Match Prediction 28/03 Sony Ericsson Open

 Round of 64

 Novak Djokovic SRB (3) – Kevin Anderson RSA (122)

I may be the only person to say this but I think a possible upset could be on the cards.  Djokovic will without a doubt not be 100 percent going into this match which gives every chance to the rising star from South Africa. As I say every week winners of tournaments the week before do not have sufficient recovery time and although Djokovic is of a different class to Anderson, fatigue could beat him here. Anderson was runner up in Las Vegas in early March playing seven matches to get there and eventually lost to Sam Querrey in three sets. This shows he has a bit of quality and stamina at the top level. Do not get me wrong, this match is not going to be 61 62 whitewash but Anderson may be able to steal a victory in three sets as Djokovic tires.

 Predicted Winner :: Anderson

 Richard Gasquet FRA (8) – Dmitry Tursunov RUS (35)

The head to head for this year stands at 1-1 and this match could go either way. The stylish Frenchman is one of my favourite players but he can suffer lapses of concentration and go into his shell when losing. Tursunov’s ‘go for broke’ power game is very unique on the tour and you never know quite what your going to get. Some matches he’ll make 100 errors and in others he’ll be unplayable. Both players have not been on the best form as of late and I fancy the well rested Tursunov to blast Gasquet off the court.

 Predicted Winner :: Tursunov

 Juan Martin Del Potro ARG (65) – Feliciano Lopez ESP (33)

I have come across a few people on the internet tipping Del Potro for this match and I think they are very wrong. I agree that Lopez can be unpredictable at times but when he plays well, he is virtually unstoppable. I really feel Lopez can reach a much higher level than Del Potro who actually leads the head to head 2-0. The last time they played was in October 2007  where Lopez was off form and lost in straight sets however he came into his own this year in Dubai where he showed just how good he can be only losing to Roddick in the final.

Predicted winner : Lopez

 Ivan Ljubicic CRO (24) – Fabrice Santoro FRA (49)

 Every match Ljubicic plays now I always think of a quote from a tennis commentator: “The Ljubicic star had faded.” He won a couple of matches last week against Cilic and Robredo but lost easily to Federer who was clearly not 100 percent. The pair played at this tournament last year when Ljubicic, ranked 7 prevailed in three sets. A year on and Ljubicic is not the player he was and I can see the tricky Frenchman who caused Djokovic a bit of trouble in Dubai chopping his way to victory here.

 Predicted Winner :: Santoro

Preparation for competitve play…

Preparation for a tournament or club match is almost as important as playing the event itself and that is why it is important that you are pyhsically and mentally ready to compete.

1. In the weeks before your event get regular practice in with private coaching or hit with similar or better standard players to yourself.

 Nearer the time of the event, drills will get your shots finely tuned up and serving in a practice match is useful but be careful not to go over the top as you need to be feeling 100% going into your match feeling 100 percent.

 2. Training without a racket is also a must as your footwork and movement around a court could prove decisive in who wins a match.

 Footwork drills will make you quicker around the court. Some good examples can be found here.

 3. It sounds obvious but make sure you sort out directions and travel arrangements well in advance so you do not stress yourself out frantically trying to work out where you are going at the last minute. Aim to arrive about an hour before the start of your match so you have enough time to do a full warm up.

4. Pack your tennis bag.

 Make sure you have everything you need in you bag the night before. For example rackets, energy drinks, water, bananas, lunch if you are at a venue all day, a spare set of clothes, spare trainers, heat rub or spray in case of any injuries and any other items you feel would be necessary.

 Two or more rackets are essential for match play as you never know when you might break a string.  

 5. Make sure you ring the organiser of the tournament or captain of your club team the night before to confirm the starting time of your match. I once failed do this and turned up for my 9am start only to be told my match had been re-arranged for 3pm. 

6. Eat some pasta the day or night before so that you store some energy.

 7. Finally have an early night so you feel fresh the next day.

Can Djokovic deliver two consecutive titles?

As I predicted Novak Djokovic overcame the on form Mardy Fish 6-2 5-7 6-3 to claim the first Masters Series title of the season, the Pacific Life Open. Now Djokovic has his sights set on the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami and the question is can he win back to back titles? I’m not so sure.

 Andy Roddick and Sam Querrey proved last week that they were not capable of keeping up their fine form in Indian Wells after winning tournaments the week before and with the Serb’s fatigue and injury history it is difficult to fancy him here. When Djokovic was a break up in the third set against Fish his body language and facial expression was not that of somebody who was on the way to a title. He looked tired and was definitely struggling however used his fighting spirit to get through the match.

He also could have lost his serve in the first game of the third set finding himself 0-40 down but bravely fired three aces to pick himself up and carry on his march to the title. Djokovic can never be written off in Miami as his physical condition has certainly improved from last season and he has points to defend as he is the current Miami champion. He has got a nice draw as he could be facing Andreev and Canas in the early rounds, two players he has beaten with ease in the past few weeks. However I think they could prove tougher tests considering how many matches Djokovic has played and fatigue may start to become a factor. 

 Fernando Gonzalez will be looking to win a few rounds in this tournament and should the Chilean overcome Canas in the round of 32 (assuming they both get there) he could play Djokovic and I think a minor upset could be on the cards. Gonzalez hasn’t really hit form this year as yet and I think he could reach at least the semi-finals in this tournament. There are two other players that I think could progress in this tournament and they are Philipp Kohlschrieber and James Blake.  

The full tournament draw can be seen here.

Djokovic in line for Pacific Life Open Championship

Final

 Novak Djokovic SRB (3) – Mardy Fish USA (98)

My tip for the title Novak Djokovic is now hot favourite to win the Pacific Life Open. My prediction can be seen here which I did at the start of the tournament. All the other big time players have failed to deliver apart from the resillient Djokovic who will no doubt become word number one within the next few years and his 6/3 6/2 demolition of Nadal was an example of this. Mardy Fish has been on an amazing run in this tournament and has beaten three top ten players including Roger Federer who he beat in just over an hour. He must be believing he can win the whole thing now after coming back from the dead against Hewitt and Nalbandian to win in third set tie breaks, but Djokovic will not hand him any second chances if he is winning. The physical toll taken on Fish could come in to play here also as he has played a lot more tennis than Djokovic who is yet to drop a set. Fish has served fantastically this tournament and he’ll have to give another epic peformance if he is to trouble to Djokovic which I do not think he is capable of doing.

 Predicted Winner :: Djokovic

 Round of 16 Tips

Jo Wilfried Tsonga blew a 5-3 lead in the third set to lose 7-5. I was watching this and couldn’t believe my eyes at how Tsonga self destructed, he clearly could not cope physically and Nadal capitalised on this in a match that lasted 3 hours.

 R Nadal d J W Tsonga 67 (4) 76 (3) 75 - Prediction - Wrong

R Federer d I Ljubicic 63 64 – Prediction - Correct

J Blake d R Gasquet 64 62 – Prediction – Correct

 N Djokovic d G Canas 62 63 Prediction – Correct

T Haas d A Murray 26 75 63 Prediction – Wrong

M Fish d L Hewitt 75 36 76 Prediction – Correct

 A full set of results from the tournament can be found here. 

Match Tips Pacific Life Open 19/03

Round of 16 

Jo Wilfried Tsonga FRA (17) - Rafael Nadal ESP (2)

I have seen many interpretations of how this match might go. Some say Tsonga will continue where he left off at the Australian Open and dominate once again and some say  Nadal will get his revenge. I don’t think Tsonga will dominate here but I think he has the edge. Having watched Nadal struggle in virtually every service game against Roddick in Dubai, I think Tsonga too will be able to put a high amount of pressure on the Spaniard’s serve with his aggressive style of play. Tsonga’s clever net game will also favour him as he will put pressure on Nadal to come up with brilliant shots time after time. Nadal however can never be written off as he is defending champion here and would lose a lot of ranking points if he was to go out at this stage. An argument against Nadal could be that he hasn’t had much of a test yet this tournament whereas Tsonga played very well in his win against countryman Paul Henri Matheiu and should be nicely tuned up.

 Predicted Winner :: Tsonga

 Andy Murray GBR (11) – Tommy Haas GER (36)

 A repeat of last year  in this tournament when Murray prevailed in three sets. This could be close again although you have to favour the young Scot here because Haas although playing well again after injury, simply cannot be at a standard to beat the ever improving Murray. The match could contain a few twists and turns as Murray seems to have adopted Tim Henman’s unpredictibility during matches but the sheer class and shot making ability of the British number one should take him through this match possibly in three sets.

 Predicted winner :: Murray

 Roger Federer SWI (1) – Ivan Ljubicic CRO (23)

I heard a commentator say recently that the Ljubicic ’star’ had faded away and a loss of form at the back end of last year has him currently at 23 in the rankings. He runs into Federer here on red hot form and I don’t give him much of a chance. Federer was clinical against Mahut and should breeze through into the next round.

Predicted winner :: Federer

 Richard Gasquet FRA (8) – James Blake USA (9)

A very interesting match here which could go either way. Gasquet’s technical skill takes on Blake’s power play. Gasquet leads the head to head 2-0 but throw the form book out of the window here as Blake relishes playing in front of his home crowd. The entertainer responds well to pressure and often comes with some fantastic shots when up against it. Gasquet has one of the best backhands in the game and we are sure to see some stylish winners. Gasquet can have mental lapses during matches (remember his 0-6 set against Murray in Paris last October) but when he switches back on his masterful play is resumed. I think this match will depend on who serves better and Blake will surely up the 45% first serve average and could win in a closely contested match.

 Predicted winner :: Blake

 Novak Djokovic SRB (3) – Guillermo Canas ARG (16)

Canas has had two impressive wins here against Bjorkman and Monaco and is on good form. However I think this match will be one step too far for him. Djokovic is a near complete player with a big serve combined with pacey and solid groundstrokes. Canas is also competent off both the forehand and backhand wing but he could struggle on serve due to the quality of Djokovic’s returning. Djokovic should advance here in straight sets.

Predicted winner :: Djokovic

 Lleyton Hewitt AUS (24) – Mardy Fish USA (98)

Mardy Fish easily beat Davydenko who failed to turn up in the previous round. Hewitt has strung together a few wins here and is certainly the player to beat in this match after dismissing Youhzny with relative ease. He should be able to deal with the big Fish serve with his returning capabilities and the former winner of this tournament looks hungry to advance into the latter rounds and could be a dark horse to reach the semi’s. Hewitt consistently strong hitting off both wings should draw errors from Fish who plays a very attacking game. 

 Predicted winner :: Hewitt

Last weeks winners struggle at Pacific Life Open

As I predicted Andy Roddick and Sam Querrey lost in the early rounds of the Pacific Life Open. Their success last week has surely cost them from progressing here as they have not been able to maintain their high standards. This is a common occurance for players on tour as the further they go in a tournament, the less time they have to rest and prepare for the next.

In other matches Andy Murray survived a scare from Jurgen Melzer coming from a set down to win and my tip for the title Novak Djokovic beat Philipp Kohlschrieber with relative ease, in which I thought would be a more difficult third round for the Serb.

Haas d Roddick 64 64

L Hewitt d Querrey 64 63

A Murray d J Melzer 36 63 63

N Djokovic d P Kohlschrieber 63 62

 A full set of results from the Pacific Life Open can be found here. 

Match Tips 16/03/08 Pacific Life Open

Round of 64 

Andy Roddick USA (6) – Tommy Haas GER (36)

As I have said Roddick surprised me last week with his impressive performances in Dubai. I opposed him in every match and he proved me wrong however I will not be tipping him here. The amount of times a tournament winner goes out first or second round in his next competition is my reason for this. Roddick could be a little physically and mentally tired from all his matches last week and he can not play any better than last week. Tommy Haas seems to have put his 6/3 6/0 loss to David Ferrer in Dubai behind him as he beat battling Frenchman Julien Benneteau in three sets here in the previous round. Haas has the superior groundstrokes when compared with Roddick and I feel if A-Rod misses a few first serves then he could be under pressure from the 29 year old German. This match will be close but I think Haas can edge it if Roddick isn’t playing to the standard he did last week.

 Predicted Winner :: Haas

 Andy Murray GBR (11) – Jurgen Melzer AUS (85)

Melzer is a solid player who had an impressive win over Safin in the previous round but surely Murray will be too much for him here. The British number one played some sensational tennis to beat Federer in Dubai but was de-railed by Russian Davydenko in straight sets. This has given Murray a few days off to re-group and he’ll be fresh coming into this and should win without too many problems.

 Predicted Winner :: Murray

 Lleyton Hewitt AUS (24) – Sam Querrey USA (48)

Querrey is the form player here having won Las Vegas last week but like Roddick he too could be feeling a little tired from his previous matches. The big server showed no sign of fatigue against Luis Horna in the first round but Hewitt is of a different class and he will be looking to get through a couple of rounds in this tournament after a stuttering start to 2008. He won this tournament in 2002 and 2003 and although it may seem his best years are behind him Hewitt still has the ability to turn on the style as he showed against Safin beating him 6/2 6/1 in Las Vegas last week.

Predicted Winner :: Hewitt 

Move over Roddick, Djokovic has my vote for Pacific Life Open title

All the recent talk has been about Andy Roddick and how he hasn’t been broken in 56 games but theres no way this is going to happen again in the Pacific Life Open. His form peaked in Dubai with some surprisingly impressive performances and he is back to being one of the most feared players on the tour. I opposed Roddick in every match in the Dubai Championships and I was very off with my predictions apart from the final where Lopez had the better of him before pressing the self destruct button. The likelihood of Roddick reproducing his Dubai form is in my opinion very low and I do not give him any chance of winning the tournament due to a very dodgy draw with Andy Murray and nemesis Roger Federer in his quarter.

Someone who does a have a very nice looking draw is Novak Djokovic. Yes he lost to Roddick last week, but anyone would have lost to A-Rodd on the form he was in.  A possible tough second round against Philipp Kohlschrieber looms however if he gets through this I cannot see anyone in his quarter challenging him and he should cruise through the rounds. The only other top ten ranked player in his quarter is battler David Ferrer and if they meet in the last 16 you have to think the Serb would not pass up an opportunity to reach the semi finals. Here I think he will face either Richard Gasquet or Jo Wilfried Tsonga which will be tough but I think ‘Djoko’ improved his fitness in the off season and looks far more resillient as a result and this improved quality should take him into the final.

What do you think? Take a look at the tournament draw here.

Murray digs up a few old tricks…

As a youngster Andy Murray had to choose whether to follow a career in tennis or football and here he proves he still has a bit of magic with the ball at his feet… from thetenniscentre.word posted with vodpod

Federer ’struggles’ to beat Sampras 6-3 6-7 7-6

 Please do not be fooled, if Federer wanted to beat 37 year old former player Sampras 6-2 6-2 I’m sure he could have. However for exhibition purposes in New York in front of a 15,000 sell out crowd and a one million dollar pay day Federer allowed a match to take place. Federer ended up winning the match in a third set tie break after being 5-2 down in the set. Was the match scripted? Very possibly.

This is the fourth exhibition between the current master and past master following their three match series in Asia last year and Sampras started very nervously reportedly from not being used to playing in front of big crowds any more. Having seen some highlights of the match I must say it was painful to see Federer blatently giving away points and not playing to his full potential to allow the aging Sampras a chance. He looked to be serving at half pace and jus went throught the motions particularly in the second set. However the third set tie break was certainly contested properly and both players showed nerves when the score got close. But surely playing a match like this can’t be good practice for the current world number one?