/Peya def. Elgin/Istomin 6-1 4-6 10-7 (Match TB)

Bucharest

There were weather delays on Wednesday; it’s going to be a busy Thursday in Bucharest….

Singles – Second Round: X Malisse def. (2) F Mayer 7-5 4-6 6-4
Bad news twice for Florian Mayer. First, he was defending finalist points this week, so he will lose a ranking spot. Second, he was defending champion. Those points don’t come off until September, but he probably won’t be in position to defend.

Singles – Second Round: (Q) D Brands def. (Q) J Zopp 7-6(7-3) 6-3
One more win would put Daniel Brands close to a return to the Top Hundred.

Singles – Second Round: (Q) A Balazs def. P Starace 6-3 6-4
A pretty good debut event for Attila Balazs. He increases his points by more than 50%.

Doubles – First Round: (1) Lindstedt/Tecau def. (WC) Daescu/Mergea 4-6 6-4 10-2 (Match TB)

Doubles – First Round: Mertinak/Sa def. (Alt) Emmrich/Siljestrom 3-6 6-3 10-8 (Match TB)

Doubles – Quarterfinal: Chardy/Kubot def. Huey/Inglot 3-6 6-3 10-7 (Match TB)

****** TODAY’S FEATURE ******

KEYWORDS: No Feature Today

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

THIS WEEK ON THE ATP WORLD TOUR:
Barcelona (500/Clay). Defending champion: Rafael Nadal
Bucharest (250/Clay). Defending champion: Florian Mayer (in September)

NEXT WEEK ON THE ATP WORLD TOUR:
Belgrade (250/Clay). Defending champion: Novak Djokovic
Estoril (250/Clay). Defending champion: Juan Martin del Potro
Munich (250/Clay). Defending champion: Nikolay Davydenko

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

**RANKINGS

Estimated ATP World Tour Rankings
As of April 25, 2012

Rank &
Prior…Player………..Points
1..(1) Djokovic……….13020
2..(2) Nadal…………..9760
3..(3) Federer…………8880
4..(4) Murray………….7860
5..(5) Tsonga………….4830
6..(6) Ferrer………….4160
7..(7) Berdych…………4080
8..(8) Tipsarevic………2820
9..(9) Fish……………2725
10.(11) Isner…………..2620
11.(10) Del Potro……….2495
12.(12) Simon…………..2295
13.(13) Almagro…………2220
14.(14) Monfils…………2075
15.(15) Monaco………….2015
16.(16) Lopez…………..1750
17.(17) Nishikori……….1670
18.(18) Gasquet…………1595
19.(19) Dolgopolov………1565
20.(20) Verdasco………..1505
21.(22) Wawrinka………..1425
22.(21) Mayer…………..1410
23.(23) Cilic…………..1400
24.(24) Stepanek………..1340
25.(26) Granollers………1295
26.(25) Raonic………….1290
27.(27) Benneteau……….1250
28.(28) Roddick…………1245
29.(30) Troicki…………1185
30.(31) Chela…………..1175

**DRAWS

Barcelona — Week of April 23

…………….3R
1 Nadal………(1)Nadal
16 Andujar……Farah(Q)
12 Granollers…Gil
5 Tipsarevic….(5)Tipsarevic

9 Verdasco……(9)Verdasco
13 Anderson…..(13)Anderson
17 Ramos……..(17)Ramos
8 Nishikori…..(8)Nishikori

7 Lopez………(7)Lopez
[10 Stepanek]…Nieminen
15 Tomic……..Montanes
3 Ferrer……..(3)Ferrer

6 Almagro…….(6)Almagro
11 Raonic…….(11)Raonic
18 Istomin……Giraldo
2 Murray……..(2)Murray

Status of Seeds:
1 Nadal
2 Murray
3 Ferrer
4 Berdych………WITHDREW
5 Tipsarevic
6 Almagro
7 Lopez
8 Nishikori
9 Verdasco
10 Stepanek…….WITHDREW
11 Raonic
12 Granollers…..lost 1R (Gil)
13 Anderson
14 Chela……….WITHDREW
15 Tomic……….lost 2R (Montanes)
16 Andujar……..lost 2R (Farah)
17 Ramos
18 Istomin……..lost 1R (Giraldo)

Budapest — Week of April 23

1 Simon
7 Kubot
4 Troicki
8 Dodig…….(Q)Brands

6 Seppi
5 Baghdatis
9 Chardy……(Q)Balazs
2 F Mayer…..Malisse

Status of Seeds:
1 Simon
2 F Mayer……lost 2R (Malisse)
3 Melzer…….WITHDREW
4 Troicki
5 Baghdatis
6 Seppi
7 Kubot
8 Dodig……..lost 1R (Brands)
9 Chardy…….lost 1R (Starace)

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

WEDNESDAY

Barcelona
Singles – Second Round
(1) R Nadal def. G Garcia-Lopez 6-1 6-2
(3) D Ferrer def. (WC) F Krajinovic 6-0 6-3
(5) J Tipsarevic def. V Hanescu 7-5 6-4
(7) F Lopez def. F Cipolla 6-4 6-3
(8) K Nishikori def. M Kukushkin 6-3 4-6 6-0
(11) M Raonic def. I Andreev 6-4 6-1
(13) K Anderson def. (Q) F Delbonis 7-6(7-5) 7-6(7-5)
A Montanes def. (15) B Tomic 6-0 5-7 7-5
(Q) R Farah def. (16) P Andujar 7-6(10-8) 4-6 7-5
(17) A Ramos def. B Paire 6-3 7-5
J Nieminen def. (LL) E Schwank 6-3 6-7(4-7) 6-4
S Giraldo def. R Haase 6-4 6-3
F Gil def. (Q) J Sousa 4-6 6-4 6-3
Doubles – First Round
Granollers/M Lopez def. Falla/Giraldo 7-6(7-2) 6-4
Murray/Murray def. Anderson/Moser 6-4 6-4
Doubles – Second Round
(1) Bryan/Bryan def. Marrero/Verdasco 5-7 6-2 10-7 (Match TB)
(2) Mirnyi/Nestor def. Haase/Nieminen 4-6 6-4 12-14 (Match TB)
(8) Marach/Peya def. Elgin/Istomin 6-1 4-6 10-7 (Match TB)

Bucharest
Singles – Second Round
X Malisse def. (2) F Mayer 7-5 4-6 6-4
(Q) def. Brands def. (Q) J Zopp 7-6(7-3) 6-3
(Q) A Balazs def. P Starace 6-3 6-4
Doubles – First Round
(1) Lindstedt/Tecau def. (WC) Daescu/Mergea 4-6 6-4 10-2 (Match TB)
Mertinak/Sa def. (Alt) Emmrich/Siljestrom 3-6 6-3 10-8 (Match TB)
Doubles – Quarterfinal
Chardy/Kubot def. Huey/Inglot 3-6 6-3 10-7 (Match TB)

Topics: Attila Balazs, Barcelona, Bucharest, Daniel Brands, David Ferrer, Janko Tipsarevic, Kei Nishikori, Rafael Nadal, Xavier Malisse