Daily Tennis Update – Rome (05/19/12)

Written by: Staff on 19th May 2012

Daily Tennis Update - Rome (05/19/12)

epa03224232 Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic returns the ball to french Jo-Wilfried Tsonga during their match at the Italian Open Tennis Tournament (ATP World Tour), at the Foro Italico in Rome, Italy, 18 May 2012. Djokovic won 7-5, 6-1. EPA/ETTORE FERRARI |

Rome

Singles – Quarterfinal: (1) N Djokovic def. (5) J Tsonga 7-5 6-1

Clay just isn’t the surface for Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. He will probably keep the #5 ranking next week, but this result means that he won’t clinch until David Ferrer loses.

Singles – Quarterfinal: (2) R Nadal def. (7) T Berdych 6-4 7-5

If you look at the score, this seemed like a relatively easy match. And Rafael Nadal won 56% of the points, and was broken only once. But he was out there for more than two hours; Tomas Berdych really made him work. This keeps alive Nadal’s hopes for the #2 Roland Garros seed — but it left the door open for David Ferrer to keep the #6 spot.

Singles – Quarterfinal: (3) R Federer def. A Seppi 6-1 6-2

After starting by reeling off five straight games, Roger Federer had a slightly rough patch at the end of the first set and beginning of the second. But it was brief. This is a significant win for him; as of now, Rafael Nadal needs a title to regain the #2 ranking and earn the #2 Roland Garros seed. Andreas Seppi we show at #25, meaning that he needs a withdrawal to earn the #24 Roland Garros seed.

Singles – Quarterfinal: (6) D Ferrer def. (16) R Gasquet 7-6(7-4) 6-3

If you want a Roland Garros dark horse, how about David Ferrer? He is third in clay points in the last year, trailing Nadal and Federer but ahead of Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray. (Not that the latter is saying much; Murray is #9 in clay points.) The win will let Ferrer retain the #6 ranking; Tomas Berdych will again have to settle for #7. It appears Richard Gasquet will hit the Top Twenty, but he loses his chance for a Top 16 seed in Paris.

Doubles – Quarterfinal: (7) Bhupathi/Bopanna def. (1) Mirnyi/Nestor 6-4 7-5

It was a terrible day for the top doubles teams.

Doubles – Quarterfinal: Kubot/Tipsarevic def. (2) Bryan/Bryan 6-4 6-4

Despite the above, we’d guess this means no return to the #1 spots for the Bryans at Roland Garros. Yes, they still have a chance, but this makes it a lot harder.

Doubles – Quarterfinal: Granollers/M Lopez def. (3) Llodra/Zimonjic 6-4 6-2

Doubles – Quarterfinal: (4) Lindstedt/Tecau def. (6) Fyrstenberg/Matkowski 6-2 1-6 12-10 (Match TB)

What a way for a winning streak to end….

****** TODAY’S FEATURE ******

Roland Garros Seed Update — Men

Still no decision on who will be #2 at Roland Garros. Rafael Nadal needs a title to get the spot back.

Novak Djokovic will be #1. Andy Murray will be #4. #5-#8 will be Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, David Ferrer, Tomas Berdych, and Janko Tipsarevic, probably in that order although Ferrer could still climb.

Seeds #9-#12 will probably be Juan Martin del Potro, Mardy Fish if he can play, John Isner, and Gilles Simon. If Fish can’t play, then Nicolas Almagro will be #12.

#13-#16 will be Almagro, Gael Monfils, Juan Monaco, and Fernando Verdasco. Feliciano Lopez moves up if Fish doesn’t play.

#17-#24 will be Lopez, Kei Nishikori, Alexandr Dolgopolov, Stanislas Wawrinka, Richard Gasquet, Milos Raonic, Marcel Granollers, and Marin Cilic. Andreas Seppi is next in line for promotion.

#25-#32 will be Seppi plus Radek Stepanek, Philipp Kohlschreiber, Bernard Tomic, Andy Roddick, Mikhail Youzhny, Victor Troicki, and perhaps Jurgen Melzer — assuming, as is likely, that Julien Benneteau cannot play.

Next in are Kevin Anderson, Florian Mayer, and Pablo Andujar.

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Rome

Singles – Quarterfinal: (2) Maria Sharapova def. (WC) Venus Williams 6-4 6-3

It’s hard to believe that Maria Sharapova has earned more clay points in the last year than anyone but Li Na — but she has. It’s going to be genuinely interesting to see how she does at Roland Garros — the only Slam she hasn’t won. She leaves Venus Williams still below the Top Fifty.

Singles – Quarterfinal: (12) Angelique Kerber def. (4) Petra Kvitova 7-6(7-2) 1-6 6-1

There isn’t much we can say except that Petra Kvitova isn’t going to have much of a comeback at this rate! She will retain the #4 ranking for now, but perhaps not for long. If Angelique Kerber can win her next match, she will pass Vera Zvonareva to hit the Top Ten.

Singles – Quarterfinal: (8) Li Na def. (14) Dominika Cibulkova 6-1 7-6(7-4)

That settles it: Li Na, not Caroline Wozniacki, will be the #8 Roland Garros seed. In one sense, it’s unfortunate, since Li’s numbers since Roland Garros 2011 have been pretty poor (that one event represents more than 40% of her points). On the other hand, Wozniacki isn’t even Top Twenty in clay points, so she hardly deserves the #8 seed either!

Singles – Quarterfinal: (9) Serena Williams def. Flavia Pennetta 4-0 retired (Right Wrist Injury)

Serena Williams can’t reach #4 this week, but what do you want to bet she is #4 (or higher) going into Wimbledon? And will Wimbledon up-seed her as a result? Recall that they don’t use a formula for the women; they still let the seeding committee fiddle with the seedings if they choose to.

Doubles – Quarterfinal: (1) Huber/Raymond def. Cibulkova/Husarova walkover (Husarova/Low Back Injury)

Janette Husarova has been having back problems for decades. Evidently a spell in retirement didn’t cure them….

Doubles – Quarterfinal: (3) Errani/Vinci def. (5) Kirilenko/Petrova 7-5 6-2

Could Errani/Vinci possibly win both clay High Premier events? It’s starting to look that way….

Doubles – Quarterfinal: Makarova/Vesnina def. Chuang/Dushevina 6-2 6-2

Doubles – Quarterfinal: Hampton/Tatishvili def. Pennetta/Schiavone walkover (Pennetta: Right Wrist Injury)

It ended up being a very short day, didn’t it….

Topics: 10sballs.com, Angelique Kerber, David Ferrer, Jo Wilfried Tsonga, Li Na, Novak Djokovic, Petra Kvitova, Roger Federer, Serena Williams, Sports, Tennis News