David Nalbandian..?

[Daveyboy]

His odds look great today. Saw him once last week and he crushed his opponent. Looks in top condition. Anyone know how David Ferrer is playing? More importantly, who is large on Nalbandian today??

[BiePoker]

very-very strange line

[binomial]

i read ferrer lost the final of an exhibition tournament to almagro on the weekend 7-6 6-4.

ferrer likely to be a tough matchup if he is down on energy.

he was hitting it pretty sweetly last week.

[HeeeHAWWWW]

Number of negatives for Nalby:

1) Ferrer is the type of player he's likely to struggle with, will get a lot of balls back. Simon took a set off him last week, after all.
2) Players often struggle the week after winning a tournament
3) Nalbandian's draw is nasty: Robredo next ok is easy, but then Soderling R16, Murray QFs, Nadal SFs just to make the final. Might be a good idea for him to conserve energy for the Cinci masters next week
4) He may have picked up a few minor injuries last week - usually when players are out injured for ages this happens. He'd play through them to win the title, but early rounds the next week it perhaps doesn't seem worth the risk anymore.
5) Nalby will have had to travel Monday, then had very little time to get used to different balls (Penns rather than fast Wilsons) and a slower/bouncier surface. His game has pretty narrow margins, so this can be quite important.
6) Again on the surface: if Nalby is at all tired, Ferrer will topspin the ball up and make him hit lots at shoulder height off the backhand. In Washington everything was at waist height or just above, suits his strokes nicely.


Of course, Ferrer has no hard court practice time, and may not care overmuch: he knows he won't go deep in the tournament, and doesn't really need the points after his clay exploits.

[Daveyboy]

Number of negatives for Nalby:

1) Ferrer is the type of player he's likely to struggle with, will get a lot of balls back. Simon took a set off him last week, after all.
2) Players often struggle the week after winning a tournament
3) Nalbandian's draw is nasty: Robredo next ok is easy, but then Soderling R16, Murray QFs, Nadal SFs just to make the final. Might be a good idea for him to conserve energy for the Cinci masters next week
4) He may have picked up a few minor injuries last week - usually when players are out injured for ages this happens. He'd play through them to win the title, but early rounds the next week it perhaps doesn't seem worth the risk anymore.
5) Nalby will have had to travel Monday, then had very little time to get used to different balls (Penns rather than fast Wilsons) and a slower/bouncier surface. His game has pretty narrow margins, so this can be quite important.
6) Again on the surface: if Nalby is at all tired, Ferrer will topspin the ball up and make him hit lots at shoulder height off the backhand. In Washington everything was at waist height or just above, suits his strokes nicely.


Of course, Ferrer has no hard court practice time, and may not care overmuch: he knows he won't go deep in the tournament, and doesn't really need the points after his clay exploits.

That's enough to put me off backing him, cheers mate!

[Tsonga]

good points heeehaawww...i can see ferrer with the upset here.

[HeeeHAWWWW]

Sorry guys, although this wouldn't have been a good bet I think - Nalbandian was pretty tired by the end, spraying millions of errors, but Ferrer just exploded and beat himself (and not once, repeatedly).

[JNic]

maybe nalbandian can work his way to a seed for the us open, it would be so unfortunate for him to play a top seed first round