Nice
Singles – Final: A Montanes def. (WC) G Monfils 6-0 7-6(7-3)
When Gael Monfils was getting blistered in the first set, we naturally thought, Uh-oh, here we go again…. He got over it after that, but the second set tiebreak was almost as ugly. Albert Montanes may have been a little nervous — one of the three points for Monfils in the tiebreak came on a Montanes double-fault — but he managed to finish things off. It’s his first title since Stuttgart 2010 — an event where, oddly enough, he also beat Monfils in the final. It does a lot to rescue a troubled year. Montanes was 7-9 coming in, with only one quarterfinal in 2013. He’ll be returning to the Top Fifty after this. Pretty good, considering: “I was not supposed to play here in the first place. I was in my home town, two hundred kilometers from Barcelona, with friends when I found out I was entering the main draw last Saturday night. So it’s pretty incredible that I am here now with the Nice trophy!”
If it’s a breakthrough for Montanes, it’s a slump-breaker for Gael Monfils, too — he had a better record this year (11-10), but hadn’t made it as far as a quarterfinal since making the semifinal at Auckland. He’s back in the Top Hundred. Now he just has to deal with the problems of the first set….
Doubles – Final: Brunstrom/Klaasen def. Cabal/Farah 6-3 6-2
We frankly expected the reverse result here; Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah are the clay experts here. But they were broken three times, and Brunstrom/Klaasen saved all four break points they faced. It’s an especially big result for thirty-year-old Raven Klaasen, who had only 17 ATP doubles wins in his career until now; this is his first-ever title. His career high came this year, too; it’s looking like a breakthrough season.
Dusseldorf
Singles – Final: (3) (WC) J Monaco def. (6) J Nieminen 6-4 6-3
This was a final — and we know about Jarkko Nieminen and finals. Oh, he has won a few, but always when he faced an opponent with difficulties of his own. Facing a sound opponent, Nieminen seems to be doomed. He is now 2-11 in finals. At least it appears he will hit the Top Forty.
Juan Monaco passes Gilles Simon to reach #17. He also picks up his eighth singles title. It’s his first of this year. It is fascinating to note that, in every year in which he has won any titles, he has won at least three — he won three in 2007, and four in 2012. So this might be a token of another very good year. Now he just has to win something big….
Doubles – Final: Begemann/Emmrich def. (3) Huey/Inglot 7-5 6-2
It’s clear that Andre Begemann and Martin Emmrich like playing where they speak the language. They have two and only two titles, both together, and both in German-speaking countries; their other title was Vienna 2012. Both guys were thrilled. Emmrich said, “It’s my home town; I live twenty minutes from this club. It’s a very special moment for us, especially me. Winning a title like this in Germany is just awesome.” Speaking of the match, he reported, “It was a really slow start, I was really nervous. We got broken first game. But we came back straight away and then we got confident with the crowd at our back. We played really good tennis and kind of destroyed them in the second set.” Begemann too was glad of a result so near home. “I’m overwhelmed. I can’t describe my feelings right now, because it’s always special to play in front of my Dad and all my family.”
RANKINGS
Estimated ATP World Tour Rankings
As of May 25, 2013
Rank &
Prior…Player………..Points
1..(1) Djokovic……….12310
2..(2) Murray………….8670
3..(3) Federer…………8000
4..(4) Nadal…………..6895
5..(5) Ferrer………….6740
6..(6) Berdych…………4685
7..(7) del Potro……….4320
8..(8) Tsonga………….3795
9..(9) Gasquet…………3090
10.(11) Wawrinka………..2630
11.(12) Cilic…………..2570
12.(10) Tipsarevic………2480
13.(13) Almagro…………2375
14.(14) Haas……………2340
15.(15) Nishikori……….2315
16.(16) Raonic………….2225
17.(17) Simon…………..1895
19.(19) Monaco………….1810
18.(18) Kohlschreiber……1750
20.(20) Querrey…………1730
21.(21) Isner…………..1690
22.(22) Seppi…………..1530
23.(23) Janowicz………..1524
24.(24) Dolgopolov………1500
25.(25) Anderson………..1420
26.(26) Paire…………..1405
27.(27) Chardy………….1371
28.(28) Dimitrov………..1355
29.(29) Fognini…………1345
30.(30) Mayer…………..1290
DRAWS
Dusseldorf — Week of May 20
WINNER: Juan Monaco
……………….QF…………….SF……….F
1 Tipsarevic…….Pella(Q)……….Pella
7 Troicki……….(7)Troicki
3 Monaco (WC)……(3)Monaco(WC)…..Monaco……Monaco
8 Davydenko……..Kamke
5 Rosol…………Hajek
4 Kohlschreiber….Sijsling……….Sijsling
6 Nieminen………(6)Nieminen…….Nieminen….Nieminen
2 Haas (WC)……..(2)Haas(WC)
STATUS OF SEEDS
1 Tipsarevic……lost 2R (Pella)
2 Haas (WC)…….WITHDREW from QF
3 Monaco (WC)…..WON TOURNAMENT
4 Kohlschreiber…lost 2R (Sijsling)
5 Rosol………..lost 1R (Brands)
6 Nieminen……..lost F (Monaco)
7 Troicki………lost QF (Pella)
8 Davydenko…….lost 1R (Bedene)
Nice — Week of May 20
WINNER: Albert Montanes
……………QF………………SF…………..F
[1 Berdych]….Montanes…………Montanes……..Montanes
7 Granollers…Mathieu
3 Querrey……(3)Querrey
8 Istomin……Roger-Vasselin(WC)..Roger-Vasselin
6 Fognini……Monfils………….Monfils………Monfils
4 Isner……..Haase
5 Seppi……..Andujar………….Andujar
2 Simon……..(2)Simon
STATUS OF SEEDS
1 Berdych……WITHDREW
2 Simon……..lost QF (Andujar)
3 Querrey……lost QF (Roger-Vasselin)
4 Isner……..lost 2R (Haase)
5 Seppi……..lost 1R (Lu)
6 Fognini……lost 2R (Monfils)
7 Granollers…WITHDREW
8 Istomin……lost 1R (Berankis)
Roland Garros — Week of May 26
1 Djokovic
Goffin
Dodig
Pella
Al. Kuznetsov (WC)
Pouille (WC)
Falla
26 Dimitrov
22 Dolgopolov
Tursunov
Tomic
Hanescu
Bolelli
Lu
Vesely (Q)
16 Kohlschreiber
12 Haas
Rufin
Sock (Q)
Garcia-Lopez
And. Kuznetsov
Harrison
Berlocq
19 Isner
29 Youzhny
Andujar
Delbonis
Reister (Q)
Verdasco
Gicquel (WC)
Mahut (WC)
8 Tipsarevic
3 Nadal
Brands
Klizan
Russell
Riba (Q)
Rosol
A Beck (Q)
27 Fognini
24 Paire
Baghdatis
Kubot
Teixeira (Q)
Zemlja
Giraldo
Levine
13 Nishikori
9 Wawrinka
De Bakker
Pospisil (Q)
Zeballos
De Schepper
Haase
Ramos
21 Janowicz
28 F Mayer
Istomin
Serra (WC)
Davydenko
Przysiezny (Q)
Williams (LL)
Stakhovsky
7 Gasquet
5 Berdych
Monfils (WC)
Gulbis
Dutra Silva
Sijsling
Melzer
Zopp
32 Robredo
20 Seppi
L Mayer
Kavcic
Duckworth (Q)
Alund
Roger-Vasselin
Haider-Maurer (LL)
11 Almagro
14 Raonic
Malisse
Darcis (Q)
Llodra
Struff (Q)
Donskoy
Marchenko (LL)
23 Anderson
31 Granollers
Lopez
Sousa
Soeda
Johnson (Q)
Montanes
Matosevic
4 Ferrer
6 Tsonga
Bedene
Nieminen
Mathieu
Bautista Agut
Muller
Becker
25 Chardy
17 Monaco
Gimeno-Traver
Troicki
Blake
Stepanek
Kyrgios (WC)
Petzschner
10 Cilic
15 Simon
Hewitt
Mannarino (WC)
Cuevas
Hajek
Kudla (Q)
Lacko
18 Querrey
30 Benneteau
Berankis
Kamke
Lorenzi
Devvarman (Q)
Munoz-de la Nava (Q)
Carreno-Busta (Q)
2 Federer
SATURDAY
Dusseldorf
Singles – Final
(3) (WC) J Monaco def. (6) J Nieminen 6-4 6-3
Doubles – Final
Begemann/Emmrich def. (3) Huey/Inglot 7-5 6-2
Nice
Singles – Final
A Montanes def. (WC) G Monfils 6-0 7-6(7-3)
Doubles – Final
Brunstrom/Klaasen def. Cabal/Farah 6-3 6-2