Indian Wells

Shame for Kyle Edmund. He was playing well in the first set.

Delpo beat Smyczeck 6-4, 6-0.

Fritz lost to Tiafoe.

Im so chuffed for Delpo.. I hope he does well.. love to see him beat Berdych that really would be a confidence booster
I daresay Berdy would have not wished to meet him in the early rounds Delpo could do a lot of damage here

I think Berdych is on the way down this year, so defintely give Del Po a chance. I guess Berdych is still favourite though.

Think Bedene has a good shot of progressing v Youzhny.

Hope Delpo can get back to his best, at least by the end of this year.

Nice Delpo wins easily in straights. He is still really far off the player he was as his movement looks a bit labored and he is hesitant in hitting over the ball on the backhand with abandon because of his history of left wrist problems. Del Po was weakly chipping everything off of the backhand side or just pushing it back. But the FH and serve still looked absolutely ferocious.

Disappointing Bedene defeat to Youzhny. Zverev saw off Dodig who cut himself falling on his racket. Ouch. Yes, it's nice to see del Po back.

Well socal there is more than one way to skin a cat (succeed at tennis)...Graf didn't do too badly from slicing her backhand often, neither did Rusedski or Henman. As long as he can absorb the heat off that wing he can still pulverise with the FH...and serve. Sure he might not win slams again but you may be surprised at the damage he can do with "just a slice"...in fact with time he could make that a very hard shot to play against. Indeed his slice is already very good and it's not easy attacking very low balls. Most of the tour don't use slice now so it has the added advantage of being unusual these days too. All I'm saying is don't underestimate the power of a well hit slice. I wish DelPo well...rather he returned this way than not at all.

lydian wrote:Well socal there is more than one way to skin a cat (succeed at tennis)...Graf didn't do too badly from slicing her backhand often, neither did Rusedski or Henman. As long as he can absorb the heat off that wing he can still pulverise with the FH...and serve. Sure he might not win slams again but you may be surprised at the damage he can do with "just a slice"...in fact with time he could make that a very hard shot to play against. Indeed his slice is already very good and it's not easy attacking very low balls. Most of the tour don't use slice now so it has the added advantage of being unusual these days too. All I'm saying is don't underestimate the power of a well hit slice. I wish DelPo well...rather he returned this way than not at all.

Yeah, I don't know if it will work for Del Po to slice the majority of BHs like he was doing. Slice is a good shot when it is mixed up with a good topspin backhand. It isn't the 80s or 90s women's tour. The majority of the tour if they can predict the slice is coming on that side move well enough where they can crush it with a FH or move in and cut it off. I don't doubt the efficacy of the shot but as your dominant shot off that wing for a guy who is six foot six and getting up in age is not a good idea. When you chip the ball a great deal on that side it puts more pressure on you movement as you will spend more time chasing than you would otherwise as your are for the most part ceding the initiative off that wing. I doubt that chipping the majority of BHs on today's tour for Juan's game will be effective against the better players on tour.

not many comments on this thread

Anyway, disappointing defeat for Edmund, having worked so hard to get the break at 5-3 in the third, he then rather threw it away. Serve still doesn't really get him enough cheap points, needs to put more action on the ball and place it better IMO.

Good win for Konta just now, winning the last 8 games to beat Brengle 6-4 6-0. She'll play Allertova next, who knocked out AO winner Kerber (albeit Kerber was struggling physically). Good chance for some progress.

I'd forgotten how phenomenally dull Del Potro is to watch. Horrible power-grinding. Makes Berdych look like Santoro.

Seems a nice guy though, so hope he stays injury-free now. The backhand is clearly a huge problem - he hasn't done anything beyond an awkward shove so far. I wonder if he's considered a switch to one-hand.

Awwww bit harsh BS given how long he has been off injured. Match play obviously still rusty but Berdych would hardly have wished  him as an opponent this early in the tournament.
Never have been entertained by Berdych's game either but I would have either of them in preference to Raonic.
I just hope the big man can pull it out of the bag but not holding my breath. Glad to see him back all the same

Kyrgios is such a clown but good entertainment! Loses 76 75 to Ramos - fair to say he didn't try too hard in the last game. Also got docked a point for two warnings (ball abuse and swearing).

Berdych is playing really well in this match. Now a set and a break up.

Kyrgios never learns does he? He is wasting so much valuable time
With his talent, and still being so young, he could have made a big impression on the big guns and established himself early
on.
Im fast running out of patience with his behaviour

Haddie-nuff wrote:Awwww bit harsh BS given how long he has been off injured. Match play obviously still rusty but Berdych would hardly have wished  him as an opponent this early in the tournament.
Never have been entertained by Berdych's game either but I would have either of them in preference to Raonic.
I just hope the big man can pull it out of the bag but not holding my breath. Glad to see him back all the same

Yeah, I know and, as said, I do wish him well as he seems a good guy. He's a very effective player but, from a game-style perspective, I just don't get the love for his game. Watching this, the backhand is a massive problem though. He just can't hit through it at all. Possibly he just doesn't want to take any risks at this stage but it looks very very uncomfortable.

I agree.. sadly.  The tour needs him really. A top form Delpo can cause a lot of trouble .. I think he would have been the one who could have tackled Novak.. but he has a lonnnnnnnnnnnnnnng way to go
But such a gentle giant.
I remember on American commentator said once during one of his matches
"wow, he sure can mosey".. if I had to pick an animal he reminded me of it would be a giraffe

He does still look very frightened to unload anything on that Bh, and it's bled into his fh... But baby steps, if he can stay fit another year or two maybe he can get it back

Good fight on last few games by Delpo, but sadly he still looks challenger level.

Andy on court against Granola bar.

Granollers hitting the ball well so far. Could be an interesting match.

A couple of great winners from Granollers.

Andy looking rusty, needs to lose first set to wake up.

Granollers leading 12-0 on winners. Murray leading 5-3 on the scoreboard. Fair to say Andy's not exactly playing great - definition of getting the job done!

Born Slippy wrote:Fair to say Andy's not exactly playing great - definition of getting the job done!

Agreed. He improved towards the end and played some cracking winners in the tie-break though to get the job done. Hopefully, it was a case of settling in to new conditions - outdoors and windy etc and he'll give a far more-balanced and polished performance in the next round when he plays Delbonis.

Interesting that Dimitrov is big favourite against Zverev. Have to say I think Zverev will win that one fairly easily.

Bit closer than I thought but Zverev the better match player and comes through in the end.

Fratangelo lighting it up early on. 3-0 with a double break against Novak.

5-1, relatively straight forward for Fratangelo so far

It's tricky though IMBL. He must be getting tired with 48/55 points at 9 shots or less. Novak's superior fitness will win this one for him in the end.

Fratangelo has some serious game. What's he doing outside the top 100?

Fratangelo has collapsed, easy for Djokovic now.

Born Slippy wrote:. He must be getting tired with 48/55 points at 9 shots or less. Novak's superior fitness will win this one for him in the end.

Exactly, always happens like this with Djokovic, unless he's taxxing.

Fratangelo, win or lose,

Rafa seemed very pleased with his three-set win over Muller. Just the sort of match he's been losing of late. Mind you, Verdasco up next won't be easy.
  I know Zverev has been doing well, but you would have thought this was the kind of match Dimi would win.

Dimitrov is pointless; a man whose fame is based on a superficial likeness of style to Federer, and good looks. I'm glad to see him getting beaten by younger players.

weird score in the Simon-Pospisil match: Simon winning 1-6 6-0 6-1. Faces Zverev next, who beat him in Rotterdam of course (3rd set TB): will be a good test for the youngster to see if he can back it up in a bigger tournament, after a decent win against Dimitrov (though like BS, I expected him to win that)

I doubt Zverev will beat Simon here. Court is slower and he looked to be struggling a bit physically. Will be a great win for him if he can do it though.

Was Djoko acting a little yesterday on first set?

In all this Sharapova scandal, he must be seen as a guy who has bad matches too, and not like a machine wining every time, a little preemptive action from him to not doubt his magic gluten

Great to see the youngsters a bit more and to see them taking some good scalps.

I have to disagree with BS, I think Zverev has a shot although conditions favor Simon. The thing about Indian Wells and I have been several times is that while the courts are really gritty the ball moves incredibly quickly through the air because there is literally no moisture in the air, so the effect of the slow court is offset quite a bit by how quickly the ball moves through the air. This is no guarantee Simon will lose but Zverev is the real deal.

bogbrush wrote:Dimitrov is pointless; a man whose fame is based on a superficial likeness of style to Federer, and good looks. I'm glad to see him getting beaten by younger players.

Frankly, if Dimitrov had a two handed backhand he probably would be a top 5 or 10 guy consistently and might challenge for slams in the not distant future. His one hander is a liability on the return for him, he is not as good at returning off that wing as Federer is. With the combination of his touch and feel, speed, huge serve, and big FH if he had a half way decent BH return it would lift him another level.

You know I really enjoyed the Granola match against Murray. I know Lydian has a seemingly deep dislike for Granola's game but I have always found him a kind of interesting player. He is good from the back and at net, he mixes up his paces and uses touch and feel shots. And he also hits very flat and stands in quite a bit on the faster surfaces. I mean he isn't an imagination capturing player like Kyrgios but I would rather watch him play than lets say Ferrer or Simon, he isn't a straight grinder.

socal1976 wrote:Great to see the youngsters a bit more and to see them taking some good scalps.

I have to disagree with BS, I think Zverev has a shot although conditions favor Simon. The thing about Indian Wells and I have been several times is that while the courts are really gritty the ball moves incredibly quickly through the air because there is literally no moisture in the air, so the effect of the slow court is offset quite a bit by how quickly the ball moves through the air. This is no guarantee Simon will lose but Zverev is the real deal.

I don't disagree he has a shot. I just think there are more issues for him than in Rotterdam and he won that one by a gnat's hair. Should be a good match though.

bogbrush wrote:Dimitrov is pointless; a man whose fame is based on a superficial likeness of style to Federer, and good looks. I'm glad to see him getting beaten by younger players.

Ditches coach and famous girlfriend and falls off a cliff. Looks like someone read the memo last year

Born Slippy wrote:

socal1976 wrote:Great to see the youngsters a bit more and to see them taking some good scalps.

I have to disagree with BS, I think Zverev has a shot although conditions favor Simon. The thing about Indian Wells and I have been several times is that while the courts are really gritty the ball moves incredibly quickly through the air because there is literally no moisture in the air, so the effect of the slow court is offset quite a bit by how quickly the ball moves through the air. This is no guarantee Simon will lose but Zverev is the real deal.

I don't disagree he has a shot. I just think there are more issues for him than in Rotterdam and he won that one by a gnat's hair. Should be a good match though.

Yep, as a guy who plays a lot I really like the power and polish of Zverev. Growing up in the game he is both able to be a bit more technically sound than one would expect and also to be able to improvise and hit all kinds of shots.

This Del Bonis v Murray match is insane. Del Bonis just unloading monster groundies on every shot.

Murray looks like he's broken him now though. Saved a break point at 4-4 in the second and has won 6 of 7 games since.

Or maybe not... Typical Murray - concentration goes when he has the match won.

Looks like Andy is going out. Delbonis to serve for it.

socal1976 wrote:

bogbrush wrote:Dimitrov is pointless; a man whose fame is based on a superficial likeness of style to Federer, and good looks. I'm glad to see him getting beaten by younger players.

Frankly, if Dimitrov had a two handed backhand he probably would be a top 5 or 10 guy consistently and might challenge for slams in the not distant future. His one hander is a liability on the return for him, he is not as good at returning off that wing as Federer is. With the combination of his touch and feel, speed, huge serve, and big FH if he had a half way decent BH return it would lift him another level.

Indeed. As we agreed the other week, the SHBH is the preserve of only the more talented ball strikers. Dimitrov might have been better off with the DHBH.

The first set and half Del Bonis' level was ridiculous, but frankly in the third set both guys were trying to choke it away although it was still interesting because of the momentum swings. It was a very poor level of play from Murray at the end of the third set where a visibly tense opponent started to really make mistakes and push the ball tentatively.

Andy caught changing nappies.

No2 at this level is unacceptable.

socal1976 wrote:The first set and half Del Bonis' level was ridiculous, but frankly in the third set both guys were trying to choke it away although it was still interesting because of the momentum swings. It was a very poor level of play from Murray at the end of the third set where a visibly tense opponent started to really make mistakes and push the ball tentatively.

Yeah, Murray was bad at the end. He lost focus and then let Delbonis' late challenges and the windy conditions get to him. Can't say I'm too bothered about him losing early here - good match practice and the conditions don't suit him anyway. He looked in decent shape for Miami and the clay season.

Two points from the match. Umpires really can't let players challenge serves after they've waited to see if their returns are in. The one in the first set was ridiculous. Delbonis scrapping his shoes on return on the penultimate point was awful gamesmanship - don't like that sort of thing at all.

Seriously? Scraping his shoes?

Sometimes I think tennis needs to man up. I'm trying to imagine a Rugby player being put off because an opponent scraped his shoes; on his face maybe, but >78 feet away?