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Saturday, June 30, 2012

Wimbledon 2012: Fish Versus Tsonga - Preview


Jo-Wilfried Tsonga takes on the challenge of Mardy Fish in the fourth round on Monday, the 2nd July. Both were straight set winners in the third round. They have met twice before and Tsonga was the winner on both the occasions. Their match in U.S Open last year was decided in the fifth set.

Fish has been more impressive in his victory over David Goffin in the previous round. He fired seventeen aces in seventeen service games as against Tsonga’s seven aces in fourteen service games against Lukas Lacko. His average serve was faster than Tsonga. He hit 56 winners committing only 18 unforced errors in 35 games whereas Tsonga hit 27 winners and committed 17 unforced errors in 28 games. However, this comparison is no precursor to the likely outcome of the result in their ensuing encounter. It only shows that Fish is playing well inspite of his numerous pull outs from various tournaments in the past few months due to illness.

Tsonga has a natural grass court game where he is both aggressive and is an innate mover to the forecourt behind a good approach shot. He has excellent volleying skills. His court speed is very good but footwork is sometimes hampered by his heavier frame which comes in the way of quick shuffle required while readying himself for the volley. He has good variety in his game. However, there are some limitations. He can run short of ideas if he is unable to impose his game on his opponent. His tendency is to become more aggressive and run faster. His anxiety becomes palpable in his game and nerves do come into play. This is where Fish is a bit different. He is more balanced in his mind and tends to treat the match situation in a calmer way. He is likely to send more shots to Tsonga’s backhand, the flank from where Tsonga does not fire as many winners. Fish will also get more balls to his backhand since Tsonga plays many inside out forehands. Both the players play slice on backhand as well as top spin, though Tsonga imparts less top spin from backhand. He can however play a flatter down the line backhand as easily as a cross court two hander.

Fish has better defence than Tsonga. He may not be as much flamboyant, but does not give up percentage play even when trailing. Tsonga’s fortitude can be tested, though he is not as much impatient now as he was in previous years. He is the one who is likely to make the first move for an opening in a rally. Fish will wait for his chances to counter punch. Tsonga is the one more likely to commit an error in longer rallies.

Tsonga is the favourite to go through to the quarterfinals, but Fish’s doggedness can save the day for him. The match can have unexpected result.

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Wimbledon 2012: Roddick Versus Ferrer - Preview


Andy Roddick takes on the challenge of David Ferrer in the third round on Saturday, the 30th June. Both had straight sets victory over their opponents in the second round. They have met ten times before with Ferrer prevailing six times. They have never met on grass. Roddick has significant achievements at Wimbledon where he has been finalist thrice as against Ferrer who has never gone beyond the round of sixteen.

It is a matchup between explosive service of Roddick and consistency of Ferrer. The game will be on familiar pattern. Ferrer will strive to induce Roddick into long rallies where the point will end with an error from Roddick. Roddick will rely on his serve to win his service games and put pressure on Ferrer’s serve. In order to finish the point earlier on Ferrer’s serve, Roddick will have to go in for winners. In increasing the pace of the shot and acuteness of the angles, he will risk overhitting the ball, but there is little option. Ferrer can run miles and retrieve all balls. He plays the same type of game, same pace, same spin and same serve. Since he has limitations on serve power, he keeps the first serve percentage high. Return of serve should not be a big problem for Roddick, though he is not counted among the best returners of serve. Ferrer also does not pack much power on his shots, but is a machine which goes on returning with enough safety margins in the shot. Only a variety can disturb his rhythm like that played by Federer. Roddick has a good forehand but he does not have Federer type of variety. Over the years, he has lost a bit of tendency to innovate and his game has acquired some familiarity. He will come to the net a bit more than Ferrer, but not enough to disturb Ferrer’s rhythm. Ferrer has good penchant for the passing shot and Roddick’s volleying skills are good without being legendary. Roddick should have advantage in tie breaker which he can reach after keeping own serve intact. Ferrer does not have secret weapons in a tie breaker. He would play the same game after reducing his unforced errors. Roddick has some leverage on serve placement. His outgoing first serve can give him opportunity for one-two shot combination.

Ferrer works hard, but in the most competitive era of ATP tennis, hard work can only take you only upto a point. He is like a blue collared worker who will do well against senior and junior co-workers, but when he meets his boss, he has to surrender, since he does not believe in his superiority over a better qualified performer. Roddick has better qualifications on grass and has performed better, but he cannot boss Ferrer around.

If Roddick serves well and keeps unforced errors down, he can win. However, on paper, Ferrer is the higher seed based on his performance during the past one year.

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Wimbledon 2012: Querrey Versus Raonic - Preview


Sam Querrey faces Milos Raonic in the second round on Thursday, 28th June. It is the first meeting between the two talented players from neighboring countries.

Querrey and Raonic play similar type of tennis with great reliance on serve and forehand. Querrey had been out of action for sometime after elbow surgery last year during which his ranking plummeted. Raonic has had a steady rise after his return from injury in last Wimbledon. He is in good form.

Both the players have similar prowess in mobility. They prefer to play mostly from the baseline and come to volley at the net only when they are sure of the quality of the approach shot. Raonic is more enterprising of the two in coming to the net. Forehand is the key weapon, with Raonic having a bit lesser net clearance. However, he does not often create acute angles since he tends to stand a bit more behind the baseline. Both the players have good inside out forehand. Querrey also sometimes tends to stand much behind the baseline which affects his attacking game. However, both have adjusted their game a bit to suit the needs of the grass court. 

Querrey has not had the same success of late as when he had reached top twenty in the world rankings a year and a half ago. His confidence has not returned to the same state as before. Raonic has an edge on serve and Querrey is not the best returner of serve. Querrey is unlikely to win more points from the back court in long rallies. One has to see whether his game plan would be to abandon the baseline after 5-6 groundstroke exchanges and advance to the net at the first available opportunity. Raonic has shown better capability to merge with the match position and construct his way to an advantageous state. He is the steadier player of the two at present.

When two players of similar style play each other, the steadier one prevails. Raonic has been the more consistent player in 2012.

Monday, June 25, 2012

Wimbledon 2012: Gulbis Versus Janowicz - Preview

Ernests Gulbis has once again raised hopes by beating Tomas Berdych in the first round. His fans are hoping that he has not started packing his bags now that his quota for wins in this Wimbledon is over. How many times in the past, Gulbis has raised hopes and then massacred them. His capacity to shock a seed and then lose to a qualifier is not unknown. This time the qualifier is Jerzy Janowicz who beat Simone Bolleli in four sets in the first round.

Gulbis is the type of explosive player who has the capacity to cause upsets. On his day, he has no respect for reputations. He can defeat any body on any court. He has career victories over Novak Djokovic on hard court and Roger Federer on clay. In beating Berdych, he thundered in 30 aces in three tie breaker sets while putting 72% of first serves in. He had numerous winners on ground strokes, especially on the forehand and dominated Berdych on important points. Janowicz, his next opponent, has good serve and good ground strokes too. He exhibited good consistency in fighting past Bolelli.

            Gulbis can concentrate on one match, but not on a full tournament. His impatience shows even in the time taken between two points on serve, as if he is in a hurry to leave the court, win or lose. What Janowicz has to do to win the match? He need not do much, just hope that Gulbis wakes up from the wrong side of the bed on the match day.

Wimbledon 2012: Djokovic Versus Harrison - Preview


Ryan Harrison takes on Novak Djokovic on the centre court in the second round. They have met once before at Cincinnati where Djokovic prevailed in straight sets. Harrison defeated Yen-Hsun Lu in four sets in the first round whereas Djokovic had easy straight sets victory over Juan Carlos Ferrero.

Harrison has an excellent first serve and one of the best second serves. His second serve clocks 175 kmph which is not much below the first serve of many higher ranked players. He served at 70% in his first round match which he has to maintain since Djokovic is the best returner in the game. When they met in Cincinnati in August last year, Harrison could not hold his serve even once in the first set which he lost 6-2. Djokovic exerts that type of pressure on whosoever is the opponent. Djokovic served very well in his first round firing one ace per service game and many of his 66% first serves unreturnable.  

Harrison has a respectable forehand which holds well in a medium range rally. However, when put under pressure, it tends to return high balls to remain in the rally. This may not be enough with Djokovic which even players like Rafael Nadal have learned. Harrison would have to finish the point with a winner. However, his forehand tends to overhit when he goes into extra aggression. The numbers of forehand winners tend to cancel out with errors against elite players.

Harrison does not as much rely on backhand to win the point. His backhand is something like that of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, which is mainly to return the ball safely. If Djokovic chooses to play to Harrison’s weaker flank, it would be the backhand. Djokovic has the best backhand in the business and therefore, any routine cross court backhand exchanges would go in favour of Djokovic. Any attempt to convert backhand into forehand might prove to be suicidal.

Djokovic can hit an imaginary twelve inches corridor at the sidelines with regular precision. Even fast movers like Rafael Nadal have been reduced to chasing their shadows when Djokovic played acute angles. Harrison may move well for his weight, but he is not in the list of the best movers. He will not be prepared to cutting out the angles with swift movement to the net. He is not a natural volleyer, though playing doubles has improved his volleying skills. However, volley in doubles is different from creating volley position on an approach shot and executing it in singles.

           It is an uphill task for Harrison to defeat Djokovic. However, Djokovic will not have it as easy as in the first round.

Saturday, June 23, 2012

Wimbledon 2012 Draw: Analysis


Wimbledon draw is out and the throw of dice has intervened to shape the destiny of the fancied players.

Andy Murray appears to be the hardest hit as his quarter is full of snakes, there being hardly any ladders. Nikolay Davydenko may not be the same player after he suffered injuries in 2009 and 2010, but he has the capability to turn in a winning performance on his day. He has the experience of defeating Murray four times in his career. Ivo Karlovic may never have defeated Murray before, but nobody would like him as an opponent on grass. Both Kevin Anderson and Marcos Baghdatis have split results in their previous meetings with Murray. Milos Raonic has defeated him the only time they have met and that was this year only. Marin Cilic was the victor over disqualified David Nalbandian at the Queens AEGON championships last week where Murray was defeated in his very first match. Both Juan Martin Del Potro and David Ferrer are in good form and can present an inspired challenge in the quarterfinals.  

Roger Federer will not lose sleep up to quarterfinals. John Isner is the only player to present some opposition to Federer, but notwithstanding his win in the Davis Cup, he can at best be a hopeful than a favourite against Federer at Wimbledon.

Rafael Nadal will face a stubborn Thomaz Bellucci in the first round. Bellucci has a penchant for troubling higher ranked players, but he is yet to take a set off Nadal in the previous two meetings. His main challenge will come if Jo-Wilfried Tsonga progresses to the quarterfinals. Tsonga defeated him last year at Queens AEGON championships and the year ending ATP WTF, both in London, but Nadal defeated him in their last meeting at Miami this year. Tsonga does not have an easy section of draw and his place in quarterfinals is not assured. Nadal can be tested in his quarter but not denied passage.

Novak Djokovic has some well known opponents, but they are not at their peak. Juan Carlos Ferrero, his first round opponent, defeated him when he was an eighteen year old kid. Ryan Harrison looks like a twenty year old kid, who might serve with iron fists but is yet to take off kid gloves. The main challenge might come from Tomas Berdych in the quarterfinals.

It looks likely that three of the top four seeds might survive to reach the semi-finals.  

Friday, June 8, 2012

French Open 2012: Djokovic Versus Nadal - Preview


Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, the best two players in the world will face off in the finals on Sunday, the 10th June. History will be chasing them. Djokovic can be the first player since Rod Laver in 1969 to hold all the four Grand Slam titles. Nadal can be the first player to become a seven times champion at Roland Garros.

Djokovic had been Nadal’s nemesis for more than a year until Nadal defeated him at Monte Carlo in April after seven straight defeats in the finals. Djokovic has again demonstrated exemplary mental strength in this tournament when he came back from two sets down to win against Andreas Seppi and when he saved four match points against the local favourite Jo-Wilfried Tsonga to win in five sets. Nadal has had easy path to the finals where he has not lost a single set. Both have a rest day on Saturday to get ready for another chapter in their intriguing rivalry on Sunday.

Nadal has a killer forehand with which he has triumphed over his opponents through baseline rallies. This was so until Djokovic appeared in a new avatar in 2011after which Nadal was reduced to an also ran player for most of 2011. He has lost to Djokovic in all the Grand Slam finals which they have played in 2011 and so far in 2012. Djokovic has had physical and mental edge over Nadal, the two factors which had catapulted Nadal into invincible position in 2010. Have the dynamics changed, at least on clay? The finals on Sunday will decide whether Nadal has got over the Djokovic complex, notwithstanding his victories in Monte Carlo and Rome.

Djokovic has added extra muscle and accuracy to his basic shots to become the best player in the world. He is the best in attack, counter attack and defence. His precision and power on ground strokes is unmatched. He has superior serve and return of serve than Nadal. His backhand is the best in the world. His anticipation and court positioning is impeccable. He does not leave any gap in the court. More than anything, he has peaked at the right time. The benefit of tough matches against Seppi and Tsonga could be seen in straight set defeat of Roger Federer in the semi-finals. There were no symptoms of fatigue in the semi-final match.

Nadal has a superior forehand on clay, but it has not bothered Djokovic in the past. The extra top spin that Nadal generates causes extra difficulties on clay. Djokovic will pin him mostly on the backhand, both to induce short return and to open up the forehand corner. Djokovic has often exploited gaps in the forehand corner when Nadal tends to convert backhand into forehand. He is a past master in using the pace and power of opponent’s shot, just directing the return to the other corner of the court. Nadal tried to neutralize this in Rome by mixing ground strokes with high balls in the middle of the court. He is likely to repeat this tactics. Nadal served only 60% of first serves against David Ferrer, which he cannot afford against the best returner in the world. Djokovic has used return of serve as a weapon to earn point within three - four shots. Nadal will have to revert to his normal range of 70% first serves. Djokovic served well against Federer in the semi-finals.

There is a danger that easy victories can lull a person into belief that he is playing his best. Nadal has got easy victories, but has not faced quality opposition in his draw. There was nobody to punish the short balls that he was sometimes feeding to the opponents. Ferrer does not have shots to kill the short balls. Nicolas Almagro was hampered by single fisted  backhand. Nadal is likely to repeat the winning game and change it only when it fails. Djokovic is not losing the longer rallies to those who have weaker  backhand which might force Nadal to go for winner earlier than he does. He might commit a few more errors going for the lines since Djokovic has great speed and good anticipation.

Djokovic has pushed down Nadal from the top position not for nothing. He has demonstrated his superiority in many places, but not at Roland Garros. He has the best combination of defence and attack. This tournament has however been owned by Nadal from his very first participation in 2005. The only blur came in 2009 when he suffered the biggest upset at the hands of Robin Soderling. His style of counter punching and solid defence has proved almost invincible on the clay court of Roland Garros.

Djokovic has stronger basics but Nadal has better credentials at Roland Garros. It is too precious a title for Nadal to fritter away.

Thursday, June 7, 2012

French Open 2012: Nadal Versus Ferrer - Preview

Rafael Nadal takes on the challenge of compatriot David Ferrer in the semi-finals on Friday, the 8th June. Both had reached the quarterfinals without dropping a set. Ferrer dropped a set to Andy Murray in the semi-finals, but was more impressive in his victory since defeating any one of the top four is a remarkable feat in itself. Nadal had an untroubled victory over Nicolas Almagro in the semi-finals.

In Ferrer, Nadal will find a mirror image of himself on the other side of the net. Both play similar styles of tennis, retrieving all balls and running everywhere on the court in endless rallies. In this encounter, one can expect Nadal to be the first to pull the trigger in a rally since he has a killer forehand. He might therefore commit more unforced errors than Ferrer, but will also force errors from Ferrer’s racquet. On his part, Ferrer does not let short balls from Nadal go unpunished. He keeps Nadal pinned on his backhand and whenever the ball falls short, he blasts it to the forehand corner. However, his aggression cannot last for five sets. If he has to defeat Nadal, it should be in three or four sets. It is a tall order.

Among the fellow Spaniards, it is Ferrer who has the belief that he can defeat Nadal. In the previous rounds, Nadal has not faced quality opponents. Sometimes the tactics that work with lower ranked players do not work with the top ten players. One has seen Nadal more in a defensive mode, content with returning balls and playing stamina tennis. As regards Ferrer, he might play the same game he played in the first set against Nadal in Rome last month. He appeared the better player in that set, but after he lost the tie break, his spirit was broken and he lost the second set 6-0. He played Nadal with the same aggression when he defeated him in the Australian Open last year, though what was the contribution of Nadal’s physical discomfort is not assessable.

Ferrer will have the advantage of being the underdog, play with nothing to lose. He can run a marathon with Nadal. He gives no free points whatsoever. He is going to give a lot of trouble to Nadal, but can he cause an upset? Only the uncontrolled aggression of Robin Soderling could defeat Nadal at Roland Garros. Ferrer does not play a Soderling. He has been a poor man’s Nadal so far. He will be out to prove that poor can teach a lesson or two to the rich. Nadal will be there to ensure that even two lessons cannot win a five set format.

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

French Open 2012: Federer Versus Djokovic - Preview


The revenge match between Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer will take place on Friday, the 8th June to decide the finalist from the top half. It was at the same stage last year that Federer halted Djokovic’s incredible winning streak. The stakes are even higher this year with Djokovic slated to equal Rod Laver’s age old record of holding all the four Grand Slam trophies.

Djokovic appears to be peaking at the right time. It is debatable whether the two five setters in succession were good or detrimental to his chances. Federer too has been wading through troubled waters in quite a few of his matches. Both are battle hardened for the war on Friday.

Djokovic might engage him in backhand rallies since he has the best backhand in the game today and Federer does not score many winners from that flank. However, Federer can do many things from the backhand. His slice and variation of pace from that side does not give constant rhythm to his opponent and therefore those who thrive on rhythm, do not find them in their comfort zone. Djokovic thrives on rhythm and pace. He does not get that from players like Federer or Alexandr Dolgopolov.

Federer is a steady match player. His percentage of first serve is not going to get below 60% as happened against Juan Martin Del Potro. Djokovic being the best returner, will not let many aces past his racquet, but Federer will still manage a decent percentage of wins on first serves. Djokovic will fire less number of aces, but a higher percentage of wins on the first serve. While Djokovic uses return of serve as a weapon for scoring points, Federer is a more consistent returner of serve. Whether the ball is directed on his forehand or backhand, it goes back to land between the service line and the baseline.

Federer is more comfortable at the net than Djokovic and therefore he uses the length of the court more than others. Djokovic is a baseliner who uses the breadth of the court more to pound ground strokes. Federer will therefore play a more all court game, but whether that would be sufficient to repulse the precision and power from the other end is to be seen. Djokovic has restarted painting the sidelines with precision from the previous match against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, and that is not good news for his opponents. Even a creative opponent like Federer can be reduced to chasing shadows all the time and get little breather to innovate on the court. Federer may not let that happen on a regular basis, especially on his own serve. He will set the pace of the point on serve and be the first to pull the trigger. He does not have that much precision as he had when he was a yard faster and therefore his count of unforced errors is more when on attack. He has good defence, but he does not play a defensive game like Rafael Nadal or Andy Murray. He takes position at the baseline and not far behind making it difficult for players like Djokovic and Murray to win points through drop shots.

Federer’s game may still be a mystery for many on the tour, but players like Djokovic and Nadal have played him so many times, that familiarity has set in. The backroom teams have dissected each and every aspect and developed strategies to counter them. Federer has not done as much as he mostly believes in his own game and tries to impose it on the day, win or lose. Many termed it as stubbornness when he was regularly losing to Nadal, but he has not changed much. Djokovic has bested clay courters in long rallies where his superior court coverage has given him better leverage in baseline exchanges. But Federer will not allow himself to be dragged in long rallies. He will try to end the rally within ten shots mostly. Since he gets the mental edge when up, Federer is likely to start faster than Djokovic. If he gets first set in his pocket, he will transform into a more confident player. If he has to win, it should be within four sets, for Djokovic has appeared invincible in the fifth set for the last eighteen months or so.  

When Federer defeated the invincible Djokovic last year in the semi-finals, some called it a once in life time performance by Federer. Can he repeat that performance? Yes, if only he lives twice; otherwise lightening does not strike twice.

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

French Open 2012: Murray Versus Ferrer - Preview


Andy Murray takes on the challenge of David Ferrer in the quarterfinals on Wednesday, the 6th June. It is the tenth time they are meeting each other with Murray coming up trumps on five occasions. However, Ferrer has won all the three clay court meetings.

Ferrer’s game style might sometimes look a bit robotic, shorn of innovation but built for perfection from the baseline. Over the last two years or so, he has added power to his ground strokes and serve. He never tires and will retrieve everything that Murray throws at him. However, the quality of such retrievals will be different depending whether these are from the baseline or from elsewhere. He is almost impregnable at the baseline, but not so much between the baseline and the net. His movement from side to side is exemplary, but back and forth movement is not as secure. Murray varies spin, depth and power of his shots to create openings. He has good anticipation to judge when Ferrer will play a stock shot and where he should be to take that shot. It is with such cat and mouse approach that Murray would strive to create openings. Ferrer does not have ultra destructive shots and Murray is a master of low pace game. Ferrer does not have a monster serve and Murray is among the best returners. However, when the surface is clay, Ferrer’s mechanical game can win over a mental game. He may hit less number of winners than Murray, but also commit less unforced errors. In his anxiety to put the ball beyond Ferrer, Murray will go closer and closer to the lines and then beyond. First serve is one area where Murray is superior to Ferrer. Although Murray did not serve the requisite number of aces in the four sets against Richard Gasquet, but also did not allow his first serve percentage to fall below sixty. There always lurks a grave danger that his first serves come down to fifty percent leaving sub-par second serves to be exploited by aggressive returners. Ferrer is not an aggressive returner though. His motto is to return the serve well enough to start a rally and then never to let the rally end. He has not lost a set so far, meaning thereby that he can still run miles. However, time to concede set has come, but how many, cannot be predicted.

On the basis of performance so far in the tournament, Murray defeating Ferrer would be called an upset, though Murray is the higher ranked player.

Monday, June 4, 2012

French Open 2012: Djokovic Versus Tsonga - Preview


The blockbuster match between Novak Djokovic and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga will take place on Tuesday, the 5th June to decide the semi-finalist from this quarter. Both had five setters in the fourth round, Djokovic surprisingly stretched by Andreas Seppi and Tsonga, blessed to survive against Stanislas Wawrinka. They have met ten times before and are even in head-to-head meetings.

Djokovic is the best player in the world, but is not in the best form. Tsonga is in the quarterfinals for the first time. Djokovic was troubled by the low height of Seppi shots and was not getting a clean strike. Tsonga does not play that type of ground strokes. He has however different game plan than Seppi. Tsonga goes on attack, except when he has to convert a break point. He is a natural mover to the net, but surprisingly did not adopt that strategy in his previous match against Wawrinka. He was playing a defensive game which is not his basic nature. He won, though not because of his excellent defence. When playing the best player in the world, he will have to bring in his best game style. The problem however is that Djokovic thrives on pace. It is against players like Federer, or Seppi yesterday, that he struggles since ball does not come with constant pace to him. It also sometimes happens when playing against Alexandr Dolgopolov. Tsonga has slice on backhand, but it is mostly to stay in the rally on a low and short ball. This might not induce error from Djokovic on a regular basis. Djokovic has better forehand and backhand than Tsonga. Both are equally fast in court coverage, but Djokovic is more balanced while executing ground strokes. Tsonga has a heavier frame, which imparts more than optimum body momentum. Some of the volley failures can be attributed to this. His failure to impart precision on wider shots is due to his failure to control body momentum on the run.  

Tsonga has marginally better first serve and might serve more aces. Djokovic has the best return of serve and that is going to induce many errors on the third shot of the rally. He has excellent anticipation, but then Tsonga does not play many pre-determined shots unlike Rafael Nadal. However his inside out shot from the ad court is a regular shot which is becoming easier to anticipate. This will go to the backhand of Djokovic which is the best in the world today. Tsonga’s backhand is good enough to keep him in the rally, but he hits more winners on the forehand side. Djokovic is much more consistent on ground strokes and it would be futile to score points through longer rallies. If Tsonga changes to his net attacking game behind good approaching shot, he can disturb Djokovic rhythm to some extent. However, since Djokovic possesses excellent passing shots, Tsonga will have to bring his best volleying abilities to the fore.

If Tsonga has to defeat Djokovic, it should be within four sets with extra-ordinary aggression. Djokovic is too strong to succumb in the fifth set. It is a difficult task for Tsonga, but not impossible.

Saturday, June 2, 2012

French Open 2012: Murray Versus Gasquet - Preview


Andy Murray faces an old foe in Richard Gasquet in the fourth round on Monday, the 4th June. They have split results in the six meetings so far.

Gasquet is coming off an awesome display against Tommy Haas whom he bageled twice in succession. It was no fluke, for his aggression was there for all to see. It would be simplistic to say that such display was against a 34 years old war horse. The quality of winners was irrespective of the opponent. Haas did not play badly. But he was simply overpowered. It will not be possible to replicate the performance against Murray since he has the best anticipation on court and he is a fast mover. All the same, Murray will have his hands full.

Gasquet is likely to exceed Murray in the number of winners, especially on the backhand. Murray will have to retrieve and retrieve, waiting for chance to counter attack. It could turn into a contest between Gasquet attack and Murray defence. It is doubtful that Murray would be able to find 70% of first serves in, which he did against Santiago Giraldo. His aces may not exceed one per two service games, although he is capable of serving two aces per three games. His conversion rate on break points might be less than optimum. His defensive abilities will have to come to the fore. It is not going to be a short match to win. In the process, his back issue might flare up. It will not be a match where Murray will dictate the tempo of play, infact he might have to react to it and therein would lie the necessity of reflexes and instinctive shuffles. With fitness issues dogging him in this tournament, trainer would not be an unexpected visitor on the court.  

Murray is solid on backhand whereas Gasquet is brilliant but not consistent on backhand. A longer rally on backhand might go Murray’s way since he has greater variety by way of slice and top spin. Gasquet produced astonishing winners against Haas from backhand, but one has to see to believe their consistency when he plays against Murray. Both play excellent running shots, Murray mostly on forehand and Gasquet on both flanks.

Murray is embodiment of percentage play while Gasquet likes to take chances. Murray constructs the point to induce error, whereas Gasquet goes for winners. Since Gasquet plays singlehanded, Murray might prefer to go for angles rather than keep the ball in the middle of the court.

Murray has been main obstacle for Gasquet in the majors. All the three times they have met, Gasquet has lost. Twice he has lost in five sets after being two sets up. But at present he has the momentum from victory at Rome earlier this month. Additionally, the local support could prove to be a factor. He is one of the two Frenchmen in the last sixteen. 

If Gasquet plays like he did against Haas or Murray plays like he did against Giraldo, Gasquet wins. If Murray plays to his full potential, he wins.