BOB
LARSON'S TENNIS NEWS
http://www.tennisnews.com/
Monday,
November 7, 2011
PRO TOUR NEWS - MEN
****** EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ******
*
Federer earns another Basel title
* Granollers picks up biggest title of career
* Butorac/Rojer can't solve Bryans
****** TODAY'S MEN'S NEWS ******
Basel
Singles
- Final:
(1) R Federer def. K Nishikori (WC) 6-1 6-3
The odds against Roger Federer seemed long when this tournament started. The
field was tough. The organizers were not particularly kind in scheduling his
matches. But -- this is Basel. It's Federer's home tournament; he has been
coming here for more than a dozen years. The crowds love him.
Three years ago, Rafael Nadal declared of Kei Nishikori, "When he has a
little bit time with the forehand, he kill you every time." Nadal went
on to predict that Nishikori would reach the Top Ten at least -- although it would
take a few years. That, of course, was before all the injuries. Now,
injury-free, Nishikori seems to be trying to make good on that threat. But,
of course, Federer didn't give him any time. Nishikori won't even be making
the Top Twenty at this time; we show him at #25. But if he can play a full
year the way he has played the last three or four months -- well, put it this
way. We show Nishikori with 1500 points. 900 of those have come since
Wimbledon. Project that over a year and it puts him at about #16. And he'll
be seeded next year, so it might be higher still.
Roger Federer picks up only his second title of the year, following Doha all
the way back in January. Talk about a disappointing season! Little wonder he
is down to #4. And, since he merely defends his points, this won't improve
his ranking. But at least he improves his margin over David Ferrer. He hasn't
clinched the year-end #4, but it looks much more likely.
Doubles
- Final:
(1) Llodra/Zimonjic def. (2) Mirnyi/Nestor 6-4 7-5
There really isn't much question about who has been the hottest team in
doubles in the second half of 2011. Llodra/Zimonjic show it again. It's their
fourth title since Wimbledon, and all of them have been 500 point events or
better. They won't make #1 this year. Next year, though, seems like a real
possibility. 
Valencia
Singles
- Final:
M Granollers def. J Monaco (WC) 6-2 4-6 7-6(7-3)
Talk about a monster final -- and one with a lot of twists and turns. Juan
Monaco led for much of the third set, but, scraping and changing the pace,
Marcel Granollers managed to get back on serve at about the two and a half
hour mark, then made it to 5-4, deuce, Monaco serving to stay in the match.
Granollers had three match points in that game, but Monaco held. They made it
to 6-6. Granollers went up 4-1 in the tiebreak, and made it hold up, winning
just as the clock hit the three hour mark.
It's the third title for Marcel Granollers, and his second this year (he also
won Gstaad) -- but it is noteworthy because it's a big (500 point) title, and
it's on indoor hardcourt, not clay. That's a pretty big breakthrough. He said
it himself: "Winning here has been the biggest achievement in my whole
career. It was a difficult moment for me, being a break down in the third. I
kept fighting and at the end, I played very good."
The points aren't bad, either. Even though Granollers was defending finalist
points, we show him rising six places, to #28. Obviously he just earned
himself an Australian Open seed.
Juan Monaco, #41 coming in, rises to probably #34. He may not be seeded in
Melbourne, but he definitely takes a big step toward it. Pretty good for a
guy who needed a wildcard to get into the event!
Doubles
- Final:
(1) Bryan/Bryan def. Butorac/Rojer 6-4 7-6(11-9)
And so it really will go down to the wire. We have an effective tie for the
#8 spot in the doubles Race between Butorac/Rojer and Fyrstenberg/Matkowski.
Whichever team lasts longer gets the spot; ties apparently go to
Butorac/Rojer. Oh, there are a few other just-barely-possible outcomes,
involving someone overtaking the #7 team Bopanna/Qureshi, but that will take
a lot of unlikely outcomes! It's really just the two.
The Bryans, after a tough summer, now have back-to-back titles. They'll still
have to worry about Llodra/Zimonjic next year, but they're definitely
strengthening their grip on the top spots.
Paris
The
year will be ending a little early for Juan Martin del Potro.
Del
Potro began complaining of shoulder problems at Valencia, and on Sunday he
decided that they were bad enough that he needs to take time off. He will not
be playing Paris. He becomes the third Top Fifteen player (following Rafael
Nadal and Robin Soderling) to withdraw.
Del
Potro naturally loses any chance to qualify for the London championships.
That still doesn't produce any clinches, though; Thomas Berdych, Jo-Wilfried
Tsonga, and Mardy Fish are still close to tied, with Nicolas Almagro and
Janko Tipsarevic having outside chances to pass them.
As of
this writing, the ATP has not updated the draw.
We're
still waiting to see if Novak Djokovic can play.
****** TODAY'S FEATURE ******
KEYWORDS:
No Feature Today
******** THIS WEEK IN TENNIS ********
THIS
WEEK ON THE ATP WORLD TOUR:
Paris (1000/Indoor Hard). Defending Champion: Robin Soderling
NEXT
WEEK ON THE ATP WORLD TOUR:
Off Week
******** STATS AND FACTS ********
**RANKINGS
Estimated
ATP World Tour Rankings
As of November 6, 2011
Rank &
Prior...Player...........Points
1..(1) Djokovic..........13740
2..(2) Nadal.............10375
3..(3) Murray.............7780
4..(4) Federer............7530
5..(5) Ferrer.............4390
6..(6) Soderling..........3320
7..(7) Berdych............3230
8..(8) Tsonga.............3040
9..(9) Fish...............2965
10.(10) Monfils............2525
11.(11) Almagro............2380
12.(14) Del Potro..........2315
13.(13) Tipsarevic.........2305
14.(12) Simon..............2195
15.(15) Roddick............2030
16.(19) Wawrinka...........1900
17.(16) Dolgopolov.........1835
18.(18) Gasquet............1760
19.(20) Cilic..............1745
20.(17) Troicki............1730
21.(21) Lopez..............1675
21.(22) Mayer..............1675
23.(24) Verdasco...........1595
24.(23) Isner..............1590
25.(32) Nishikori..........1500
26.(25) Stepanek...........1355
27.(26) Melzer.............1350
28.(34) Granollers.........1335
29.(27) Raonic.............1290
30.(28) Chela..............1280
30.(31) Ljubicic...........1280
**DRAWS
Basel -- Week of
October 31
WINNER: Roger Federer
...................QF.............SF..........F
(1)Djokovic........(1)Djokovic....Djokovic
(8)Troicki.........Baghdatis
(4)Berdych.........Nishikori......Nishikori...Nishikori
(5)Fish............Kukushkin(LL)
(7)Roddick.........(7)Roddick
(3)Federer.........(3)Federer.....Federer.....Federer
(6)Tipsarevic......Mayer
[Chiudinelli(LL)]..Wawrinka.......Wawrinka
Status
of Seeds
(1)Djokovic......lost SF (Nishikori)
(2)Murray (WC)...WITHDREW (replaced by Chiudinelli)
(3)Federer.......WON TOURNAMENT
(4)Berdych.......lost 1R (Nishikori)
(5)Fish..........lost 1R (Blake)
(6)Tipsarevic....lost 1R (Mayer)
(7)Roddick.......lost SF (Federer)
(8)Troicki.......lost 1R (Baghdatis)
Valencia -- Week of
October 31
WINNER: Marcel Granolers
..................QF...............SF...........F
(1)Ferrer.........(1)Ferrer........Ferrer
(5)Simon..........Davydenko
(4)Almagro........Monaco...........Monaco.......Monaco
(8)Lopez..........Ferrero
(7)Dolgopolov.....Granollers.......Granollers...Granollers
(3)Monfils........(3)Monfils
(6)del Potro......(6)del Potro.....del Potro
(2)Tsonga.........Querrey
Status
of Seeds
(1)Ferrer........lost SF (Monaco)
(2)Tsonga........lost 2R (Querrey)
(3)Monfils.......lost QF (Granollers)
(4)Almagro.......lost 1R (Monaco)
(5)Simon.........lost 1R (Davydenko)
(6)del Potro.....lost SF (Granollers)
(7)Dolgopolov....lost 1R (Granollers)
(8)Lopez.........lost 1R (Bogomolov)
Paris -- Week of
November 6
1 Djokovic
--bye
Fognini
Dodig
Nishikori (SE)
Stakhovsky (Q)
--bye
16 Troicki
9 Almagro
--bye
Seppi (Q)
Davydenko
Garcia-Lopez
Giraldo (Q)
--bye
6 Tsonga
4 Ferrer
--bye
Ferrero
Mahut (Q)
Youzhny
Kohlschreiber (Q)
--bye
14 Dolgopolov
12 del Potro
--bye
Wawrinka
Isner
Llodra
F Lopez
--bye
8 Monfils
7 Fish
--bye
F Mayer
Stepanek
Monaco
Young (Q)
--bye
10 Simon
16 Gasquet
--bye
Muller
Anderson
Tursunov
Mannarino (WC)
--bye
3 Federer
5 Berdych
--bye
Cilic
Verdasco
Bellucci
Bogomolov
--bye
11 Tipsarevic
13 Roddick
--bye
Raonic
Benneteau (WC)
Chardy (WC)
Granollers
--bye
2 Murray
******** SCORES ********
SUNDAY
Basel
Singles - Final
(1) R Federer def. K Nishikori (WC) 6-1 6-3
Doubles - Final
(1) Llodra/Zimonjic def. (2) Mirnyi/Nestor 6-4 7-5
Valencia
Singles - Final
M Granollers def. J Monaco (WC) 6-2 4-6 7-6(7-3)
Doubles - Final
(1) Bryan/Bryan def. Butorac/Rojer 6-4 7-6(11-9)
***
Bob
LARSON - Publisher
Cort LARSON - Editor
Robert Waltz - Contributor
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