Podcast: Previewing the 2013 Rome Masters
May 12, 2013
In this week’s show, Nima Naderi and Parsa Samii are back in action with a preview of the Rome Masters from Italy.
With a lot to cover this week, we begin with a review of the Madrid Masters, which was won by Rafa Nadal. Can Nadal keep up his winning ways in Rome? Does Djokovic have the confidence to get back in the winner’s circle? How will Murray and Federer fair after poor performances in Madrid? We also discuss Wawrinka’s new found form, Raonic’s split from Galo Blanco and Dimitrov’s flashy game.
As always, you can alternatively listen to the #1 tennis PodCast via iTunes and never miss another episode. It is very easy and completely free.
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Nadal wins third Madrid title over Wawrinka and 40th clay crown overall
May 12, 2013
Mutua Madrid Open, Madrid, Spain
No. 5 seed Rafael Nadal won his third career title in Madrid on Sunday with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Stanislas Wawrinka. Nadal, who has won five titles in 2013, also took home his 40th career clay-court title. Winning 90 percent of his first serve points, Nadal hit three aces and needed only one hour and 11 minutes to prevail. Improving to 9-0 against Wawrinka in lifetime meetings, Nadal will now head to the Rome Masters in Italy to defend his title there.
Wawrinka, who entered the final after nine straight wins, will move into the top 10 in the world on Monday.
Nadal to face Wawrinka for Madrid title
May 11, 2013
Mutua Madrid Open, Madrid, Spain
Semifinal results:
(5) Rafael Nadal defeats Pablo Andujar 6-0, 6-4; (15) Stanislas Wawrinka defeats (6) Tomas Berdych 6-3, 4-6, 6-4.
Nadal to face Andujar in Madrid Masters semifinals; Murray ousted by Berdych
May 10, 2013
Mutua Madrid Open, Madrid, Spain
Quarterfinal results:
(6) Tomas Berdych defeats (3) Andy Murray 7-6(3), 6-4; (15) Stanislas Wawrinka defeats (7) Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-2, 6-7(9), 6-4; Pablo Andujar defeats (14) Kei Nishikori 6-3, 7-5; (5) Rafael Nadal defeats (4) David Ferrer 4-6, 7-6(3), 6-0.
Nishikori upsets defending champ Federer in Madrid; Nadal, Tsonga and Berdych reach quarterfinals
May 9, 2013
Mutua Madrid Open, Madrid, Spain
Third-round results:
(5) Rafael Nadal defeats Mikhail Youzhny 6-2, 6-3; (14) Kei Nishikori defeats (2) Roger Federer 6-4, 1-6, 6-2; (7) Jo-Wilfried Tsonga defeats Fernando Verdasco 4-6, 6-3, 6-2; Pablo Andujar defeats Daniel Gimeno-Traver 5-5 ret.; (6) Tomas Berdych defeats Kevin Anderson 7-6(5), 7-5.
Nadal, Tsonga reach third-round of Madrid Masters
May 8, 2013
Mutua Madrid Open, Madrid, Spain
Second-round results:
(7) Jo-Wilfried Tsonga defeats Robin Haase 7-6(5), 7-6(2); (5) Rafael Nadal defeats Benoit Paire 6-3, 6-4; (6) Tomas Berdych defeats Jerzy Janowicz 6-7(3), 6-3, 6-2; (13) Tommy Haas defeats Tommy Robredo 6-3, 7-5; Kevin Anderson defeats Juan Monaco 7-6(5), 3-6, 6-4; (14) Kei Nishikori defeats Viktor Troicki 7-5, 6-2.
Defending champion Federer into Madrid third-round; Tipsarevic, Gasquet, Raonic ousted
May 7, 2013
Mutua Madrid Open, Madrid, Spain
First-round results:
Juan Monaco defeats (9) Janko Tipsarevic 7-6(5), 6-3; Tommy Robredo defeats Marcos Baghdatis 6-4, 6-2; Mikhail Youzhny defeats Fabio Fognini 7-6(4), 2-6, 7-6(5); (13) Tommy Haas defeats Andreas Seppi 6-1, 6-2; (15) Stanislas Wawrinka defeats Marius Copil 6-4 6-4; Santiago Giraldo defeats Martin Klizan 6-2, 6-4; Viktor Troicki defeats Marcel Granollers 7-5, 4-6, 6-2; Benoit Paire defeats Joao Souza 6-1, 7-6(0).
Second-round results:
(2) Roger Federer defeats Radek Stepanek 6-3, 6-3; (3) Andy Murray defeats Florian Mayer 7-6(11), 7-6(3); Fernando Verdasco defeats (12) Milos Raonic 6-4, 2-6, 7-6(7); Daniel Gimeno-Traver defeats (8) Richard Gasquet 7-5, 3-6, 6-4; (16) Gilles Simon defeats Jeremy Chardy 6-4, 7-6(5).
Almagro, Raonic and Nishikori reach second-round at Madrid Masters
May 6, 2013
Mutua Madrid Open, Madrid, Spain
First-round results:
Daniel Gimeno-Traver defeats Feliciano Lopez 2-6, 6-4 6-2; (11) Nicolas Almagro defeats Tobias Kamke 6-4 ret.; (12) Milos Raonic defeats Nikolay Davydenko 7-5, 7-6(5); Jerzy Janowicz defeats Sam Querrey 6-3, 6-4; John Isner defeats Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 7-5, 7-6(8); (14) Kei Nishikori defeats Jurgen Melzer 6-3, 6-2; Kevin Anderson defeats Jesse Levine 6-2, 6-2; Florian Mayer defeats Marinko Matosevic 6-2, 6-7(3), 6-4; Denis Istomin defeats Xavier Malisse 6-3, 6-2.
Podcast: Previewing Federer’s comeback party in Madrid
May 6, 2013
In this week’s show, Nima Naderi and Parsa Samii are back in action with a preview of the Madrid Masters from Spain.
We welcome back Roger Federer after an eight week hiatus and wonder if the defending champ will have the goods to repeat this week? We discuss Djokovic and Nadal’s chances, while looking at what Murray needs to do in order to not face the same fate that he did in Monte Carlo.
As always, you can alternatively listen to the #1 tennis PodCast via iTunes and never miss another episode. It is very easy and completely free.
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Tennis Elbow: Blue no more
May 6, 2013
Welcome to Tennis Elbow, a new column that will look back on the week that was in the world of tennis. This week, Charles Blouin-Gascon wonders what has changed in a year at the Mutua Madrid Open.
Let’s start this column in much the same way Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray led a minute of silence this past weekend in Madrid in the memory of ATP executive chairman and president Brad Drewet, who passed away on May 3 at the age of 54.
…And now, let’s talk tennis.
Let’s talk tennis, and let’s say that everything that used to be blue isn’t blue no more.
In 2013, that’s the lesson. A year ago, the Mutua Madrid Open got underway amid controversy with its playing surface—blue clay that was supposed to be more appealing to the eyes. Whether it actually was more aesthetically pleasing is probably moot, but that’s the logic that was used in 2012 by the tournament directors, among whom Romanian and former ATP pro Ion Tiriac.
It’s pretty much the same logic that led to hardcourts becoming purple and abandoning the green and red colours once upon a time.
Only in the case of the Madrid Masters 1000 event, the experiment lasted all of one year. Right away, some of the bigger names on the ATP World Tour had voiced their displeasure—and by some, I mean Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal. Indeed, the two top players of the time weren’t too keen on that blue clay, and each suffered through a difficult week—Nadal losing 6-2, 6-2 to Fernando Verdasco in the third round, and Djokovic to his countryman Janko Tipsarevic in two sets as well.
A year later, it seems like it was all just a lot of fuss for naught. While the ATP had explained, then, that, “It is a good thing that our tournaments are trying to be innovative,” it did also mention that the decision of whether or not to make the blue clay a fixture would be reached with player feedback.
In the end, the blue clay was undone, because it wasn’t up to par with the other surfaces. “There were clearly issues with the quality of the courts in Madrid,” Drewett had said that at the June 2012 meeting of the ATP board of directors. “Regardless of colour, we must first ensure that courts are safe and fair for players.”
See? That the blue clay was blue had nothing to do with it.
In 2013 then, Madrid is back to the traditional red clay. The tournament is back to its regular programming, and Rafael Nadal is probably back to his own central role. He’s proven, this year, to be healthy and as good as he was before the 2012 knee injury that sidelined him for so long. After a rough loss in his home away from home in Monaco, the Spaniard probably wants to get back to his winning ways as soon as he possibly can—and it starts in Madrid.
Every year, the Mutua Madrid Open is one of the last stops before the grand prize of the clay court season that is the French Open. Perhaps more importantly, because he did so poorly in 2012 at the event, this Madrid Masters is one of the only events where the 26-year-old can gain points…before Wimbledon! He’s currently ranked No. 5, and is likely to stay there for some time.
There will be no blue clay this season in Madrid. It’s back to usual, and here’s to hoping Nadal and Djokovic can rekindle their rivalry.
Follow Charles Blouin-Gascon on Twitter @CeeeBG
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