Full Davis Cup World Group First-Round Matches

With the first-round of the 2010 Davis Cup beginning on Friday, the ITF has released the singles and doubles matchups for the respective eight ties.

Spain vs. Switzerland: In Spain

Friday’s singles: Nicolas Almagro vs. Stanislas Wawrinka; David Ferrer vs. Marco Chiudinelli

Saturday’s doubles: Marcel Granollers and Tommy Robredo vs. Yves Allegro and Stanislas Wawrinka

Sunday’s reverse singles: David Ferrer vs. Stanislas Wawrinka; Nicolas Almagro vs. Marco Chiudinelli

France vs. Germany: In France

Friday’s singles: Gael Monfils vs. Philipp Kohlschreiber; Jo-Wilfried Tsonga vs. Benjamin Becker

Saturday’s doubles: Julien Benneteau and Michael Llodra vs. Christopher Kas and Philipp Kohlschreiber

Sunday’s reverse singles: Jo-Wilfried Tsonga vs. Philipp Kohlscheiber; Gael Monfils vs. Benjamin Becker

Russia vs. India: In Russia

Friday’s singles: Igor Andreev vs. Somdev Devvarman; Mikhail Youzhny vs. Rohan Bopanna

Saturday’s doubles: Teimuraz Gabashvili and Igor Kunitsyn vs. Mahesh Bhupathi and Leander Paes

Sunday’s reverse singles: Mikhail Youzhny vs. Somdev Devvarman; Igor Andreev vs. Rohan Bopanna

Sweden vs. Argentina: In Sweden

Friday’s singles: Robin Soderling vs. Eduardo Schwank; Joachim Johansson vs. Leonardo Mayer

Saturday’s doubles: Robert Lindstedt and Robin Soderling vs. Leonardo Mayer* and Horacio Zeballos

Sunday’s reverse singles: Robin Soderling vs. Leonardo Mayer; Joachim Johansson vs. Eduardo Schwank

Croatia vs. Ecuador: In Ecuador

Friday’s singles: Ivo Karlovic vs. Nicolas Lapentti; Marin Cilic vs. Giovanni Lapentti

Saturday’s doubles: Igor Dodig and Antonio Veic vs. Giovanni Lapentti and Nicolas Lapentti

Sunday’s reverse singles: Marin Cilic vs. Nicolas Lapentti; Ivo Karlovic vs. Giovanni Lapentti

Serbia vs. United States: In Serbia

Friday’s singles: Viktor Troicki vs. John Isner; Novak Djokovic vs. Sam Querrey

Saturday’s doubles: Janko Tipsarevic and Nenad Zimonjic vs. Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan

Sunday’s reverse singles: Novak Djokovic vs. John Isner; Viktor Troicki vs. Sam Querrey

Belgium vs. Czech Republic: In Belgium

Friday’s singles: Oliver Rochus vs. Tomas Berdych; Xavier Malisse vs. Radek Stepanek

Saturday’s doubles: Steve Darcis and Oliver Rochus vs. Lukas Dlouhy and Jan Hajek

Sunday’s reverse singles: Oliver Rochus vs. Radek Stepanek; Xavier Malisse vs. Tomas Berdych

Chile vs. Israel: In Chile

Due to the recent earthquake in Chile, this weekend’s Davis Cup tie will begin on Saturday and end on Monday. The matchup details have yet to be revealed.

Davis Cup World Group First Round Team Line Ups

With the first-round of the 2010 Davis Cup rapidly approaching this weekend, the ITF has released the respective combatants for each squad.

Notable absentees for the respective Nations will include: Roger Federer (Switzerland), Rafael Nadal (Spain), Fernando Verdasco (Spain), Juan Carlos Ferrero (Spain), Andy Roddick (United States), Andy Murray (Great Britain), Juan Martin del Potro (Argentina), David Nalbandian (Argentina), Juan Monaco (Argentina), and Nikolay Davydenko (Russia).

The following players are scheduled to complete in first-round action March 5-7.

Spain vs. Switerland: In Spain

Spain: Nicolas Almagro, David Ferrer, Tommy Robredo, and Marcel Granollers

Switzerland: Stanislas Wawrinka, Marco Chiudinelli, Michael Lammer, and Yves Allegro

France vs. Germany: In France

France: Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Gael Monfils, Michael Llodra, and Julien Benneteau

Germany: Philipp Kohlschreiber, Benjamin Becker, Simon Greul, and Christopher Kas

Russia vs. India: In Russia

Russia: Mikhail Youzhny, Teimuraz Gabashvili, and Igor Kunitsyn

India: Somdev Devvarman, Rohan Bopanna, Leander Paes, and Mahesh Bhupathi

Sweden vs. Argentina: In Sweden

Sweden: Robin Soderling, Andreas Vinciguerra, Simon Aspelin, and Robert Lindstedt

Argentina: Fedrerico Del Bonis, Horacio Zeballos, Leonardo Mayer, and Eduardo Schwank

Croatia vs. Ecuador: In Croatia

Croatia: Marin Cilic, Ivo Karlovic, Ivan Dodig, and Antonio Veic

Ecuador: Nicholas Lapentti, Giovanni Lapentti, Ivan Endara, and Julio-Ceser Campozano

Serbia vs. United States: In Serbia

Serbia: Novak Djokoivc, Viktor Troikci, Janko Tipsarevic, and Nenad Zimonjic

United States: John Isner, Sam Querrey, Mike and Bob Bryan

Chile vs. Israel: In Chile

Chile: Fernando Gonzalez, Nicolas Massu, Paul Capdeville, and Jorge Arguilar

Israel: Dudi Sela, Harel Levy, Jonathan Erlich, and Andy Ram

Belgium vs. Czech Repubic: In Belgium

Belgium: Christophe Rochus, Oliver Rochus, Steve Darcis, and Xavier Malisse

Czech Rebublic: Tomas Berdych, Radek Stepanek, Jan Hajek, and Lukas Dlouhy

Check back the weekend of March 5-7 for daily wrap-ups of the 2010 Davis Cup World Group.

Tournament Previews and Day 1 Review for Dubai, Acapulco, and Delray Beach

The last week of February will bring with it the two ATP World Tour 500 level events as well as one 250 point tournament.

Marquee events in Dubai, Acapulco and Delray Beach have attracted five top 10 players in total. Unfortunately for the Acapulco and Delray Beach events, a majority of the world’s best players will in Dubai this week, participating in the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships.

Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who entered Dubai’s entry list at No. 10 in the world, has fallen to the No. 11 spot this week after failing to defend his Marsielle title last week.

By contrast, Spaniard Fernando Verdasco, who lost in the first-round of Memphis last week, gained one position in the rankings and leads the Acapulco field at No. 10 in the world. Verdasco entered the Mexican tournament with an entry system ranking of No. 11.

The Dubai event was hit with a major blow over the weekend when four-time champion and world No. 1 Roger Federer was forced to withdraw on the eve of the tournament with a lung infection. Federer contracted the lung infection last week and will be sidelined for the next two weeks.

Federer’s absence in the event leaves defending champion and world No. 2 Novak Djokovic as the tournament’s top seed. Djokovic will face Spaniard Guillermo Garcia-Lopez in the first round. Djokovic will be joined by No. 3 seed Andy Murray, No. 4 seed Nikolay Davydenko, No. 5 seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and No. 6 seed Marin Cilic.

The winner of 32-man draw will take home $383,000 and 500 ATP World Tour points.

The week’s second 500 series event will take place in the beautiful oasis of Acapulco, Mexico.

The 32-man field will be led by Spaniard Verdasco, who will be bidding for his second title of the year after capturing his first title in San Jose, California earlier this month. Verdasco is currently adjusting to a new Yonex frame, and may have a shaking result this week.

Verdasco will be joined by No. 2 seed Fernando Gonzalez, No. 3 seed David Ferrer, No. 4 seed Juan Carlos Ferrero, No. 5 seed John Isner, and No. 6 seed Nicolas Almagro. Almagro, who is the two-time defending champion of the event, could drop to the low 50’s in next week’s rankings if he is ousted early. Almagro is currently ranked No. 27 in the world.

Recent Memphis champion Querrey, and finalist Isner will use this week’s action in Acapulco to better prepare for their first-round Davis Cup tie in Serbia in early March. The tie in Serbia will be contested on clay-courts.

Other notables in the draw will include recent Santiago champion Thomaz Bellucci, and two-time winner Carlos Moya. Moya will take the court on Monday in the event’s most high-profile first-round encounter against Frenchman Richard Gasquet.

The week’s champion in Acapulco will receive $227,000.

The week’s final event will take place on American soil in Delray Beach, Florida.

Remaining a staple event on the ATP World Tour since 1993, the Delray Beach International Tennis Championships will feature a 32-man field fighting for 250 ATP World Tour points.

Former champion Tommy Haas will highlight the draw this year, followed by No. 2 seed Ivo Karlovic, No. 3 seed Benjamin Becker, and No. 4 seed Jeremy Chardy.

Defending champion Mardy Fish has been struggling with a knee injury all season, and will have a tough task in repeating. Fish faces Christophe Rochus in first-round action.

Other notables in the draw will include 2008 champion Kei Nishikori, and recent Memphis semifinalist Ernests Gulbis. Nishikori will contest his first event in 2010, while Gulbis will be adamant on continuing his fine form from Memphis. Nishikori had been sidelined from the Tour with a right elbow injury, while Gublis won three consecutive matches for the first time in Memphis, since his quarterfinal run at the Cincinnati Masters in 2008.

The first prize winner in Delray Beach will receive $75,700.

Let’s now take a look at Monday’s first-round action and upcoming matches.

Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships—U.A.E.

Monday’s first-round action in Dubai will feature the tournament’s top two seeds on center court. Highlighting the night session, defending champion Novak Djokovic will begin his attempt at defending the first tournament of his career against Spaniard Guillermo Garcia-Lopez.

Leading Garcia-Lopez 2-0 in career head-to-head meetings, Djokovic has never played the Spaniard on hard-courts.

Playing in his third tournament of the season, Djokovic arrives in Dubai with a 6-2 match record on the year.

Following the Serb on center court at the Aviation Club will be current world No. 4 and tournament No. 3 seed Andy Murray.

Having never played his opponent Igor Kunitysn in Tour action, Murray will be appearing in his first tournament since losing in straight sets to Roger Federer in the finals of the Australian Open.

Opting to play a more economical schedule in order to conserve his energy for the bigger tournaments, Murray will begin an important month of tennis which will include defending finals points in Indian Wells, and champion points in Miami.

Murray remains the top seed in the top half of the draw after Roger Federer was forced to withdraw with a lung infection.

Elsewhere, Marcos Baghdatis continued his impressive year on Tour by handing No. 8 seed Gilles Simon his second straight loss on the circuit by a scoreline of 7-6 (3), 6-4.

Returning from a knee injury which he sustained at the US Open last year, Simon was far from his best during the one hour and 42 minute contest.

Losing serve on three occasions, Simon won 42 percent of his second serve points, and a mere 18 percent of the points when returning Baghdatis’ first serve.

By contrast, Baghdatis won 85 percent of his first serve points while pounding 14 aces. Marching onto his 11th win of the season, Baghdatis will next face Marco Chiudinelli or Somdev Devvarman in second-round action.

Austrian Jurgen Melzer handed Simone Bolelli his sixth-straight loss on Tour by defeating the Italian 6-1, 7-5. Hitting 11 aces, Melzer won 88 percent of his first serve points while breaking serve on five occasions.

Melzer will next face either Tommy Robredo or Julien Bennteau in second-round action. Robredo took Federer’s place in the draw.

Viktor Troicki advanced to the second-round with a convincing 6-3, 6-4 win over Rainer Schuettler; Stefan Koubek picked up an impressive and much needed win over Feliciano Lopez 7-6 (4), 6-4, and Ivan Ljubicic ousted Jan Hernych 6-2, 6-7 (3), 6-4.

Troicki will next face the winner of the Djokovic and Garcia-Lopez match in round two; Koubek will face either Arnaud Clement of Marin Cilic, and Ljubicic will battle the winner of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga or Michael Llodra.

Abierto Mexicano Telcel—Acapulco, Mexico

A light day of action on Monday in Mexico will be highlighted by former two-time champion Carlos Moya vs. Richard Gasquet.

Having played on three occasions, Moya remains a perfect 3-0 against the Frenchman.

Not having played for two seasons, Moya has seen his ranking plummet due to a series of hip and foot injuries. Currently ranked No. 439 in the world, Moya will play his first 11 tournaments of this year under a protective ranking of No. 52.

Gasquet, who remains adamant on building up his game in time for Roland Garros, has opted to skip the mini hard-court swing to sharpen his skills on the clay.

Holding a 6-4 record on the season, Gasquet lost in the first-round of Argentina last week to Juan Ignacio Chela. Moya lost in the second-round of Argentina to Horacio Zeballos.

Elsewhere, Mexican favorite Santiago Gonzalez will face tough Argentine Eduardo Schwank, while Thomaz Bellucci will battle Oscar Hernandez.

Bellucci could become a factor during the clay-court season if he can remain in his current state of confidence. The 22-year-old Sao Paulo resident recently won the Santiago, Chile title for his second career title.

Delray Beach International Tennis Championships—Florida

Monday’s action in Delray Beach will also follow a light day of opening action.

Top seed and 2006 winner Tommy Haas will take a 7-3 lifetime record at Delray Beach event against Russian Teimuraz Gabashvili.

Leading Gabashvili 1-0 in career head-to-head meetings, Haas will begin his journey in what he hopes will be the 13th title of his 15-year-career.

Recently acquiring US citizenship, Haas has lived in Florida since his junior career.

Other matches that will contested on Monday will feature:

Nicolas Lapentti vs. No. 5 seed and defending finalist Evgeny Korolev, and Rajeev Ram vs. Wayne Odesnik.

Korolev lost a straight-set final to American Mardy Fish last year.

Fish is back to defend his title as an unseeded player this year.

Tournament Previews and Day 1 Review: Rotterdam, San Jose, Brazil

Tournament Previews:

Week two of the ATP World Tour’s indoor North American and European swing will continue this week, alongside the second week of four weeks of South American tennis.

First up this week, the highest point value tournament will be held in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Boasting three top 10 players, ABM AMRO World Tennis Tournament will be without its defending champion and finalist from last year, Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal. Murray has decided to minalize his schedule this year in order to gain greater output at the Major tournaments, while Nadal remains sidelined with a right knee injury.

In light of the notable absentees, the 32-man field in Rotterdam will feature top seed Novak Djokovic, No. 2 seed Nikolay Davydenko, and No. 3 seed Robin Soderling.

Other possible unseeded contenders for the title will include: Marcos Baghadatis, James Blake and Michael Llodra. The winner of the event will pocket € 277,000 in prize money and 500 ATP World Tour points.

The week’s second profile event will be held in San Jose, California. Top seed Andy Roddick, fresh off his quarterfinal finish in Melbourne, will attempt to capture his fourth career title at the SAP Open. Roddick will be joined by No. 2 seed Fernando Verdasco, defending champ and No. 3 seed Radek Stepanek, and recently turned American, No. 4 seed Tommy Haas.

Other notables in the field will include: No. 7 seed Sam Querrey, No. 8 seed Jeremy Chardy and No. 5 seed Thomas Berdych. The winner of the week-long event will take home 250 ATP World Tour points and $90,925 in prize money.

The final and warmest event of the week will take place in Costa do Saupie, Brazil. The second leg of the month-long South American outdoor series will provide the Tour’s clay-court players the chance to fine-tune their skills on their favorite surface. Defending champ Tommy Robredo opted to miss the event and try his luck at the bigger point total in Rotterdam. The absence of Robredo leaves former French Open champion Juan Carlos Ferrer as the tournament top seed. Ferrero has yet to win a title this year, snapping a six-year title drought be claiming the title in Casablanca, Morocco last spring.

Ferrero will be joined by countryman Albert Montanes as the event’s No. 2 seed, and recent Santiago, Chile winner No. 3 seed Thomaz Bellucci. Bellucci defeated both No. 1 and No. 2 seeds Fernando Gonzalez and Juan Monaco last week in Chile.

Potential darkhorses in the event will include: No. 8 seed Richard Gasquet, No. 7 seed Horacio Zeballos, and unseeded Spaniard Marcel Granollers. The winner in Brazil will take home $75,700 in prize money, and 250 valuable ATP World Tour points.

Let’s now take a look at Monday’s first-round results.

ABM AMRO World Tennis Tournament—Rotterdam, The Netherlands

Struggling Swede Robin Soderling got off to a slow start in Rotterdam on Monday, overcoming a first-set scare to defeat Florent Serra 4-6, 6-4, 6-1.

Failing to convert on two break-point chances in the opening set, Soderling quickly found himself in danger of losing his fourth consecutive match. Winning a mere 46 percent of his second serve points in the first set became a cause for concern going forward. However, the powerful Swede amped up his efforts in the second set, converting on the lone break of serve by either player to square the contest at a set apiece.

Gaining full momentum in the third set, Soderling breezed to his first main-Tour win of the season in one hour and 46 minutes. Striking 26 aces in total, Soderling will next face Mischa Zverev or Igor Sijsling in the second-round.

Other results on day one action in The Netherlands saw Florian Mayer defeat Janko Tisparevic 6-3, 6-7 (6), 7-6 (8), and Andres Seppi dismiss Stephane Bohli 6-1, 7-5.

Mayer needed just short of three hours to defeat Tipsarevic in an epic encounter. With both men winning over 80 percent of their first serve points, Mayer’s slightly more powerful delivery prevailed deep in the third-set tiebreak. Pounding 12 aces in total, Mayer improved to 3-2 on the season. The loss dropped Tipsarevic to 4-4 on the year. Mayer will next face the winner of the day’s final match between local hero Robin Hasse and No. 5 seed Tommy Robredo.

Seppi converted on six of 17 break point chances to dismiss his No. 142 ranked opponent. Using his court-craft and cunning net-play, Seppi ousted Bohli in one hour and 27 minutes, while improving to 3-3 on the season.

Seppi will next face the winner of No. 8 seed Viktor Troicki vs. Jurgen Melzer in round two.

SAP Open—San Jose, California

West coast action from California will feature four Americans on Monday’s docket. With 13 Americans in the main draw this week, the fans in San Jose will have plenty of favorites to cheer for.

Monday’s order of play will feature:

Wayne Odesnik vs. No. 5 seed Thomas Berdych, Ryan Harrison vs. Denis Istomin, and Alex Bogmolov Jr. vs. Taylor Dent.

Odenisk will have his hands full with Berdych’s firepower, while Harrison holds a great shot against Istomin. Bogmolov Jr. and Dent should provide an entertaining affair, with Dent possessing a much bigger serve.

Other matches on day one action in San Jose will feature:

Dudi Sela vs. Santiago Giraldo, Leonardo Mayer vs. Ernests Gulbis, and Jarrko Nieminen vs. Lars Poerschke.

Top seed Andy Roddick and No. 2 seed Fernando Verdasco will see first-round action on Wednesday evening. Verdasco will take on former world No. 1 and tournament champion Pete Sampras in an exhibition event on Monday evening.

Brazil Open—Costa do Saupie

A light day of action in Brazil will feature three men’s singles matches on Monday. The hot and humid conditions in Costa do Saupie will test each of the 32-main draw participants vying for the title this week.

No. 2 seed Albert Montanes will begin his campaign for his third career title on Monday when he faces Simon Greul of Germany. Montanes has poured in stellar results in the past year, capturing two titles in 2009.

Montanes’ countryman and recently married Santiago Ventura will battle good friend Daniel Gimeno-Traver later in the day. Ventura, who is currently ranked No. 108 in the world, will be attempting to regain his ranking of No. 65 which he held in March of 2008.

The day’s final match will feature Paola Lorenzi vs. local favorite Ricardo Mello. The pair have never met on the ATP World Tour, while holding one Tour-level win between them this season.

It has also been reported that former French Open champion Gustavo Kuerten will be attending the event this week.

As always, please check the TennisConnected livescores section located at the top menu for all the day’s results. Talk soon.

Australian Open Men’s Seed Report

The first major sporting event of 2010 is set to take place next week at Melbourne Park in Australia. Being part of the elite Grand Slam group, the Australian Open will provide two week’s of scintillating tennis.

Australia has historically brought fame and fortune to many upstart, and perennial champions.

How could anyone forget Tomas Johansson’s 2002 upset victory over Marat Safin? How about Fernando Gonzalez, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, and Marcos Baghdatis making their maiden Slam finals Down Under? Let’s certainly pay homage to last year’s epic semifinal and final clashes under the lights.

With the temperature hotter than usual, and a new decade of men’s tennis ahead, this year’s Australian Open appears to have seven or eight realistic title contenders.

Will Roger Federer prove that his hunger for continued success exists? Will Rafael Nadal capture his first title in over eight months while defending his lone hard court Slam? How will Novak Djokovic hold up after an exhausting end to last year? Will Juan Martin del Potro back up his US Open triumph and become the sole ruler of the asphalt? Finally, will Slam-less Andy Murray silence the critics and capture his overdue first Slam?

With a fortnight of ferocious tennis ahead, let’s take look at the top 32 seeds and their respective chances.

Seed Report:

1. Roger Federer: Recent losses to Nikolay Davydenko and Robin Soderling would suggest that Federer is not in peak form. The three-time champion has an astounding record in Melbourne (47-7), but his aura in the locker room seems to be on the decline. To be quite honest (for obvious reasons) it’s quite a challenging proposition to bet against Federer when he’s in a Grand Slam draw—what is that record, 22 straight semifinal appearances?

Nevertheless, Federer’s game, though still at a stratospheric level, won’t be good enough to bag him his 16th Major. Look for his quarterfinal match against Davydenko to be the popcorn match of the event.

2. Rafael Nadal: Mr. Mallorca ironically returns to the stage of his last Slam victory. Usually during this time of the year, we’d be referring to Nadal as the reigning French Open champion in search of hard court glory. But amidst personal and physical drama, the latter stages of Nadal’s ‘09 campaign were filled with disappointment.

Appearing fit and eager to prove that his blue-collar game can still defeat the game’s best, Nadal holds a youthful shot at defending his title.

If the knees are ready, he’ll be finals bound. A matchup with Andy Murray in the quarterfinals should be a blockbuster.

3. Novak Djokovic: The perplexing saga of the Serb rolls back into Melbourne. Seemingly ready to challenge for his second title in Oz, Djokovic was trounced by Fernando Verdasco during a recent exhibition match. Not being able to gauge Djokovic’s resistant to the heat, while having the fresh recollection of his miserable departure to Andy Roddick in last year quarterfinals, the Djoker appears somewhat of a wildcard pick.

Djokovic can light up any court, but he can also lose to an in-form journeyman on any given day. Your guess is as good as mine.

4. Juan Martin del Potro: The bludgeoning forehand machine is ready to cast his shadow on Rod Laver Arena. Possessing ample weaponry to trouble any top 10 opponent, the Tandil native may find a recent wrist injury his greatest adversary.

Del Potro has never handled the heat adequately, and his sophomore jinx may be ready to take form. With expectations high, a second week showing would be achievable, but capturing his second career Major will have to wait.

5. Andy Murray: Slumming it up at No. 5, Murray finds himself treading new waters to begin the season. Reaching the No. 2 spot during the summer, Murray will now have the daunting task of facing Nadal in the quarterfinals.

Nevertheless, Murray does seem fit, and his ball-striking looked sharp in Perth. My only reservation towards Murray is his inability to step up his game against a more power-driven opponent. He was clipped by four heavy hitters during last year’s Grand Slam season, and if he’s not careful the new decade could bring him similar misery.

6. Nikolay Davydenko: What we have here is the potential surprise of the tournament. Defeating Federer and Nadal in back-to-back events, Davydenko is currently at the peak of his confidence.

The Russian has alluded to his inability of coping with the world’s best under a five set format. But when considering his unconscious play as of late, there’s no reason to think it can’t continue.

Davydenko has the game, and the recent results to succeed. If he can just cast aside the pressures associated with winning his first Slam, then there’s no reason to not pencil him in during the final weekend.

7. Andy Roddick: Facing nerves in his first tournament back from injury, Roddick needed six match points to win in Brisbane. Roddick comes into Melbourne with the same grit and determination he’s always shown: He’s fit, believes, and has a great coach. But will that be enough?

For one reason or another, Roddick seems to embrace competition but not the critical moments which it holds. If the aging American can keep his mettle—and sneak through the first week—there’s no reason why his fifth career semifinal showing won’t take place.

8. Robin Soderling: A bum elbow may keep rockin’ Robin out of Melbourne. Defeating Federer for the first time in Abu Dhabi, Soderling suffered a first round defeat in Chennai, and was forced to retire from the recent Kooyong event.

Soderling has never performed well in Melbourne, and one has to think that his chronic elbow may send him home before the first weekend.

The Swede may be in for a long year.

9. Fernando Verdasco: “Nando” as he’s known by his female follows, will be adamant on duplicating his famed run of last year. Holding good form as of late, Verdasco’s health and lethal forehand could chalk up three or four wins.

Verdasco didn’t have the same offseason regime as last year, when he traveled to Las Vegas to run up Magic Mountain. Now that a year has passed, and the dust from the classic Nadal semi has settled, Spain’s No. 2 will have to trade in match practice for insufficient fitness.

If anything, Verdasco’s fitness allowed him to battle Nadal for over five hours; without that, Verdasco remains a legitimate but not a top tier contender.

10. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga: A new racket and a new season await Jo-Willy. The ‘08 finalist was hit with a recent wrist injury, but seems to be back on track. If Tsonga can battle through the first week, then his explosive arsenal could trouble the top five.

With his shot-selection sometimes falling in disarray, Tsonga will have to hold back when required, and let lose when give the chance.

Could be a great fortnight for the Frenchman.

11. Fernando Gonzalez: We can never count out the Chilean, but by the same token we can’t really include him in the contender mix. His rocket forehand is fun to watch, and he did provide last year’s event with a magical match against Richard Gasquet.

Again, power is of no concern to Gonzalez, but much like Tsonga, his lack of variety and weak shot-selection could very well send him packing before the round of sixteen.

12. Gael Monfils: Always ready to put on a good show, Monfis’ status remains uncertain. Sustaining shoulder and knee injuries during the offseason, the loose limbed, athletic Frenchman will likely disappoint throughout the fortnight. Claiming that 2010 would be his year, Monfils will have address his reckless style of play if he is to ever win a Major.

13. Radek Stepanek: Playing old school tennis in the modern era, Stepanek’s unorthodox but highly effective game could cause some chaos throughout the tournament.

Seldom injured, Stepanek’s fitness and shot-selection can last through any contest. The ladies man of the Tour seems to have found his second wind on the circuit, allowing for grand results for the upcoming year. His first round tussle with Ivo Karlovic should be interesting—anyone see their Davis Cup match?

14. Marin Cilic: Top ten alert: Cilic may win the Australian Open. Defending his recent Chennai title, Cilic appears destined for tennis’ ultimate prize. Conducting himself with nothing short of optimal professionalism, Cilic’s game is tailor-made for hard court action.

Making the quarterfinals in New York should bode well for his confidence, considering he defeated Nadal later that fall.

All in all, Cilic’s star will inevitably rise, it’s just a matter and when and where.

15. Gilles Simon: Suffering a knee injury at the US Open, Simon has yet to recover. Not participating in any warmup events, the Nice native’s chances are slim to none.

Hard courts are his best surface, and he should be eager to fight.

I’d be surprised if Simon’s ranking stays in the top 20 by year’s end.

16. Tommy Robredo: Bridesmaid Robredo began the season full of vigor. Winning the Hopman Cup and reaching the quarterfinals in Auckland, Robredo seemed to be at his very best. However, if recent or distant memory serves us correctly, Robredo has never made it past the quarterfinals of a Major event.

In fact, if you’re looking to choose a certifiable round of sixteen finisher, look no further than Robredo. Making the round of sixteen on 16 occasions, Robredo could very well duplicate that feat this year. I would discourage further optimism from that point.

17. David Ferrer: The good old days seem to have left this Spanish firecracker. Once described as the pinnacle of fitness and determination, Ferrer has faded into a second tier of Grand Slam competitor. If he’s not upset early, he won’t be remembered at the end of the event.

18. Tommy Haas: Screaming at his box when given the chance, Haas posted respectable results this past year. Possessing an explosive backhand wing, the veteran German appears hungry for another year of Tour action. The heat may not get to Haas, but his irritable temperament will likely send him packing before the second week.

19. Stanislas Wawrinka: Has the unassuming Swiss ever been considered a title contender? Holding a classic game, Wawrinka readily bombs out of the early stages of Majors. With fatherhood on the horizon, and a visible lack of intensity present, Stan the man should have plenty of time adjust to his upcoming sleepless schedule.

20. Mikhail Youzhny: Never backing down from a good fight, Youzhny’s Grand Slam resume has shown patches of brilliance. Possessing no real holes in his repertoire, Youzhny could very easily make the quarters in Melbourne. I’ve said it before and I’ll ask it again: How many YouTube hits did his Miami incident draw? Is that the only way for tennis to get into the limelight these days?

21. Tomas Berdych: Never one to shine at a Major, Berdych led Federer by two sets-to-love at last year’s event. The Czech has been called a career underachiever, primarily for his dismal record when asked to persevere. Considering the fragile nature of Berdych, don’t be surprised if Robin Hasse sends him crashing out in round one.

22. Lleyton Hewitt: The Aussie fans will be out in full force to support their one-and-only star. Hewitt, who reached the finals in 2005, claims that he’s ready to jump back into the top 10. It will be interesting to see how the year unfolds for Hewitt, but it will be more interesting to see if he can defeat Federer in a potential fourth round clash.

23. Juan Carlos Ferrero: Playing way past his prime, JCF recently injured his ankle in Auckland. Relying on court speed as his major weapon, Ferrero’s injured ankle may not last through the first round. Good thing he has a qualifier first up to round his way into form.

24. Ivan Ljubicic: There’s still some steam left in the Ljubicic’s game. Rocking his serve from match-to-match, the powerful Czech will look to improve on his quarterfinal finish of 2006. Leaving aside his ‘06 finish, Ljubicic is a constant flop when it comes to Grand Slam results. He’ll be lucky if he makes the fourth round.

25. Sam Querrey: Full of promise and a monster serve, Querrey has struggled since falling through a table last fall. Losing his first three matches of the new year, a Samurai crew lacking confidence heads to Melbourne Park. Querrey’s first few rounds seem winnable, leading to a potential third round battle with Roddick. That match, if it took place, would hold significant magnitude back in the States—with or without Roddick’s recent Davis Cup withdrawal.

26. Nicolas Almagro: Not sure how or why Almagro remains a top tier player, but his ranking should buy him some breathing room. With an injured Soderling looming, this could very well be Almagro’s best chance to make the round of sixteen at a hard court Major.

27. Philipp Kohlschreiber: The compact German always seems to play his best tennis during the Slams. Defeating Roddick in Australia (2008), and Djokovic at the French Open (2009), Kohlschreiber’s game is designed to go the distance. Using every ounce of his body to strike his precision groundstrokes, “Coleslaw” should make at least the third round.

28. Jurgen Melzer: Never expecting much for Melzer means that he may actually succeed. Possessing a tricky and fluid game, this left-hander from Austria combines angles and drop-shots to foil any adversary. Melzer may take a set from Murray in round three, but I wouldn’t expect much more.

29. Viktor Troicki: Speaking with Viktor the other day, I got the sense that he means business in ‘10. Shooting from the hip on each and every shot, the Serbian’s bulldog style could push del Potro in the third round.

30. Juan Monaco: Winning only a fist-full of hard court matches in his career, Monaco will find it uber tough to get past Ernests Gulbis in round one. Monaco strikes a clean ball, but his spin serve and lack of variety won’t get him far until the clay season.

31. Albert Montanes: The ever improving Spaniard picked up two singles titles in ‘09. Recently reaching the semifinals in Auckland, Montanes’ consistent game could bank him a few rounds of prize money. His first round encounter against fellow dirt baller Oscar Hernandez has five sets written all over it.

32. Jeremy Chardy: Meet perhaps the best player you’ll never know. It remains to be seen if Chardy can crack the upper echelons of men’s tennis, but there’s no doubt the Frenchman can play ball. Upholding the tradition of French flair, Chardy’s effortless game can break open any point at will. Holding a rather forgiving draw, don’t be surprised if Chardy upsets Djokovic in the third round.

Please stay tuned for a complete draw breakdown of the Australian Open.

Previews for Auckland, New Zealand, and Sydney, Australia

Week two of the new season brings with it added incentive for those players looking to hone their skills ahead of the Australian Open.

Possessing no top 10 players throughout the events this week, Auckland, New Zealand, and Sydney will be the focal points of the ATP World Tour.

Beginning in Auckland, a familiar face and an injured hip will be put to the test when David Nalbandian makes his return to tennis.

Sidelined for much of the 2009 season, Nalbandian has trimmed down and worked his way back into match shape with a series of exhibitions held over the offseason.

Holding a 2-2 lifetime record at the event, Nalbandian has said that winning the Davis Cup tops his list of priorities.

At first glance, the Auckland draw mirrors Spain’s national championships. Holding the top four seeds at the event, No. 1 seed Tommy Robredo ushers in a line up of Spaniards that features David Ferrer, Juan Carlos Ferrero, and Nicolas Almagro. Albert Montanes (recent doubles champion in Qatar) rounds out the seeded players at No. 8.

The 28-man field (the top four seeds receive a first round bye) will be held over six days, giving the winner and finalist time to recover for Monday’s start of the Australian Open.

Defending champ Juan Martin del Potro is not entered in the Auckland draw, due to insufficient funding for his appearance fee. After winning the US Open, del Potro can claim top dollar for his participation of non-Slam events.

Off to Sydney and lucky No. 4. Australian son and tournament favorite Lleyton Hewitt will enter this year’s event as the No. 4 seed, while holding four career titles under his belt.

Currently No. 22 on the computer, Hewitt suffered back spasms in Perth while competing in the Hopman Cup over the weekend.

Hewitt will have his work cut out for him if he is to capture his fifth Medibank International title.

Top seed Gael Monfils and No. 2 seed Tomas Berdych have been in good form as of late, both reaching the semifinals in Brisbane.

Other potential floaters in the 28 man draw will include: Richard Gasquet, Marcos Baghdatis, and Mardy Fish.

Sydney will also feature a Saturday final.

Let’s now take a quick look at the respective draws for each event.

Heineken Open—Auckland, New Zealand

With defending champ del Potro out of the draw, there remains very little in the way of clear-cut favorite in Auckland.

Robredo Half:

Never one to excel on hard courts, Robredo racked up four impressive wins at the Hopman Cup last week to lead Spain to its third career title.

Defeating world No. 4 Andy Murray in the final, Robredo’s mettle and topspin forehand hit new heights in Perth.

Will Robredo’s impressive start to the season continue, or will the demons of self doubt creep back into his game?

For starters, Robredo has one career hard court title to his name (Metz, France, 2006). The Spaniard was a finalist in Auckland in 2007, losing to Ferrer in the final.

Looking at Robredo’s draw, one could see him running into trouble in the quarterfinals against upstart American John Isner.

Isner was not at his best in Perth, but he seems to thrive at these smaller week-long events.

Robredo did clip Isner last week in Perth, but a rematch could hold a different outcome.

The only other real threat in this section for Robredo appears to be No. 3 seed Ferrero.

The former world No. 1 remains a respectable challenger on Tour, and could bring forth significant adversity for Robredo.

Ferrero holds a 7-5 record at the event, highlighted by a finals appearance in 2008.

All in all, though, the seedings say different, let’s be bold with our pick and choose the most menacing presence in this section—the serve of Isner.

American tennis is in need of jolt of adrenaline and Isner could very well deliver it in Auckland.

Pick: Isner

Ferrer Half:

Speaking of a menacing presence, how about Ferrer? The nimble and explosive Spaniard is one of the fittest players on the circuit, using his silky backhand to trouble the world’s best.

Ferrer has struggled as of late, dropping his rank to No. 17 in the world.

The Davis Cup hero should get a test in his opening match against likely opponent Jeremy Chardy. For those of you who have not seen Chardy play, the young Frenchman can hit any shot in the book, possessing a rocket serve as his primary weapon.

Chardy could go all the way in Auckland, depending on his fitness and willingness to grind (a la Richard Gasquet).

Philipp Kohlschreiber, the 2008 champ also resides in the section, but his confidence and dynamic backhand seem to still be on vacation.

Nalbandian may turn a few heads this week, but until the state of his movement and hip are determined, it’s hard to predict his advancement in the draw.

Staying with the theme of the underdog in this event, let’s pick a potential superstar from an already powerful tennis country.

Pick: Chardy

Champion: Isner

Medibank International—Sydney, Australia

Dating back to 1885, the Medibank International remains one of the elite 250 point tournaments on the planet.

Showcasing past champions such as Tony Roche, Roscoe Tanner, Pete Sampras and Roger Federer, the event is an integral part of the Australian hard court summer.

The rowdy Australian fans will once again be in full support of their four main draw players.

Monfils Half:

The flexible Frenchman reunites with his coach Roger Rasheed this week, after the Australian was unable to attend last week’s Brisbane event due to illness.

Monfils is currently nursing a sore right shoulder and his progression in Sydney will depend on his health.

Monfils doesn’t have a particularly difficult draw to deal with, facing Gasquet or Wawrinka in the latter rounds.

Wawrinka has rounded nicely into form as of late, progressing to the championship match in Chennai.

Gasquet is on the rebound from a mentally draining year, and will be looking to regain his top 20 position as soon as possible.

Monfils may find it difficult to deal with the Australian sun, taking into account the status of his shoulder.

This half really doesn’t have a stand out player that can dominate, leaving instinct and good fortune as the method of choice.

In saying that, Monfils appears to have a rather routine draw considering the bonus of having a first-round bye. If he can dispose of fellow Frenchman Gasquet in the quarterfinals, then a finals appearance should be achieved.

Pick: Monfils

Berdych Half:

Half fast efforts or remarkable shot-making, that remains Berdych’s modo.

Leading Andy Roddick by a set in Brisbane wasn’t enough for Berdych to prevail last week; anyone remember his two sets-to-love lead over Federer in Australia last year?

Hewitt would be Berdych’s toughest opponent in his half, with Sam Querrey hovering as a potential quarterfinal foe.

Querrey returned to the Tour successfully last week in Brisbane, recovering from a freak accident that he sustained in Asia last fall.

Berdych recently changed racket manufactures, and his adjustment period may take some time.

Baghdatis will be another crowd favorite in Sydney, bringing his cheek-to-cheek smile to each and every match.

I’m not quite sold on Berdych (perhaps I never will be), and that would suggest his premature fall in the event is imminent.

With that being said, Hewitt appears feisty and ready to win in front of his home crowd. He may not win the big one in Melbourne, but a fifth title final in Sydney would sit just fine with the Tour workhorse.

Pick: Hewitt

Champion: Hewitt

Please check back throughout the week for daily wrap ups from the Heineken Open and Medibank International.

Previews For Qatar, Brisbane and Chennai

The start of a new decade brings with it the excitement of a new tennis season. The ATP World Tour will be out in full force this week, hosting events in Qatar, Brisbane and Chennai, respectively.

Five top 10 players are in action throughout the events, leading many to believe that there’s truly no rest for the weary.

Although the beginning of the season isn’t typically embraced in the same capacity as the North American summer circuit, the results of the upcoming two weeks will be vital in determining the favorites at the upcoming Australian Open.

With a lot of action to cover this week, let’s take a look at the three draws to begin the tennis calendar.

Qatar ExxonMobil Open—Doha

The top two players in the world will look to relive their recently fizzled rivalry. Top seed Roger Federer and world No. 2 Rafael Nadal have failed to face each other since the Madrid finals in May. The pair had an opportunity to lock horns in Abu Dhabi over the weekend, but Federer’s loss to Robin Soderling spoiled the potential showdown.

The road to a finals in Qatar appears promising for the top two seeds, though, the field does possess some quality floaters.

Federer Half:

Starting off with the diminutive, yet-quick-as-a-cat Christophe Rochus, Federer’s draw to a third career final Doha may become complicated by No. 3 seed Nikolay Davydenko or No. 7 seed Ivo Karlovic.

Davydenko recently obtained his first career win over Federer at the Tour finale in London, adding significant confidence to the Russian’s game. Prior to defeating Federer in the semifinals in England, Davydenko had lost 12 straight matches to the Swiss star.

I don’t think Federer was too concerned with his first ever loss to the Russian, believing he will ultimately regain his dominance.

Karlovic would have to defeat Davydenko in the quarterfinals in order to have a shot at Federer in the semifinals. The towering ace machine had a lackluster 2009 season, filled with almost 900 aces, and a 500 record (23-23).

Karlovic does hold one career win over Federer on hardcourts (Cincinnati 2008), but his task of duplicating that feat would be daunting to say the least.

Federer is well aware that if he serves well to Karlovic’s backhand, then he will eventually gain an opportunity on his service games.

All in all, Federer looks like an excellent pick to make it to his third final in Qatar.

Pick: Federer

Nadal Half:

Fresh of an exhibition win in Abu Dhabi, the recent Davis Cup champ will be coming into Qatar with improved confidence. The 2009 season was less than satisfactory for the Spaniard, resulting in seven months without a Tour title.

Nadal is set to face a few flat-hitting foes in this section that could cause him difficulty. Fourth seeded Mikhail Youzhny, and fifth seeded Viktor Troicki both possess the weaponry to give Nadal fits on hardcourts.

Youzhny in particular, who has defeated Nadal four times on hardcourts, could very well add his fifth win over the Spaniard in Qatar.

Troicki plays a similar game to Youzhny, but lacks the overall consistency of the higher ranked Russian.

All in all, after musing up and down the draw, it appears that, barring a major collapse by either Federer or Nadal, a finals match up should take place during the Saturday final.

Pick: Nadal

Champion: Nadal

Brisbane International—Australia

Andy Roddick is back in action this week after being sidelined with a knee injury since October.

Roddick has expressed a cautious optimism to his return on Tour, stating that he’s not 100 percent, and needs to round back into form.

Roddick will be joined in the field by defending champ Radek Stepanek, Gael Monfils, and Tomas Berdych.

Roddick Half:

The top seeded American will battle Peter Luczak in round one, with talented LA Open finalist Carsten Ball a potential second round opponent.

Luczak failed to reached the potential that Tennis Australia had mapped for him, leading most critics to focus on the future and Ball’s development.

Roddick would remain the firm favorite against either opponent, allowing for an enticing match up with former top 10 player Richard Gasquet in the quarterfinals.

Gasquet has had his own share of troubles over the past year, but remains one of the best pure hitters in the game.

Other potential candidates to push Roddick aside in the event include: No. 4 seed Berdych, No. 6 seed Jurgen Melzer, fellow American Mardy Fish, Marcos Baghdatis, and Michael Llodra.

All in all, I just can’t see Roddick making the finals of his first event back after injury. I expect Roddick to round into form in the following weeks, but it won’t happen as soon as Brisbane.

Pick: Berdych

Stepanek Half:

The defending champ should breeze into the quarterfinals, considering his generous draw. After facing a local wildcard in round one, Bernard Tomic or a qualifier should provide little adversity in round two.

Stepanek’s unconventional game should be enough to dispose of Jeremy Chardy in the quarterfinals, setting up a potential encounter with No. 4 seed Gael Monfils or No. 5 seed Sam Querrey in the semifinals.

Monfils seems to have finally realized his potential, while Querrey will have his hands full with James Blake in round one.

I could see Stepanek reaching the semifinals with relative ease, but Monfils is without question the most in form player in this section.

If La Monf is waking the walk (he hyped himself up pretty well at the end of last season); I’ll take my chances and pick him in this half.

Pick: Monfils

Champion: Monfils

Aircel Chennai Open—India

The week’s final event will see two of the Tour’s biggest hitters, top seed Robin Soderling and second seed Marin Cilic prep their hardcourt games for the land Down Under.

Soderling, who finished second to Nadal over the weekend in Abu Dhabi, remains determined to prove that ‘09 was no mistake.

Soderling’s work-in-progress net strategy (courtesy of coach Magnus Norman), will inevitably make or break his year. If Soderling can improve his transition game, he will remain in the top 10—if he fails to fix his volley’s, his one dimensional game with fade quickly.

Cilic is, without question the Tour’s premier rising star. Holding a full house of tennis majesty, the young Croat will attempt to successfully defend a title for the first time in his career. The 21-year-old could very well turn into the tennis story of 2010.

Soderling Half:

The Tibro native appears to have a cakewalk draw to the finals in India. Facing the on again, off again Robby Ginepri in round one, Le Sod could face No. 3 seed Stanislas Wawrinka or No. 5 seed Dudi Sela along his journey to the finals.

Sela has put up poor results as of late, losing his last eight Tour-level matches.

On a different level, Wawrinka’s game is full of weapons, but with the birth of his first child on the way, one wonders if Stan will have his game face ready this early in the season.

All in all, Soderling seems destined to rule this section. I’d be shocked if he doesn’t breeze into the finals, considering his current level of play.

Pick: Soderling

Cilic Half:

Defeating Indian wildcard Somdev Devvarman in last year’s final, Cilic not only placed himself in a contender’s role for Australia, he also primed himself for an ascent to the top 10.

However, a midseason slump left Cilic with a year-end ranking of No. 14. Through diligent work and a monster forehand, Cilic’s fall results mirrored his early season heroics.

Cilic’s draw appears clean-cut as well, not having to face a top 35 player until the finals. Cilic could face No. 4 seed Janko Tipsarevic in the semifinals, or a rematch of last year’s final with Devvarman in the same round.

Veterans Carlos Moya and Rainer Schuettler also reside in this half of the draw; both are returning to action from injury.

This section should be easy pickings for Cilic, considering that his belief and fitness are on the rise.

Pick: Cilic

Champion: Cilic

Please check back throughout the week of daily coverage from Qatar, Brisbane, and Chennai.

Davis Cup Finals Preview

This year’s edition of the Davis Cup final will provide a slightly different dynamic than in previous seasons. Even though Spain remains the overwhelming favorite against the Czech Republic, a slightly black-and-blue Spanish team may be in trouble.

Led by puissant clay court player Rafael Nadal, the Spanish team finds itself residing in the doubt of its top player.

Nadal, who has lost his last four matches on the circuit, comes into the Palau Sant Jordi Arena with a 10-0 lifetime singles record when competing on clay. The former world No. 1 and six-time Slam Champion has drop a few pounds and will be competing on the dirt for the first time since losing in the fourth round of the French Open to Robin Soderling.

The Davis Cup final, if anything, could prove to be a vital boost in the current struggles of Nadal.

If Nadal were to lose his first ever Davis Cup clay court match this weekend, alarm bells would certainly be in order.

However, if Nadal is able to convincingly propel his squad to their fourth career title, a much-needed jolt of confidence would definitely be offered heading into next season.

“The Davis Cup is my main objective remaining for the year,” Nadal, who also missed the 2008 final due to injury, said in an interview with Magazine Digital (www.magazinedigital.com) on Sunday.

“To play in the Palau Sant Jordi, where I carried the team flag in 2000, and experience that now as a player and not a spectator will be a marvellous experience.”

Nadal will not be alone in his efforts in capturing Davis Cup supremacy, holding a strong supporting cast of players which includes: Fernando Verdasco, David Ferrer and Feliciano Lopez.

Verdasco, who was an intricate part in clinching Spain’s victory over Argentina last year, has put forth a banner season, ending as the No. 9 player in the world.

Verdasco, much like Nadal has had his share of injuries and will be coming into Barcelona on an equal four match losing streak.

Verdasco’s best surface is by no means clay, and it would not be surprising to see team captain Albert Costa choose scrappy veteran David Ferrer as a singles player.

Ferrer, who has encountered his own set of woes this season, thrives on the crushed brick and could very well become the x-factor of the weekend.

On again, off again Lopez will be the forth man on the team, adding his nasty left-handed serve and v0lley to the weekend’s doubles competition.

Lopez has resurrected his singles career to in the past few months, reaching the semifinals of the Shanghai Masters 1000 and quarterfinals in Austria.

Czech Mate?

Led by none other than Radek “The Worm” Stepanek, the Czech Republic will be vying for their second career title after capturing their first in 1980.

Stepanek’s epic six-hour marathon win over Ivo Karlovic in the semifinals in Croatia was instrumental in propelling his squad to the finals. Stepanek’s sleek serve and volley game could post a significant degree of difficulty for the Spaniards, seeing as his brand of tennis is almost obsolete on Tour.

Stepanek will be joined by former top 10 talent Tomas Berdych, French and US Open doubles champion Lukas Dlouhy, and Davis Cup newcomer Jan Hajek.

Team captain Jaroslav Navratil will have his work cut out for him this weekend, likely requiring Stepanek to play all three days.

Clay is by far the Czechs’ least liked surface, but when taking into account the injuries of Nadal and Verdasco, the outcome of the finals remains in the bounds.

The surprisingly cool conditions in Barcelona this week, which accentuate Nadal’s spin and fitness, could make the Czechs’ title run less likely.

Stepanek was candid when expressing dislike for the cooler conditions in Spain.

“We have blue hands after practice but it doesn’t bother us, we laugh about it and it’s the same for both teams!” said Stepanek.

“Hopefully with 16,000 people in the stadium it will be a little bit warmer!” remarked Czech captain Jaroslav Navratil at Tuesday’s pre-draw press conference.

Stepanek, who has never shied away from long matches, shared his thoughts on the keys to victory.

“If it takes ten hours to win the match and bring the point for our team, I will be there for ten hours,” says Stepanek. “You have to be mentally strong, especially in the moments when the matches could go either way. When you feel the pressure, you have to stay focused and not show the negative emotions to the other guy. I’m strong inside, I’m not just playing it, I know I’m strong and I’m proving it even when I’m playing six-hour matches.”

Berdych, who made the fourth round of Roland Garros in 2005, spoke about the challenges of playing Nadal on clay.

“It’s going to be tough to find the keys,” said the world No. 20, who has lost his last four matches against Nadal. “For me the most important thing is to bring a little more than 100% of my game to the court, then there is a chance to beat Rafa. Definitely I’m not going to be the favorite, but I’m going to be there on the court trying my best.”

All in all, the Czechs will be the severe underdogs in this tie. The only opportunity for an upset this weekend will be to focus on winning the doubles, then defeating Verdasco.

As mentioned, in the event that Spain chooses Ferrer instead of Verdasco to partake in the singles competition, one would have to think that his clay court prowess would remain at an elite enough level to oust either Stepanek or Berdych.

Bottom line, regardless of the conditions and the confidence level of Nadal, Spain has simply too many options and too much experience to not slide away with yet another Davis Cup victory.

It should be a sold out encounter in Barcelona, but don’t expect anything short of the red and yellow prevailing on Sunday.

Prediction: Spain wins 4-1.

Please check back throughout the weekend for continuing daily coverage from Davis Cup final in Spain.

Additional quotes courtesy of daviscup.org.

Barclays ATP World Tour Finals Preview: The Fate of Eight

Tournament Preview:

With the draw ceremony for the Barclays ATP World Tour finals taking place this week on the London eye, the world’s best players are set to battle one another in two elite groups, comprising the final showdown of the tennis season.

The O2 Arena, which will host the biggest indoor tennis event in history, has sold out on a majority of their available tickets—250,000 to be exact.

Four-time champ Roger Federer heads the elite field, which will include all four Major winners this season.

An interesting fact going into this year’s event remains that only Federer and defending champ Novak Djokovic have won the title in previous appearances.

In his fifth year of qualification, Rafael Nadal appears eager to rectify a season which has been hindered with both personal and physical anguish.

The Spaniard has exuded tentative play as of late, and will have to step up his court positioning in order to succeed.

Consistent Russian Nikolay Davydenko will be making his fifth straight finals appearance, highlighted by finals loss to Djokovic last year.

Davydenko, who was plagued with a number of foot injuries to begin the season, comes into London on the heels of winning four Tour titles post Wimbledon.

Tour finale newcomers, Juan Martin del Potro, Fernando Verdasco, and Robin Soderling will be adamant on proving their worth after pouring in respectable year-long campaigns.

Del Potro, who won his maiden Grand Slam title in New York this summer, holds perhaps the hardest forehand on the circuit. The Tandil native has proved that he is not only one of the best ball strikers on the planet, but he also holds a full deck of focus when it comes to mental toughness.

Spaniard Verdasco has risen to the upper echelon of the game’s elite this season, due in large part to his consistent results. His 52-22 match record highlighted by an epic run in Australia to start the season, has this Spanish powerhouse in full flight towards London glory.

Verdasco will be a dark horse in the event, resting on the strength of his affective lefty game.

Hard-hitting Soderling finds himself in the year’s last tournament on the good grace of Andy Roddick.

The American, who was the sixth player to qualify for the event, was forced to withdraw from London due to an ongoing knee injury. Roddick has qualified for year the end finale on seven straight occasions.

Roddick’s loss might just turn into Soderling’s gain. The Tibro native will be playing with house money all week and was put in the Group B, which does not include his nemesis Federer.

Soderling has been suffering with a bothersome right elbow as of late and will hope for a clean bill of health as he embarks on the final event of the season.

With the stage set for what promises to be a week of both scintillating and sold out tennis, let’s take a look at both groups and their respective combatants.

Group A

1. Roger Federer: The four-time winner comes into London with cloud of doubt over his record-breaking year. Two consecutive losses to Djokovic and Benneteau, holds Federer’s drive for five in doubt. The Swiss will have to deal with Murray, who he trails 6-3 in career head-to-head meetings, del Potro, who he lost to in New York, and finally a swing happy Verdasco with nothing to lose.

Federer should be able to make it through the round robin portion, though his matches with Murray and del Potro could be ambush induced, to say the least.

A final note of importance for Federer: If he bombs out in the round robin draw, Nadal could very well snatch his No. 1 ranking away.

4. Andy Murray: The Scot, or Brit for the week, enters the burden filled O2 Arena with every English supporter expecting a title run. Murray’s second appearance at the event will be highlighted by a recent title in Valencia, topping off an overall stellar year.

Let’s not forget that a recent left wrist injury and five set confusion during the Grand Slam events has tripped up Murray during his season.

When it comes to figuring out three-set matches though, Murray is in a league of his own. Murray’s confident head-to-head mark against Federer, Delpo, and Verdasco will aid well in his bid to the finals.

Murray’s match against Federer will be key; likely implying a guaranteed spot for either competitor in the semifinals.

5. Juan Martin del Potro: There’s no time like the present to make a significant impact on Tour. Del Potro is clearly in the Grand Slam mix after his triumph in New York, and a deep run in London would simply solidify his place as an Australian Open favorite.

Delpo has struggled against Murray and Federer, but has proved that he can create countless opportunities against either adversary.

It remains to be seen if del Potro is still in hangover mode since winning the US Open; capturing only two match victories throughout the fall season would suggest just that.

All in all, I like del Potro in this group, but his chances of survival against R-Fed and Murray will be difficult.

The Argentine has proved his mettle all season, and another chance to change the face of tennis lies in London.

7. Fernando Verdasco: Good old Nando. He’s graced the world with his Aussie faux-hawk, a visor in the summer, and his current hybrid of Antonio Banderas meets a mobster from the Sopranos—what’s not to like?

Regardless of his hairstyle preference, one constant in Verdasco’s game this year has been his ability to win matches on a weekly basis. Seldom suffering a first round loss, Verdasco’s forehand and improved fitness have aided him in becoming a respective member of the top 10.

The lone concern for Verdasco in London will be his shot selection. When Verdasco is winning, it’s all about the pace he can generate; when Verdasco is losing, it’s all about the pace he can generate—see a problem?

With versatility not being his strength, and a substantial losing record against both Federer and Murray, Veradasco’s stay in London may just be filled with the experience of “just” being there.

All in all, with del Potro being the x-factor in this group (a giant one at that), let’s stay on the side of factual and viable evidence and pick the two men who have been there, done that.

Semifinalists: Federer and Murray

Group B

2. Rafael Nadal: Talk about a long season, no? Not only does Nadal have to think about battling through a treacherous field in London and have the weight of an upcoming Davis Cup tie on his “sleeved” shirts, the Mallorcan, for all intensive purposes is also playing poorly.

What started off as a knee injury and stomach muscle strain for Nadal has quickly turned into an all out attempt at regaining his unbeatable court presence.

Once feared by everyone in the locker room, Nadal is simply beatable these days.

From his loss to del Potro in New York, his white wash defeats to Marin Cilic and Davydenko in Asia, even as recently as his semifinal drubbing at the hands of Djokovic in Paris, Nadal’s defensive foundation has turned into his worst offensive nightmare. It seems that there is no offense in sight.

However, this isn’t the first time we’ve seen Nadal struggle. If anything it’s what he thrives on in the arena of competition.

His talent and fight will always be present on court, and his willingness to compete should last until his last breath on Tour.

Now, on the flip side of hope, Nadal will have to deal with three foes which he has struggled against this season: Djokovic, Davydenko and Soderling.

Losing to all three players in commanding fashion at some point during the year, Nadal is both vulnerable and eager for revenge.

The Spaniard has historically shown the ability to defeat opponent’s that have handed him prior defeat—London’s challenge will surely test all of the Spaniard’s innate abilities.

3. Novak Djokovic: The man of the hour has never come into the Tour finale more confident. Defeating Federer and Nadal along the road to capturing respective titles in Basel and Paris, Djokovic currently resides with significant bark to his title defense.

Using the current flame of confidence that Djokovic possesses to advance should be easy; keeping up his fitness for a third consecutive event will be the most challenging component.

Djokovic has rarely won three Tour titles in a row during his career. With that critical stat lacking in his favor, a repeat to the Tour finale seems unlikely.

Based on his reaction alone after defeating Gael Monfils in Paris, Djokoivc should be spent. The fact that he has a losing head-to-head against Nadal, and an even head-to-head against Davydenko—Djokovic may just dwindle during the latter stages of the event.

Something tells me that a surprise or two may be in order in this Group.

6. Nikolay Davydenko: Never a fan of the grass courts in London, Davydenko will happily throw his hat in the mix on the neutral hard surface.

Playing hard and playing often has allowed Davydenko to put forth a devastatingly successful fall campaign, which saw him defeat both Nadal and Djokovic on his way to his third Masters 1000 title in Shanghai.

It appears that a fresh Russian will look to run ramped on a fatigued Djokovic and Davis Cup occupied Nadal.

All in all, Davydenko’s karma seems to be right where is should be in London, resulting in a potential off-the-rise symposium which could take him to the winner’s podium by week’s end.

8. Robin Soderling: Soderling could very well have the most to prove in this event, simply because he wants to prove his worth. He knows that his place in London was achieved by default, and if not for Roddick’s misfortune, his vacation time in Monte Carlo would have started earlier.

La Sod has the game to defeat everyone in this section and his match with Nadal should be the popcorn match of the event. If the flat-hitting Swede can control his nerves throughout his first few matches, a semifinal place is certainly within reach.

I alluded to his group being full of surprises, and Soderling may very well be the surprise of the event.

The odds makers weren’t as kind to Soderling this time around, posing a further problem in choosing his glory.

However, Soderling does provide significant punch in his game—pound for pound—over the other three competitors in this group.

Power can often hinder a players’ progression through a big time event, but in Soderling’s case, his blazing ground game should fit right in with his O2 surroundings.

Semifinal picks: Davydenko, Soderling

Finals: Murray vs. Davydenko

Winner: Murray

Please check back throughout the week for daily coverage from the last ATP World Tour event of the calender year.

The fate of eight awaits.