2016 Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters- Rafael Nadal vs Andy Murray

Two of the biggest names in Men’s tennis face off for a place in the final in Monte Carlo, with 5th seed Rafael Nadal taking on 2nd seed Andy Murray in the semi-finals at the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters.This match will take place at 13:00 Monte Carlo Time (12:00 UK Time) and the winner of this match will face 13th seed Gael Monfils or 8th seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the final.

It is Nadal who has had the more comfortable road of the two; the Spaniard is yet to drop a set after playing some strong tennis in his three matches so far. Nadal eased past Aljaz Bedene in the second round and edged past 12th seed Dominic Thiem in two sets in the 3rd round, though was at his most impressive as he eased past 4th seed Stan Wawrinka for the loss of just five games; he will be extremely confident after those wins. Murray struggled to begin with, being pushed to three sets by Pierre-Hughes Hubert, and nearly lost in the third round to the 16th seed Benoit Paire. However, he crushed 10th seed Milos Raonic for the loss of just two games in the quarter-finals and a similar performance will give him a chance in this clash.

The 5th seed is in the better form though has been inconsistent this season; Nadal must try to maintain his level. The Spaniard must look to serve and well and must strike his forehand well, as this could help him dictate play. Nadal may need to defend well against Murray, who returned and attacked well in his last match, and must take advantage if the Brit starts to play some below-par tennis. It is crucial for Murray to play like he did against Raonic, and he must serve well, so Nadal cannot dictate play by attacking weak second serves by the Brit. The 2nd seed should also look to attack Nadal’s game and should try to dictate play at every opportunity he gets, though he will also need to defend well against Nadal’s strong attacking, which has been good this tournament.

Nadal comfortably leads the head to head 16-6 and won their previous meeting, at the ATP tour finals, in straight sets. He also leads the head to head on clay 5-1, though Murray beat Nadal the last time they played on the surface, with the Brit comfortably taking the Madrid title last season. Murray certainly has a strong chance to win this as he plays like he did against Raonic, though Nadal has been impressive this tournament and should be good enough to just edge this.

Prediction: Nadal in 3

 

2016 Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters-Draw Prediction

One of the most popular ATP tour events of the year takes place this week, with several of the ATP’s biggest stars in action at the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters. Defending champion and world number one Novak Djokovic returns, and with former champions Rafael Nadal and Stan Wawrinka among the others in action, it should be a great week; here is my draw prediction!

The top eight seeds all receive a bye and will play their first match in the second round.

Section 1

Projected Q/F: (1st) Novak Djokovic vs (7th) David Ferrer

Djokovic has been dominant this year and based on his current form, it seems extremely unlikely that Jiri Vesely or Teymuraz Gabashvili will test him in the second round. However 13th seed Gael Monfils has shown some promising form of late and certainly has the game capable of challenging the world number one. The Frenchman faces a tricky opener against Gilles Muller, whilst Fabio Fognini is a dangerous unseeded player in the draw.

7th seed Ferrer has had strong success on clay but hasn’t been at his best this year, and the draw hasn’t been too kind towards him. Andrey Rublev or Alexander Zverev are capable of providing a tricky test in his opening match whilst two strong clay court players, Federico Delbonis and Fernando Verdasco, face off and the winner of that could be a threat in Monte-Carlo. 11th seed David Goffin has been in good form of late and clay can be a good surface for him, though he faces a tricky opener against Feliciano Lopez.

Prediction: Djokovic def Goffin

Section 2

Projected Q/F: (3rd) Roger Federer vs (8th) Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

We haven’t seen too much of Federer this season, and it will be interesting to see how he plays on what is arguably his weakest surface. He should win his first match, but clay court specialists Thomaz Bellucci and Guillermo Garcia-Lopez may not make it easy for him. The 3rd seed doesn’t have an easier draw after this, with Jeremy Chardy present and the in form 14th seed Roberto Bautista Agut, who starts against the tricky Albert Ramos-Vinolas.

8th seed Tsonga doesn’t have an easy draw. He could start against the dangerous Pablo Carreno Busta, and 9th seed Richard Gasquet is his projected 3rd round clash. Gasquet has a tricky opener against clay court specialist Nicolas Almagro whilst an interesting all-French clash sees Lucas Pouille take on Nicolas Mahut; the winner of that could be a threat.

Prediction: Tsonga def Federer

Section 3

Projected Q/F: (5th) Rafael Nadal vs (4th) Stan Wawrinka

It has been a mixed year for Nadal and he doesn’t have the easiest draw in what used to be a successful tournament for him. His second round clash against Aljaz Bedene or Lukas Rosol could be difficult, though he should win, though the tricky Dominic Thiem (who has beaten Nadal on clay this season) is in form and could well be dangerous. Thiem starts against a qualifier and, if he wins, will face another qualifier or Adrian Mannarino in the second round.

Wawrinka has had a better year than Nadal, though has also been erratic, and either Borna Coric or Philipp Kohlschreiber are capable of testing him in the second round. Grigor Dimitrov could also be dangerous (he once beat Wawrinka at this tournament), and Gilles Simon (who beat Viktor Troicki in the opening round) will certainly be dangerous to anyone they face.

Prediction: Thiem def Wawrinka

Section 4

Projected Q/F: (6th) Tomas Berdych vs (2nd) Andy Murray

Berdych reached the final in Monte Carlo last year, though has been handed a tricky draw this year. A qualifier or Robin Haase shouldn’t be too tricky in the second round, though he could face the in form 10th seed Milos Raonic in the 3rd round. Raonic should eases past Marco Cecchinato in his opening match, though the dangerous Pablo Cuevas lurks in the second round and is capable of pushing the Canadian.

Murray disappointed in the hard court swing, and will be looking to improve on a surface which has been good for him in the past two seasons. The Brit could face the tricky Guido Pella in the second round, though should be able to beat the Argentine. Murray is expected to face 16th seed Benoit Paire in the third round, though the Frenchman has been below par this season, and the likes of Joao Sousa, Ivo Karlovic or Inigo Cervantes (who faces Paire) could sneak through.

Prediction: Murray def Raonic

Semi-Finals

Djokovic def Tsonga

Murray def Thiem

Final

Djokovic def Murray

 

 

 

2016 US Men’s Clay Court Championships-Jack Sock vs Juan Monaco

An interesting match in Houston later sees 4th seed and defending champion Jack Sock take on former champion and strong clay courter Juan Monaco for the US Men’s Clay Court Championships title. This match is set to take place at 14:00 Houston Time (20:00 UK Time), and Sock is looking for his 2nd career title and to defend his only previous ATP title, whilst Monaco is looking for his 8th career title and to regain the title he won back in 2012.

Both men have impressed on their way to the final; Sock hasn’t dropped a set in his previous matches whilst Monaco has only dropped one set, which is extremely impressive considering the tricky opponents that they have faced. Sock received a bye in the first round and eased past qualifier Michael Barton in the second round. He improved further after that, easing past the in form Marcos Baghdatis, and then beat top seed and fellow American John Isner to make the final; he will certainly be confident coming into this. Monaco has had to play an extra match and had to work hard to beat Gerald Melzer in the first round in three sets, but has impressed since then. He knocked out 2nd seed Benoit Paire in the second round and has since eased past 5th seed Sam Querrey and 3rd seed Feliciano Lopez to make the final; the Argentine has impressed with a tricky road and will be confident coming into this.

An interesting factor to this match is that the main advantages are evenly split. Sock has had to play one less match and may have more energy, though Monaco is a better clay court player and will be more comfortable on the surface; it will be interesting to see which of these is the biggest advantage. Sock may also be the more powerful and should try to use that slight advantage to dictate play, though can be erratic and must not make too many errors against such an experienced opponent. The American should also look to serve well against a decent returner, and is also a strong mover so should look to utilize that my varying his playing style and forcing mistakes from the Argentine. Monaco should look to serve well against a powerful opponent and may need to defend well. However, Monaco will probably be more comfortable on the surface and because of that should look to attack as much as possible and use his groundstrokes to grind Sock down. Monaco must also look to be wary of Sock’s movement, and must try to finish the point off quickly if Sock changes play.

The two have never met before, which is another factor that makes this match so interesting. This match should be much closer than the 123 places between the two in the rankings and it is a big opportunity for both though Monaco, who has played extremely well all week, is the stronger clay court player and it seems he could finish off an incredible week on a high today.

Prediction: Monaco in 3

 

2016 US Men’s Clay Court Championships-Jack Sock vs Marcos Baghdatis

An extremely interesting quarter-final clash in Houston sees 4th seed and defending champion Jack Sock take on the in form 7th seed Marcos Baghdatis face off for a place in the semi-finals at the US Men’s Clay Court Championships. This match will be the final match on Stadium court, taking place at around 20:00 Houston Time (02:00 UK Time), and the winner will face 1st seed John Isner or Hyeon Chung in the final four.

Neither man has dropped a set in Houston so far, though Sock has an advantage of receiving a bye in the first round. The American was well rested coming into the second round and her was fairly comfortable as he eased past qualifier Michael Barton without too much difficult; he will be pretty confident after that. Baghdatis has had to play an extra match though that will not affect him too much. The Cypriot didn’t concede a game to Diego Schwartzman in the first round and was comfortable against Fernando Verdasco in the second r0und; he too will be confident coming into this.

Neither of the two are massively strong clay court players, so it will be interesting to see who is able to take the other out of their comfort zone the first. Sock will, however, have positive memories of winning the title and that could help him, though he will need to serve pretty well against a good returner. The American must also look to try and take every opportunity he gets on the Cypriot’s serve, as Baghdatis may not give him too many, and Sock must also look to try and dictate play with his forehand, probably his strongest shot. Baghdatis must also serve well in this clash, though the 7th seed should also look to attack Sock’s game as much as possible, and could look to move the American around court; Baghdatis is arguably the better mover of the two.

The two have never met before, so it will be interesting to see who will be able to get used to the others game the quickest. Both men are playing well in Houston and Sock will have the crowd behind him, though Baghdatis has been playing particularly well this week and it seems if he could edge this clash.

Prediction: Baghdatis in 3

 

 

2016 US Men’s Clay Court Championships- Fernando Verdasco vs Marcos Baghdatis

Two veterans of the ATP tour face off in an interesting clash in Houston, with Fernando Verdasco taking on 7th seed Marcos Baghdatis in the second round of the US Men’s Clay Court Championships. This match will take place at around 20:00 Houston Time (02:00 UK Time), and the winner will face off against 4th seed Jack Sock or qualifier Matthew Barton in the quarter-final.

Both men have had decent seasons so far, and they both impressed in their first round clashes. Verdasco played a strong match against the potentially dangerous qualifier Carlos Berlocq, easing past the Argentine in straight sets; a similar performance will give him a good opportunity. However Baghdatis, not a clay specialist, stormed past another Argentine, Diego Schwartzman, without conceding a single game. It was one of the best performances in a long time for the Cypriot, and he’ll certainly have a good opportunity if he plays just as well in this match.

Perhaps the biggest key for both men is consistency. There is no doubt that Verdasco and Baghdatis are talented players, but both can be erratic; the player who is the most consistent in this match could have a big advantage. Verdasco is probably the stronger clay court player of the two, and should try to build on this. The Spaniard should look to serve well and must try to attack the Cypriot’s game as much as possible. Verdasco must be careful, however, to not make too many unforced errors; he rarely wins when that is the case. Serving may be key for Baghdatis, though he served well in his opener and will be looking to be just as effective against Verdasco. The 7th seed should also look to try and attack the Spaniard’s game as much as possible, and could look to try and get Verdasco moving around court.

Baghdatis has won both previous meetings between the two, including a straight sets win in Tokyo last season. The Cypriot played extremely well in the first round and has been solid all year, and should be able to win this, though Verdasco may not make it easy.

Prediction: Baghdatis in 3

2016 US Men’s Clay Court Championships- Juan Monaco vs Benoit Paire

One of the most interesting matches of the day in Houston sees clay court specialist Juan Monaco take on talented 2nd seed Benoit Paire for a sport in the US Men’s Clay Court Championships third round. This match is set to take place on Stadium court at 13:00 Houston Time (19:00 UK Time) and the winner will face 5th seed Sam Querrey or Benjamin Becker in the third round.

2nd seed Paire will be looking to pick up some form in Houston. The Frenchman hasn’t built on his strong 2015, having a negative win-loss ratio for 2016 so far, and will be looking to play well on clay early on this season, as he looks to have a strong build up for his home major, the French Open, in May. Monaco also has a negative win-loss ratio so far this season and has fallen outside the top 100, though this is largely due to injury trouble. The Argentine is, however, a strong clay court player, and impressed in the first round with a three set victory over Gerald Melzer; he will be confident after that.

Paire does have the potential to be the better player of the two, though must play a solid match against a strong clay court player. The Frenchman should look to serve well and and must try to use his power to dictate play, as he is arguably a stronger player than Monaco. Paire should also look to try and attack Monaco’s serve as much as possible, though will need to focus and probably play better than he has so far this year. Monaco may need to defend well and will certainly need to serve well, and the Argentine should also look to play a very solid game against a potentially erratic opponent.

All three of their previous meetings have also been on clay, with Monaco leading the head to head 2-1, and winning their last meeting, in Nice last year, in straight sets. The Argentine played well in his opening round and has a good opportunity against the erratic Paire, and it seems that Monaco could pull off the upset.

Prediction: Monaco in 3

2016 Miami Open- Novak Djokovic vs Kei Nishikori

The singles action at the Miami Open will end today, with 1st seed Novak Djokovic taking on 6th seed Kei Nishikori for the title. This match is set to take place at 13:00 Miami Time (18:00 UK Time), with Djokovic looking for a record 28th Masters 1000 title, and Nishikori looking for his first.

It is Djokovic who has had the easier road to the final; the defending champion is yet to drop a set in Miami. His most tricky match was arguably his semi-final win against David Goffin, where he still impressed, and he also impressed against the likes of Dominic Thiem and Tomas Berdych; there is no doubt that Djokovic is the favourite coming into this. Nishikori has also played well so far, impressing in wins over the likes of Nick Kyrgios in the semi-final and Roberto Bautista Agut in the 4th round. However he had to save five match points against Gael Monfils in the quarter-final, and will need to hope that hasn’t taken too much out of him.

It is certainly Djokovic has the stronger game and he will be looking to use that to full effect this evening. The Serbian should look to serve well against Nishikori, who can be a good returner, and should try to dictate play against the Japanese star, who has an improving overall game. Djokovic should also look to try and defend well, as he could frustrate Nishikori and get the 6th seed to make mistakes on key points. Returning well could also be important for the 1st seed. For Nishikori, serving will be crucial, and he must look to try and return well, especially if he gets a good opportunity on second serves. The 6th seed should also look to try and finish points off as quickly as possible, and must look to try and break down Djokovic’s game as much as possible.

Djokovic leads the head to head 6-2 and has won their past two meetings comfortably, though they have had some tough matches in the past. Nishikori is capable of pushing Djokovic and could has a chance today, though the Serb has played very well in Miami and it’s hard to see him losing here.

Prediction: Djokovic in 2

2016 Miami Open-Milos Raonic vs Nick Kyrgios

Two of the biggest servers on tour face off in an interesting clash in Miami, with 12th seed Milos Raonic taking on 24th seed Nick Kyrgios for a place in the semi-finals at the Miami Open. This match will take place on Stadium court at any time after 19:00 Miami Time (00:00 UK Time), and the winner will face off against 6th seed Kei Nishikori or 16th seed Gael Monfils in the semi-final.

It’s been a fairly comfortable road for both so far (neither have dropped a set), though Kyrgios has arguably been more comfortable so far. The Australian stormed past Marcos Baghdatis in his second round clash and has since been fairly comfortable against qualifier Tim Smyczek and Andrey Kuznetsov, with the latter being his most difficult match so far; Kyrgios has played some strong tennis and will be tough to beat. Raonic edged Denis Kudla and 31st seed Jack Sock in tight two sets to begin with, but stormed past Damir Dzumhur in his fourth round clash and the Indian Wells finalist is seemingly back near his best coming into this clash.

Serving is certainly the biggest strength for both and the player who is able to serve at a higher percentage could have a big advantage in this clash. Both Kyrgios and Raonic have also made improvements in their overall game which has led to their recent success, but it is arguably Raonic who has the stronger overall game and the Canadian should try to use this to full effect. The 12th seed should look to return well and should also try to dictate points from as early as possible. Raonic should also look to come into the net as much as possible, as this is another area he has the slightly stronger game. Kyrgios is not too far behind Raonic in terms of overall game strength however, and should try to dictate with his forehand as much as possible. The Australian should also look to get Raonic moving around the court, as movement is an area where Kyrgios is slightly stronger

Raonic leads the head to head 2-1, with all their previous meetings being majors, though Kyrgios won their last meeting; a four set win at Wimbledon last year. Kyrgios does have an opportunity in this clash, though Raonic has been in good form of late and should have enough to just edge this.

Prediction: Raonic in 3

2016 Miami Open- Kei Nishikori vs Gael Monfils

An interesting quarter-final clash in Miami sees 6th seed Kei Nishikori face off against 16th seed Gael Monfils, for a place in the semi-finals at the Miami Open. This match will take place on Stadium Court at any time after 15:00 Miami Time (20:00 UK Time), and the winner will face 12th seed Milos Raonic or 24th seed Nick Kyrgios in the semi-finals.

Both men have played some impressive tennis so far. Nishikori has faced difficult opponents so far, but is yet to drop a set. The Japanese star has seen off qualifier Pierre-Hugues Herbert, Alexandr Dolgopolov and 17th seed Roberto Bautista Agut in strong performances; he’ll be hard to beat if he plays like that. Monfils also impressed in his opening rounds, easing past qualifier Tatsuma Ito and 23rd seed Pablo Cuevas. Things got a bit more tricky as he had to come from a set down to beat 26th seed Grigor Dimitrov, but the Frenchman has still played well so far and will be a tough opponent for anybody.

Both men have played well so far, though one advantage Monfils has is that he is arguably more powerful than Nishikori. The Frenchman will certainly need to be consistent, always a problem for him, but could win the match if he utilizes his power. The 16th seed will need to serve well and should look to try and dictate rallies as much as possible, but importantly must try to remain focused throughout; Nishikori is strong enough to take advantage of any moments where Monfils isn’t focused. The 6th seed must be prepared to defend well against Monfils’ power and should also look to serve well. Nishikori should also look to try and finish points as quickly as possible, as the Frenchman could be able of using his power to win the longer rallies.

Nishikori won the only previous meeting between the two back in 2014, and that was in three sets so hopefully this match will be just as competitive. The Japanese star has played well so far and certainly has a good opportunity, though Monfils has also played well the past two weeks, and it seems that there could be an upset here.

Prediction: Monfils in 3

 

2016 Miami Open- Grigor Dimitrov vs Andy Murray

Two high-profile ATP stars face off in the third round at the Miami Open, with 2nd seed Andy Murray taking on 26th seed Grigor Dimitrov for a spot in the fourth round. This match will take place on Stadium court at around 15:00 Miami Time (20:00 UK Time) and the winner will face 16th seed Gael Monfils or 23rd seed Pablo Cuevas in the fourth round.

Both men received a bye in the first round, though Murray was more comfortable than Dimitrov in the second round. The Brit didn’t have the easiest match of his season, though saw off Denis Istomin fairly comfortably in straight sets and will be relatively happy with his level of tennis coming into Miami, especially after an early loss in Indian Wells. Dimitrov hasn’t really built on his decent start to the season and was pushed in the second round by Federico Delbonis (who beat Murray in Indian Wells), though eventually saw off the Argentine in three sets and will be fairly happy with a win over a confident opponent.

Murray certainly has the stronger game of the two and that gives him a good advantage. The Brit will look to serve well and must try to avoid giving Dimitrov too many opportunities on second serve returns. Murray should look to try and dictate play as much possible and ideally should look to get off to a very quick start, as that could take some confidence away from the Bulgarian early on. For Dimitrov, it is crucial he serves well and he must try and take every opportunity he gets, as he may not get too many chances in this match. The 26th seed may also need to defend well if Murray is dictating play, and should try to use his strong one-handed backhand as much as possible.

The Brit leads the head to head 6-2, and won their last meeting in Cincinnati in three tight sets. Murray should also win this clash today and considering how Dimitrov has failed to progress this season, it could be comfortable for the 2nd seed.

Prediction: Murray in 2