Skip to main content

Indian Wells 2010 - Predictions - 10 Mar 2010

Indian Wells 2010 - Predictions
Men
QF1
Federer and Roddick should get by Monfils and Stepanek with interesting potential spoilers Baghdatis in the 3R for Fed and Nalbandian in the 4R for Roddick
Fed d Rod

QF2
If Murray "tries" and keeps his head together he should gain the QF easily.  His opponent there likely to be Tsonga or Soderling who could stage 4R pyrotechnics.
Mur d Sod

QF3
Predicting Davydenko wins is usually perilous - he seems to have the ability to completely blow it.  He should get by Verdasco in 4R, but no guarantees.  If Nadal's new foot orthotics do half for him what mine have done for me, he should be able to regain top form and confidence in short order.
Nad d Dav

QF4
There seems little that could prevent a Cilic - Djokovic meeting.  Djokovic has looked determined, talented, and inconsistent recently.  Cilic has looked powerful and consistent.
Cil d Djo

SF1
Federer does not seem willing to dig deep at the 1000 events like at GS's.  Murray will want revenge and has a winning record against Fed outside of GS events.
Mur def Fed

SF2
A confident Nadal could well defend this title.  This is one of the toughest calls for me.  I think both are hungry but Cilic has the kind of game that can trouble Nadal - power and height.
Cil d Nad

F
I think Murray has more variety and will frustrate with amazing defense.
Mur d Cil

Women
QF1
Clijsters should survive stiff tests from Kleybanova and Kuznetsova.  The other half of this quarter looks very soft.  Neither Jankovic nor Pennetta have shown the form of Peer this year.
Cli d Peer

QF2
This quarter contains all of last years SFists - Zvonareva, Ivanovic, Azarenka, and Pavlyuchenkova as well as 2-time champ Hantuchova, youngsters Larcher de Brito and Oudin, dangerous floaters Dulgheru, Bammer, and Safarova, and the powerful Wickmayer, not to mention #8 seed Stosur.  Zvonareva seems inspired by her new coach and Azarenka has a huge game so it should come down to a tough one between these two.
Aza d Zvo

QF3
Not seeding Henin is ridiculous, rules be damned.  I had no intention of picking Dementieva to get this far, but there seems no alternative.  Would not be surprised to see young Hercog in 4R.
Hen d Dem

QF4
Li certainly could win this quarter, but I have a feeling the real Sharapova may finally show up.  If Wozniacki can't get by Kirilenko, I will begin to lose faith in her.
Sha d Woz

SF1
Assuming she doesn't pull an AO, Clijsters should be able to handle Azarenka's power.
Cli d Aza

SF2
Despite USO final 2006, Henin should destroy Sharapova
Hen d Sha

F
Clijsters appears to have the tools to win this matchup but not the mentality.  Henin should be hungrier.
Hen d Cli

Labels

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Men’s Tennis 2024 Yearend and 2025 Predictions

2 January 2025   The Big Three is dead!  Long Live the Big Three!  For the first time in 22 years, none of Federer, Nadal, or Djokovic are in the yearend top three.  Instead we have a new set – Sinner, Alcaraz, and Zverev.  Now it would certainly be debatable if Zverev has the significance of the other two. Afterall, he still has not won a slam and he’s half a generation older than his younger counterparts.  At age 27 he should be mid-arc in career accomplishments – but in some metrics he’s just starting out.  However, his superlative play over the year landed him at #2 and who are we to argue with the algorithm? One of the biggest clouds hanging over the coming year is the fate of Jannik Sinner.  By all accounts he is the top dog, and primed to have another banner year, but whether or not he will get to play depends on what happens with WADA (the World Anti-Doping Agency).  Anyone can see he’s essentially innocent – I mean, a massage...
Post a Comment
Read more

Wimbledon Women 2024

The divas have gathered, the grass is fresh, the blades are out, the Venus Rosewater Dish beckons. Is there a favourite?  There are only three former champions in the draw, and while they may be among the top picks it’s dangerous to count on any of them: Kerber (past her prime), Rybakina (constantly sick), and Vondrousova (chronically unreliable).  So who will it be lifting the plate in two weeks’ time?   First Quarter Iga Swiatek (1) is the top seed and has pretty much nailed down this slot across the board for the last two and a half years.   But grass is her least-accomplished surface.   She pulled out of her warm-up tournament citing emotional recuperation after her fifth slam crown and third consecutive at Roland Garros.   But there is cause for hope among the Swiatek-azzi. She made the quarters last year in a game effort against a surging Svitolina.   Her strokes should hold up well on grass, although I think she loses some of the movement...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Case for Rod Laver as GOAT - 25 Dec 2010

The Case for Rod Laver Two grand slams.   When one considers the near impossibility of winning a calendar year grand slam in this day and age, the thought of one player winning two boggles the mind.   It’s difficult enough to win the career slam – only 7 men have ever done it and only 4 in the Open era.   Winning a non-calendar slam is even more difficult and many great players have won three in a row and fallen just short:   like Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Pete Sampras. So Rod Laver should be an open and shut case for the greatest of all time.   But it’s not that simple.   His first grand slam is really negligible and doesn’t count.   It was an amateur slam won in an era when the best players were professionals.   Especially in the 1960’s the pros were gaining more and more credibility.   The sheer number of pros was increasing as more and more tournaments began to be established for pro players.   Laver was by no means considered...
3 comments
Read more