French Open 2012: Raonic Versus Monaco - Preview

Milos Raonic will face Juan Monaco in the third round on Saturday, the 2^nd June. This would be their first meeting.

Juan Monaco is basically a retriever, whose game is built on counter punching in the mould of Andy Murray, David Ferrer and David Nalbandian. He is consistent from the baseline and moves from side to side like a robot. Coming to the net gives less pleasure than running back to the baseline. Raonic will be an ideal foil for him when he attacks the net behind his first serve or a deep floater. Monaco has good passing shots for ordinary volleyers. Raonic can volley well, but he is not in the class of Michael Llodra, Radek Stepanek or Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. However, Monaco may not get many chances to engage Raonic in long rallies; infact it would be Raonic who will be engaging Monaco in rallies on latter’s serve. Raonic has good ground strokes on both flanks. His forehand has good top spin and low net clearance. Since he generally stands far behind the baseline, he does not create acute angles since ball tends to go a bit deeper on most occasions. His weakness is that forehand sometimes gets into the net and backhand sails beyond lines. This occurs only when he pulls the trigger; otherwise his forehand has enough safety margins. In long rallies, he is the one likely to pull the trigger first since the other end would return balls till cows come home. 

Raonic will try to win his service games behind the big first serve and high kicking second serve. Pressure would be more on Monaco serve. In tie break situations, Raonic is likely to be the leader. He is the favourite to win the match though Monaco will try to trounce him with the same strategy with which he earned his latest clay title over John Isner at Houston in April.

French Open 2012: Verdasco Versus Seppi - Preview

Andreas Seppi will clash with Fernando Verdasco in the third round on Friday, the 1^st June. Seppi has already done enough labour for five sets in the previous round to qualify for a leisurely outing.Verdasco had an easier second round.

Nobody defeats Seppi seven times in a row, might be the resolution Seppi would come out with. He has lost all the six ATP career outings with Verdasco. However, the last one came almost three years ago. Much has changed since then. Seppi is enjoying his highest career ranking at 25 and has had a good clay season so far. He won a title at Belgrade earlier this month on clay.

Verdasco is a higher ranked player than Seppi and has had higher achievements in his career. He defeated Rafael Nadal in Madrid earlier this month. He is a tough customer on clay.

Verdasco takes more chances than many other compatriots who tend to push the ball back one more time. He is innovative but in the course of trying to hit winners, commits a few more unforced errors. He is a baseliner, who moves well from side to side. Seppi is less flashy but efficient enough not to let winners fall below unforced errors. He does not suffer rush of blood or get carried away by the occasion. As compared to Verdasco, he has slightly greater tendency to take his chances at the net. Verdasco has a slightly better serve but his greater number of aces tend to get neutralized by greater number of double faults.

There is little to choose between the two, but being a south paw may prove advantageous for Verdasco. It is going to be a toiling day all the same.

French Open 2012: Gasquet Versus Dimitrov - Preview

Grigor Dimitrov will take on Richard Gasquet in the second round on Thursday, the 31^st May. A Parisian will strive to hear his name in the cries of a crowd that might have reserved its cheers for a non-resident Frenchman.

Dimitrov adopted the playing style of his idol Roger Federer. When he won junior U.S Open and Wimbledon, the world took notice of a future Federer in making. However, the hopes have doused and like many others, a junior prodigy could not replicate success in the professional circuit.

Gasquet was considered a bright prospect for a G.S major some years ago and in the eyes of many, had a bigger talent than Andy Murray. He too did not fulfill the promises shown and has been replaced as the main French hope a few years ago.

This will be an infrequent clash where neither player would suffer from comparison of single fisted backhand with double fisted backhand since both play single fisted backhand. Dimitrov has good serve, but his first serve percentage is generally below average. He might edge Gasquet in the number of aces. Both the players will go for winners and commit a few unforced errors in the process. The occasion of playing against the crowd favourite might catch up on the psyche of the younger player and induce a few more unforced errors. Break point conversion might also suffer and so too, the level of play on the crucial points. However, if Dimitrov can come out with a steely resolve, he has the game and capability to cause an upset.   

French Open 2012: Berdych Versus Llodra - Preview

Tomas Berdych will face Michael Llodra in a high octane match in the second round on Wednesday, the 30^th May. Both have split victories in the four meetings so far. However, it would be their first encounter since U.S Open, 2010.

Berdych is the seventh seed and is in good form. He took a set from Federer in Madrid finals earlier this month. He has a strong serve and powerful ground strokes. Players who have troubled him are those who do not succumb to his power and stretch him into long rallies. In Llodra, he will find an opponent who plays a totally different type of game. There would be constant hustle at the net. Speed of the game will be very fast. There would have to be instant decisions on the shot selection and placement. With the passionate crowd giving full vent to vocal cords, the court arena will resemble a pressure cooker.

Llodra will strive to win through winners, and not by inducing errors in Berdych’s game. Both would have comparable number of aces and similar percentage on first serve. Llodra will play more spectacular winners which would bring the crowd in and if Berdych gets unnerved, his problems would start with serve and then, with the timing of ground strokes. His strategy would be not to allow Llodra to get in position to execute volleys.

There is a gap of 50 in the rankings of the two players. This difference will vanish in thin air if Llodra is able to execute his game plan. Berdych is the strong favourite on paper, but Llodra has the capacity to spring surprises.

French Open 2012: Cilic Versus Ferrero - Preview

Marin Cilic takes on Juan Carlos Ferrero in the second round on Wednesday, the 30^th May. Cilic is the 21^st seed whereas Ferrero won the French Open in 2003. They have met once before on the hard courts of Cincinnati in 2009, but that result may not have much bearing on the ensuing clash.  

Ferrero is a strong clay court player who earns his points through precision and placement. He is a counter puncher like many of his fellow Spaniards. His motto is to stay in the rallies and wait for the opportune moment. At 32 years of age, his mobility and footwork are good. His weak point is absence of powerful hitting which is a must for the baseliners at the French Open in the present time. His strong point is that he is consistent and does not defeat himself.

Cilic has gone through ups and downs in the last two years. He entered the top ten two years ago, but after that his form dipped. He hits flatter shots which tend to sail out when ball is not hit from the middle of the racquet. He hits through the ball which requires him to be behind the ball, especially on the backhand. His game is similar to that of Ferrero, but being eight years younger, he takes more risks and strives to create openings. Standing tall at 198 cm., his count of aces will be higher than that of his opponent.

In the normal course, Cilic could have been called a favourite, but considering that Ferrero is an ex-champion here, both have equal chances of victory.  

French Open 2012: Harrison Versus Simon - Preview

    Ryan Harrison will clash with Gilles Simon in the first round on Monday, the 28^th May. It will be their third clash this year. In both the previous meetings, Simon has defeated Harrison. On the hard courts of Indian Wells, Harrison was able to take one set, but in the Davis Cup in France, he was vanquished in easy straight sets.

    Both Simon and Harrison play similar type of game. Simon is a quick mover and has an excellent footwork. Harrison moves well, but otherwise mobility is not his strong point. He pushes himself only to a limit. Simon presses himself harder and has capability to bounce back into a losing game. He is able to put his thinking cap on when required and change his game plan accordingly. It could also be called a necessity for him since he does not have any destructive weapon. Harrison has excellent serves, both first and second. Infact, his second serve is top class. His forehand however tends to get into errors when he steps on the aggression. His shots are decent without being explosive.

    Harrison has suffered from inability to play his best on the deciding points. He earns a significant number of break points, but is able to convert only a paltry number of them. He has shown a good appetite for win, but does not give the appearance of hunger, and least, starvation.

    In order to defeat a Frenchman at French Open, Harrison will have to play beyond his usual level. It is possible, but harder work is needed to turn possibility into probability. In the normal course, Simon is the clear favourite.

Rome Internazionali BNL d'Italia 2012: Federer Versus Djokovic - Preview

Novak Djokovic meets Roger Federer in the second semi-final today. Both have dropped one set en route to the semi-finals stage. None of them is likely to tank the match.

Federer defeated Djokovic in the last French Open semi-final when Djokovic was at the peak of his performance having been unbeaten during the year till that stage. Djokovic is not playing this year at the same level as in 2011 and Federer is in good form.  

Federer is a fast starter and before the opponent blinks the eye, he gets through with his break. When up, his serve becomes better and better and he is the one who starts dictating the pace of the game. However, this time the opponent is the best player in the world and he is the one who will have a say in how well Federer will play, or rather be allowed to play. Djokovic has the best return of serve where the return itself induces error from the server’s racquet. Federer too is a safe returner of serve and it is difficult to send an unreturnable serve past him. However, his return from backhand does not win him a point immediately.

Federer does not provide rhythm to his opponents. His variance of spin and pace causes problems to all those who thrive on rhythm, including Djokovic. He does not have any problem of confidence against Djokovic. If he were to choose an opponent between Djokovic and Nadal, he might go in for the former. Djokovic has the best combination of attack and defence, forehand and backhand, serve and return of serve. His court speed, footwork and anticipation are second to none. He possesses a superior mental strength. His reaction when facing crucial points is extra aggression which often turns into extra-ordinary aggression.

It is difficult to predict the outcome easily. If both play at their very best, Djokovic can pip Federer.

Rome Internazionali BNL d'Italia 2012: Tsonga Versus Del Potro - Preview

Juan Martin Del Potro will take on Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the third round of  Internazionali BNL d'Italia today. Del Potro had a tough three setter against Michael Llodra in the first round but an easier straight sets victory over Mikhail Youzhny in the second round. Tsonga had it easy against Viktor Troicki defeating him in straight sets 6-3 6-2. Del Potro leads Tsonga 5-1 in the previous encounters.

It will be a fight between aggression and aggression. If one player hits a winner, the opponent will not be far behind; and if he commits an unforced error, the opponent again will not be far behind. In the process, the player with better defence is likely to carry the day. Both the players are known to make unforced errors while trying to hit harder and harder. The playing styles however provide a contrast. Del Potro is a baseliner while Tsonga forays to the net at the first available opportunity. He is not in the mould of the serve and volley player like Llodra but tries to open the net space with an approach shot. He might be more successful against players who play up with lot of top spin, but Del Potro keeps a lower net clearance on the passing shot. Tsonga has the speed but not quick footwork. Del Potro moves well for his size, but players like Roger Federer have exploited this through acute angles. Del Potro relies on his ground strokes and is more of a one dimension player. If that dimension is not working, he has nothing to fall back upon. Tsonga has multiple shots, but does not have multiple game styles. If plan A does not work, he finds it difficult to introduce plan B. He does not utilize his repertoire fully. Instead he goes in for more and more attack and commits errors.

Del Potro has the mental strength to withstand the weaker moments of the match. Tsonga sometimes needs the support of the crowd to pull himself out of the difficult situation. He can lose intensity or focus in between brilliance and find himself trying to over perform during important phases of the match. Del Potro can hang in to ride over the burst of brilliance from the other side, whereas patience is not Tsonga’s strong point.  

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga is the higher ranked player, but cannot derive any advantage from this. He will have to turn in a higher performance to thwart Del Potro who appears to be in better form.

Mutua Madrid Open 2012: Tsonga Versus Harrison - Preview

Ryan Harrison defeated Sergiy Stakhovsky 7-6 7-6 to set up a revenge match against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the second round. Tsonga had defeated Harrison in the quarterfinals of Davis Cup last month. This is however a different tournament in different format and different surroundings. Can it produce a different result?

Tsonga plays the same game, win or lose. He attacks and attacks, not mindful of the errors he commits, not bothered about the game his opponent is playing. If he is able to dictate the play, he wins; if he starts failing, he fails. In a three set format, he is a greater threat since he can maintain his focus. In a prolonged match, there are times when he loses concentration and lets the opponent get a foothold in the match.

Harrison has a balanced game in which he neither does anything extra-ordinary nor anything abnormal. He is quite comfortable with rallies in which he tries to create his own openings. His second serve is better than most and opponents do not find it easy to hit return winner. He has capacity to break Tsonga’s service game, but does not play as well when facing own break point. He can alternate between attack and defence, but sometimes gets into error mode while going on the offensive.

It is going to be an absorbing battle. Notwithstanding vast difference in the rankings, the match would come to the few important points that decide the outcome. Tsonga will remain in the attack mode on these important points, whereas for Harrison, discretion would become the better part of valor.  If Harrison is able to break the rhythm, he will win. If Tsonga can contain his errors, he will win. The outcome of the match is more likely to be on the racquet of Tsonga.

Mutua Madrid Open 2012: Raonic Versus Nalbandian - Preview

Milos Raonic and David Nalbandian will clash in the first round of Mutua Madrid Open for the first time. Nalbandian concedes 8 years in age, six inches in height and 26 places in ranking to Raonic.

Raonic is riding high with two titles this year and a good showing in the other tournaments so far. He excels Nalbandian in the departments of serve and forehand whereas Nalbandian can claim a better backhand and consistency. Raonic has the youth, Nalbandian has the experience.

Hailing from Argentina, clay is no demon to Nalbandian. He has done well in the South American clay tournaments in the past. In his earliest days, he was considered a nemesis to Federer having had five straight victories over him including one on clay. Two years after the hip surgery in 2009, he returned to the top twenty last year only to slip down again during the past twelve months. Raonic has had his share of hip surgery after retiring in the second round of Wimbledon last year. However, he has found his rhythm in 2012 and has posted victories over higher ranked opponents including one over Andy Murray on clay in Barcelona last week. Nalbandian has the capacity to match Raonic shot for shot in the baseline rallies, but that would occur if he is able to force Raonic into them. In every service game, Raonic is going to serve one ace and one unreturnable serve. Nalbandian does not belong to the school of fast servers. His serves come in the vicinity of a modest 175 kmph. Raonic takes risks with return of serve trying to hit clean winners. His high kicking second serve is likely to pose problems to a shorter statured Nalbandian. However, Nalbandian has played with all type of big servers and in the last Australian Open, he took John Isner to five sets before succumbing 8-10 in the decider.

Raonic has a better attacking game and Nalbandian has a better defence. On current form, Raonic is the clear favourite to race away into the second round before the blue dust settles for Nalbandian in Madrid.