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:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

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 the best player of 1962 and some experts didn’t
3 comments
Read more

2016 Wimbledon Women's Preview

Wimbledon 2016 –Women’s Preview What does Garbine Muguruza’s victory at Roland Garros mean for tennis? Will she be able to play at a high level for Wimbledon?  Is she a legitimate contender for Serena Williams’ role as #1?  Is Serena done winning majors, or is she just ‘resting’? Muguruza’s victory at Roland Garros was surprising but not a complete shock.  Beforehand, she was deemed fourth-most likely by the bookies to take the tournament, pegged at 10:1 odds.  Anytime we welcome a new slam champion to the fold is a cause for celebration... especially a young one like Garbine, only 22.  She displaces Petra Kvitova as the last-born person to win a slam. Muguruza is one of 11 active players to have won a singles major:  Serena, Venus, Sharapova, Azarenka, Kvitova, Kuznetsova, Ivanovic, Kerber, Schiavone, and Stosur.   (There would be four more if it were not for the retirements in the last four years of Li, Bartoli, Clijsters, and Pennetta.)  These 11 players are probabl
2 comments
Read more

The Case for Bjorn Borg as GOAT

The case for Bjorn Borg   The case for Bjorn Borg as GOAT will always be interesting because the last half or third of his career didn’t happen.   But what he accomplished in the short time he played was remarkable.     He became the youngest man ever to win a grand slam title (to that time) when he did it within days of his 18 th birthday at the French Open in 1974.   No man has won more pro matches, titles, or grand slams by age 24 than he did.   He also has the best match winning percentage at the slams, with Nadal and Federer a distant 2 nd and 3 rd .   In addition to 5 consecutive Wimbledon titles, he only ever lost twice at the French Open, winning there 6 times, 4 times consecutively, and 3 times consecutively he followed up his French victory with the Wimbledon title 4 weeks later – the French-Wimbledon double.   No one else has done that.     His head to head record is top notch.   In the pool of all men who have won a grand slam title in the open
1 comment
Read more