EP what you think of Blake strode? Thanks
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can huta galung pull off the upset?Comment -
Troicki isn't the most trusting player, but on this surface, he's pretty stout and his losses have come mainly to top notch players.Comment -
Have to try this again.
ATP Sao Paulo: Mayer +125
Their meeting at Vina Del Mar was pretty tight for a set, but then Mayer lost out in the second. Chardy was better fending off break points, while Mayer gave in on 4/10 break opps. Let's see if a couple weeks makes a difference. The indoor surface might work a little better with Mayer's serve, but both can dominate on-serve at their best. Yesterday's match, albeit with perhaps a fatigued Ferrero, should have boosted Mayer's confidence too.Comment -
Wow, Verdasco is such a lost cause. Marti going to cash as a large dog.Comment -
Nalbandian seems like suuuuuch a no-brainer that I can't play it. Not to mention Simon is actually good at tennis. I want to load up so bad on Nalbandian but I. Just. Can't. haha. I'm going to be pissed now when he wins and I wasn't onboard....Comment -
That's how I have felt all day, today has been terrible so not expecting much. Frickin Mayer. Has six break opps on Chardy and Chardy saves them all. He gives out two break opps and gets broken first. This is going to wind up just like the last meeting, Chardy probably wins 6-4 in the 1st and then Mayer probably blows up in the 2nd.Comment -
Finally! Mayer converts his first break point over Chardy on the 9th try to win the 2nd set, 7-5. At least he's making it a match.Comment -
That Mayer win felt good. Hell any time I'm on the right side of a Chardy match, it's orgasmic. Fat Dave up a break early on Vanilla Nice. Hope he rolls this fukk quick.Comment -
thoughts on G.Muller/O.Rochus vs. S.Gonzalez/C.Kas?Comment -
Don't know what the price is, but Gonzalez & Kas are the doubles experts among that pairing - I'd side with them. Good finish after a shit start with Mayer & Nalbandian winning.Comment -
From the blog. Quarterfinals Update.
BACK TO THE FUTURE
ATP ROTTERDAM
Quarterfinals Update.
Hello McFly: Our unassuming player here has to be Viktor Troicki. We often wait for this guy to implode in a spot when he shouldn't, but this week, he's been solid with a pair of straight set wins. Del Potro is up next. Helloooooo McFly!
Biff: The asshole who made people angry this week. Have to give the edge to Dolgopolov. Nobody is more of a risk to lose in the 1st round or run to the finals of a tournament than this guy. Like Forrest Gump said "Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get." Dolgpolov looks like he got chocolate wasted, losing to Kubot in the 1st round.
Doc Brown: Who's doing work this week? A couple candidates here. Jarkko Nieminen and Nikolay Davydenko. Nieminen continues to impress on indoor hard courts without much fanfare. He's probably not going to go any further up against Federer, but already a good showing with two wins. Davydenko gets honorable mention here, knocking off Dutch local Robin Haase and outdueling Paul Henri Mathieu. His career has been in the crapper for the better part of a year and a half, can he go a step further against Gasquet?
ATP SAO PAULO
Hello McFly: Carlos Berlocq gets the nod here as he continues working hard and winning on clay without much hoopla. Two wins here and his first in nine tries against Potito Starace to cap it off. Your reward? Nicolas Almagro in the quarters. Hellllllooooo McFly!
Biff: Got to give the asshole tip to Albert Montanes this week for crashing out in the first round against Filippo Volandri. It's not just that he lost to Volandri, he got crushed 6-2, 6-3. Thanks for showing up this week.
Doc Brown: Who's doing work here? How about Leonardo Mayer. All he has done this week is beat Juan Carlos Ferrero and an in-form Jeremy Chardy to get to the quarters. His serve has been pretty solid and he gets Brazilian Thomaz Bellucci next. That is one I'll pay to see.
ATP SAN JOSE
Hello McFly: Our under-the-radar flyer in San Jose has to be Julien Benneteau. The Frenchman probably wasn't given much chance to do anything here after getting whipped in Davis Cup play by Milos Raonic on an indoor hard court last weekend. Benneteau though showed up here ready to play and took out Ryan Sweeting in a pair of tight sets and then crushed Gilles Muller. He's in the quarters here and with his draw against Darcis and then maybe Roddick, Benneteau could be staring at a title match. Hellloooooo McFly!
Biff: Easy choice here for our disappointing asshole, Donald Young. Young expected to be more of a breakout American star got ushered out easily in straights by Michael Russell in the 1st round,. No disrespect to Russell, an experienced tour vet with the heart of a lion, but if Young is ever going to be a consistent winner ... you don't lose that sort of match. Remember that scene where Biff gets a load of manure dumped in his car? That's about where Young's performance ranked this week.
Doc Brown: Who's doing work? How boutcha Steve Darcis. Being a bit of a Darcisist myself [one who cannot resist the veteran play of Steve Darcis], it's nice to see him continuing a solid run of form here. He made the Dallas Challenger final on a similar surface last week and has shown no hangover effect from losing to Jesse Levine. He ousted youngster Steve Johnson and then inched out Radek Stepanek. He's got Benneteau next and could give him all he can handle based on his current form.Comment -
Parlays: 18-12 [+4.77]
Totals: 1-5 [-5.05]
Dogs: 15-15 [+8.50]
Favorites: 5-5 [-1.05]
Challengers: 11-13 [-0.45]
Doubles: 2-0 [+2.10]
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Overall Record: 51-50 [+8.82]Comment -
Friday, February 17th
[Bergamo Challenger] Ignatik +160
The Belarusian pulled off the upset of Soeda yesterday in straights and faces Phau today. The two have met twice in the past two years, Ignatik winning last year on an outdoor hard court and Phau winning on an indoor hard surface in 2010. Both meetings were very tight. Ignatik doesn't always come up on the right end of the stick on this surface, but his track record indicates that his effort is always there and he usually has a chance to win.
ATP Rotterdam: Troicki +320
Troicki v. Del Potro. This is an excellent test for both players. Both players have outstanding records on this surface. DelPo has flirted with disaster in both rounds in Rotterdam. He won a tight three set affair with Llodra to open and worked past Beck 6-4, 7-5. I had a chance to see some of that match and while DelPo was mostly solid, he still doesn't quite look like the top notch player we're wanting to see again. Troicki worked past two lesser opponents, but showed good resolve in winning the key points in opening set tie breaks and then wearing his opponent down easier in the 2nd set. Since his return last year, Del Potro has been solid on this surface, but has losses to Granollers, Blake, Tsonga, Roddick and Verdasco. So, he's not unbeatable. Troicki will need to be outstanding on-serve and play the key points well, but I think he rates a much better shot to win than this price shows.
Parlay: Stosur + Almagro [-129]
Niculescu is playing solid tennis, but her M.O. is that when she faces off against the better players on hard courts, she falls. While you may debate whether Stosur is in that category now, she's still a top notch player on this surface .. outside of Australia. I think her win over Cirstea helped exercise some demons from the Aussie Open loss and she was solid enough against Cetkovska to get it done yesterday. Niculescu has been leaving a ton of break points out there for the taking this week, but has saved most of them. Sooner or later though, I think that is her downfall. Almagro gets Berlocq in Sao Paulo. Should be a good match-up. Almagro is usually at his best during the South American clay swing and worked through his opener well enough to adjust to this new indoor surface. Berlocq has been red hot on clay the last year, but is again one those guys who has yet to pull off a signature win against a top ranked clay foe. He gets another shot today, but I think Almagro is still a step ahead of him.Comment -
Have Almagro and Berdych futures pending this week. Adding this one today, Benneteau +1000 to win San Jose. Given what is left in San Jose, I think these odds are insane. Benny has Darcis today, which could be tricky but very winnable and then either Roddick or Istomin to make the final. I think it's certainly possible to have him in the final and that would leave a hedge opportunity to make some scratch.Comment -
of course i see this after I take del potro and troicki under. troicki's backhand goes into the net everytime. GL tho. I've been tailing you for awhile as a lurker.Comment -
Stosur seems like she should be much better than she actually plays. She's powerful and can serve but is constantly making questionable decisions that don't seem to play to her strengths or makes it more difficult on herself. I haven't seen her a ton but just my take on the ones (including this one) I've seen.Comment -
ATP Sao Paulo: Ramos +120
Have to try with Ramos over Verdasco. Verdasco very fortunate to survive a grueling three setter with Marti who flat out choked up 5-2 in the 3rd. Verdasco also reportedly had some problems with knee pain. A fairly quick turnaround from that match to this one doesn't set up well for Verdasco. Ramos meanwhile has been solid and if he serves well, the pressure may all be on Verdasco in this one to respond.Comment -
Continued success EP..Comment -
I think part of her problem is every year she has to fight out of the failed expectations of the Australian tournaments. that's kind of her M.O. - figure out when she's putting all that behind her. Unfortunately, hard to gauge exactly when, but once she gets it straight she usually starts rolling.Comment -
Good start Troicki.
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Stosur drops 2nd set 2-6. I don't understand why she wants to keep trying to come to the net. She's been awful every time and she's strong enough to make passing shots from the baseline.Comment -
I cant wait to see the unforced errors statComment -
Stosur looking in control again now in the 3rd, up a break.
Troicki looks like a waste of money, but frankly I was just hoping to split between him and Ignatik. Ignatik took the 1st from Phau, so maybe I can still get that split.Comment -
Damn Troicki, double bagel maybe? Wow. Wish I was at home to watch this epic disaster. Tennis Channel showing Rotterdam today, excited to go home and watch some although I'll miss the more competitive one with Donkey & Gascan.Comment -
Or not. Stosur yacked up the lead.Comment -
Alright, Stosur wins out.Comment -
Nice.
Did anyone see why del potro was bleeding? I missed it.Comment -
Good to see that parlay.. I did Berdych/Stosur/Almagro. Stosur was up and down like a mofo. Berdych rolled, and good start by Almagro.Comment -
LOL Ignatik - what a goof. Incredible to lose this match!Comment -
I've taken Ramos 1st set @ +100. Hoping Verdasco is still feeling stiff from his match against Marti, start off sluggish perhaps?Comment -
I think if Ramos starts fast, we should be in good shape. Yeah Ignatik very disappointing - looks like he just lost his concentration after dropping the tie break and never recovered.Comment -
EP, you think Radwanska gets it done easy peasy? i got her to close out a +132 parlay. don't wanna throw too much on mchale to hedge, but it is the wta we're talking about
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Haven't seen anything from McHale that indicates she can beat one of the better hard court players.Comment -
Ramos broken. Boo.Comment
