Rome
Singles – Second Round: M Granollers def. (3) A Murray 6-3 6-7(5-7) retired (Lower Back)
Andy Murray had the trainer out early on in this. It didn’t help; he lost ten straight points. Then he clawed his way into things, even coming from behind in the second set tiebreak. But he couldn’t take it any more. Indeed, there is talk that he won’t be able to play Roland Garros. This even though he is in guaranteed the #2 seed.
Singles – Second Round: (4) D Ferrer def. F Verdasco 5-7 7-5 6-3
David Ferrer manfully adds points — but it hardly matters. What matters will be his quarterfinal against Rafael Nadal. Because that, in all likelihood, will settle the #4 seed at Roland Garros. Unless Andy Murray withdraws, anyway, in which case it’s all moot.
Singles – Second Round: (5) R Nadal def. F Fognini 6-1 6-3
Fabio Fognini defended his points, but others added points, so he’ll fall from #25 to #28. Still good enough for a Paris seed, of course.
Singles – Second Round: J Janowicz def. (8) J Tsonga 6-4 7-6(7-5)
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga did fairly well on the relatively fast clay of Madrid — but it’s slower in Rome. He is still almost certain to be seeded #8 in Paris. Jerzy Janowicz has a chance for the #24 seed, but it isn’t certain yet.
Singles – Second Round: A Dolgopolov def. (15) S Wawrinka walkover (Right Thigh)
Perhaps not a surprise after Stanislas Wawrinka’s long three weeks — but it appears this will cost him the #10 ranking he just earned. Still, he’ll be one of the Top Twelve Paris seeds.
Singles – Second Round: J Chardy def. (16) K Nishikori 6-4 6-1
After beating Roger Federer last week, Kei Nishikori seems to have turned back into a clay-court pumpkin; he will not rise above #15.
Singles – Second Round: P Kohlschreiber def. A Ramos 6-4 6-1
This should put Philipp Kohlschreiber back into the Top Twenty.
Singles – Second Round: (Q) E Gulbis def. V Troicki 6-1 6-1
Maybe we know what has happened to Viktor Troicki lately: He’s lost his mind. He went absolutely ballistic over a call in this match, but it of course did no good at all. All it did was speed Ernests Gulbis into the Top Forty.
Singles – Second Round: B Paire def. J Benneteau 6-7(3-7) 6-4 7-6(7-4)
These two came in as the #5 and #6 Frenchmen (behind Tsonga, Gasquet, Simon, and Chardy). Julien Benneteau is likely but not certain to get a seed; Benoit Paire would have been out of the hunt had he lost. As it is, he’s up to #33, and getting close to Benneteau at #31.
Singles – Second Round: G Simon def. M Youzhny 7-5 6-3
As usual, Mikhail Youzhny goes nowhere at a required event. Still, he remains #30 in safe points and looks sure of a Paris seed.
Doubles – First Round: (WC) Lorenzi/Starace def. Baghdatis/Del Potro 6-3 2-6 10-8
Doubles – First Round: Berdych/Stepanek def. Bracciali/Seppi 6-4 6-2
Doubles – Second Round: (2) Granollers/Lopez def. Benneteau/Zimonjic 6-4 6-7(4-7) 10-8
A good turnaround for Granollers/Lopez after a bad week last week.
Doubles – Second Round: (3) Lindstedt/Nestor def. (WC) Cipolla/Volandri 6-4 6-3
Doubles – Second Round: Gonzalez/Lipsky def. (8) Melzer/Paes 7-6(7-4) 7-6(7-3)
Given the way Jurgen Melzer has been playing lately, you have to wonder why Leander Paes decided to play with him. Interesting that Radek Stepanek actually did better than Paes.
****** 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: Pablo Andujar — Moved 59 places, from #113 to #54.
Andujar had been sliding all year — but he was given a wildcard into Madrid, and did he ever take advantage! He rode it all the way to the semifinal.
Runner-Up: Alex Bogomolov Jr. — Moved 24 places, from #111 to #87
Bogomolov won the $125K Kunming Challenger.
Biggest Percentage Mover — Cut Ranking By Highest Percent (Top 100)
Leader: Andujar — cut ranking 52%
Runner-Up: TIE
Andy Murray — Moved 1 place, 33%, from #3 to #2
Stanislas Wawrinka — Moved 5 places, 33%, from #15 to #10
Roger Federer’s early Madrid loss put Murray back at his career high. Wawrinka made the Madrid final, although he didn’t do much there.
Biggest Loser — Most Places Lost (Top 100)
Loser: Gilles Muller — Dropped 10 places, from #70 to #80
Muller lost some Challenger points.
Biggest Percentage Loser — Worst Percentage Increase in Ranking (Top 100)
Loser: Roger Federer, ranking increased 1 place, 50%, from #2 to #3.
Federer suffered another early loss, opening the door for Murray to rise.
Ranking Notes
We had only four players rise as much as 20% this week: Andujar (52%), Murray (33%), Wawrinka (33%), and Bogomolov (22%). Rajeev Ram, another guy in a Challenger, rose 19% (to #88); no one else gained more than 13%.
Other than Federer, no one fell more than 18%; the #2 loser was Marin Cilic, who fell 18% (to #13); Horacio Zeballos also lost 18% (to #47).
Our Personal Picks for “Best Mover of the Week”
These are subjective picks!
Andujar’s move feels a little cheap, but it was so big that we can hardly list anyone else this week!
KEYWORDS: Movers Men Andujar
******** THIS WEEK IN TENNIS ********
THIS WEEK ON THE ATP WORLD TOUR:
Rome (1000/Clay). Defending Champion: Rafael Nadal
NEXT WEEK ON THE ATP WORLD TOUR:
Nice (250/Clay). Defending Champion: Nicolas Almagro
World Tea Cup/Dusseldorf. Defending Champion: Serbia
******** STATS AND FACTS ********
RANKINGS
Estimated ATP World Tour Rankings
As of May 15, 2013
Rank &
Prior…Player………..Points
1..(1) Djokovic……….12220
2..(2) Murray………….8750
3..(3) Federer…………7490
4..(4) Ferrer………….6650
5..(5) Nadal…………..5985
6..(6) Berdych…………4430
7..(7) Del Potro……….4320
8..(8) Tsonga………….3795
9..(9) Gasquet…………3090
10.(11) Tipsarevic………2640
11.(10) Wawrinka………..2630
12.(13) Cilic…………..2570
13.(12) Almagro…………2490
14.(14) Haas……………2340
15.(15) Nishikori……….2315
16.(16) Raonic………….2225
17.(17) Simon…………..1940
18.(18) Monaco………….1750
19.(22) Kohlschreiber……1750
20.(19) Querrey…………1730
21.(20) Isner…………..1690
22.(21) Seppi…………..1530
23.(23) Dolgopolov………1500
24.(24) Janowicz………..1428
25.(27) Anderson………..1420
26.(29) Chardy………….1371
27.(26) Dimitrov………..1355
28.(25) Fognini…………1345
29.(28) Mayer…………..1295
30.(30) Youzhny…………1265
**DRAWS
Rome — Week of May 13
……………..3R
1 Djokovic…….(1)Djokovic
15 Wawrinka……Dolgopolov
11 Cilic………Anderson
6 Berdych……..(6)Berdych
4 Ferrer………(4)Ferrer
14 Raonic……..Kohlschreiber
10 Tipsarevic
5 Nadal……….(5)Nadal
7 del Potro……(7)del Potro
12 Almagro…….Paire
16 Nishikori…..Chardy
3 Murray………Granollers
8 Tsonga………Janowicz
9 Gasquet……..(9)Gasquet
13 Haas……….Simon
2 Federer……..(2)Federer
STATUS OF SEEDS:
1 Djokovic
2 Federer
3 Murray………..lost 2R (Granollers)
4 Ferrer
5 Nadal
6 Berdych
7 del Potro
8 Tsonga………..lost 2R (Janowicz)
9 Gasquet
10 Tipsarevic……WITHDREW (replaced by Rosol)
11 Cilic………..lost 2R (Anderson)
12 Almagro………lost 1R (Benneteau)
13 Haas…………lost 1R (Youzhny)
14 Raonic……….lost 1R (Kohlschreiber)
15 Wawrinka……..WITHDREW from 2R
16 Nishikori…….lost 2R (Chardy)
******** SCORES ********
WEDNESDAY
Rome
Singles – Second Round
M Granollers def. (3) A Murray 6-3 6-7(5-7) retired (Lower Back)
(4) D Ferrer def. F Verdasco 5-7 7-5 6-3
(5) R Nadal def. F Fognini 6-1 6-3
J Janowicz def. (8) J Tsonga 6-4 7-6(7-5)
A Dolgopolov def. (15) S Wawrinka walkover (Right Thigh)
J Chardy def. (16) K Nishikori 6-4 6-1
P Kohlschreiber def. A Ramos 6-4 6-1
(Q) E Gulbis def. V Troicki 6-1 6-1
B Paire def. J Benneteau 6-7(3-7) 6-4 7-6(7-4)
G Simon def. M Youzhny 7-5 6-3
Doubles – First Round
(WC) Lorenzi/Starace def. Baghdatis/Del Potro 6-3 2-6 10-8
Berdych/Stepanek def. Bracciali/Seppi 6-4 6-2
Doubles – Second Round
(2) Granollers/Lopez def. Benneteau/Zimonjic 6-4 6-7(4-7) 10-8
(3) Lindstedt/Nestor def. (WC) Cipolla/Volandri 6-4 6-3
Gonzalez/Lipsky def. (8) Melzer/Paes 7-6(7-4) 7-6(7-3)
©Daily tennis news wire
Topics: Andy Murray, David Ferrer, Italy tennis news, Jo Wilfried Tsonga, men tennis news, Rafael Nadal, Roland Garros, Rome, Sports, Tennis, Tennis News