Dubai Draw -- Pretty Tough for Federer and Safin

sseemiller · 02-28-2004, 07:52 PM

They have to play each other in the first round. Yikes! And I'm not to happy about Rafa's draw either. Anyway, I haven't seen the actual draw, but here's the info from Eurosport. It's a pretty world-class field:

Roger defends Dubai title

World number one Roger Federer faces a tough task when he begins the defence of his Dubai Open title on Monday with an opening round match against his Australian Open final opponent Marat Safin. Top seed Federer beat Safin, a wildcard entry in Dubai, in straight sets in January to claim his second gram slam title after Wimbledon.

Even if he gets past the big-serving Russian again, the Swiss faces another daunting challenge in the quarter-finals, where he can expect to face Tim Henman.

The Britain has won six of their seven meetings, most recently in the quarter-finals of the World Indoor Tournament in Rotterdam this month, with his only loss coming when he retired from the match through injury.

Henman plays a qualifier in the first round.

In other first-round matches Max Mirnyi takes on teenager Rafael Nadal, with the winner likely to face fifth seed and Wimbledon runner-up Mark Philippoussis.

Second seed Guillermo Coria will play Mikhail Youzhny and could meet Philippoussis in the last eight, and third seed David Nalbandian plays Jarkko Niemenen with a possible quarter-final against eighth seed Sjeng Schalken in prospect.

Fourth seed Rainer Schuettler, who lost his first three matches of the year and then fell to Lleyton Hewitt in the Rotterdam quarter-finals, plays a qualifier, with a quarter-final clash with Paradorn Srichaphan a possibility.

sseemiller · 02-28-2004, 07:58 PM

And I do have the Scottsdale draw, thanks to the folks at RnR. Andre pulled out with some type of injury.

RODDICK, Andy USA
VAN LOTTUM, John NED

Q
BOGOMOLOV JR., Alex USA

EVANS, Brendan USA
GAMBILL, Jan-Michael USA

BURGSMULLER, Lars GER
DENT, Taylor USA

SPADEA, Vincent USA
JOHANSSON, Thomas SWE

CORRETJA, Alex ESP
ARTHURS, Wayne AUS

ANDREEV, Igor RUS
ANCIC, Mario CRO

VASSALLO ARGUELLO, Martin ITA
BLAKE, James USA

KIEFER, Nicolas GER
VAHALY, Brian USA

KARLOVIC, Ivo CRO
TURSUNOV, Dmitry RUS

MOODIE, Wesley RSA
DUPUIS, Antony FRA

Q
GINEPRI, Robby USA

FERREIRA, Wayne RSA
HANESCU, Victor ROM

MALISSE, Xavier BEL
SODERLING, Robin SWE

Q
LISNARD, Jean-Rene FRA

Q
VERKERK, Martin NED

PureCarlosMoyaDrive · 02-28-2004, 10:28 PM

Thanks for the new info on that. Hope Fed can pull through as much as I like Safin, but I want Fed to just do it all this year. Wonder whats up with Andre?

yee · 02-28-2004, 10:47 PM

Federer is now proabably used to getting shitty draw. Of course with that tough field in Dubai, there's no easy draw but playing Safin vs 1st round really is ********. Well, I guess I like them both to see either to go out after just the first round. It's a joke comparing the Scottsdale field to Dubai, especially now even Andre is out.

sseemiller · 02-28-2004, 11:46 PM

Well, when Hewitt was No. 1, he seemed to always draw Moya as his first round opponent. And that didn't work out well for him. I sometimes think the top seeds get the worst draws, and it's kind of true with Roger's draw. I mean, who could have been worse for him?

yee · 02-29-2004, 01:05 AM

I guess the Houston and AO draw is destined for Roger to prove that he's the deserving no.1. It's just not too convincing to be the no.1 with so many terrible records vs the top players. He might have felt terrible for letting the chance slip awat of becoming no.1 in Montreal last year, but now I guess he couldn't have asked for better way to becoming the no.1.

pound cat · 02-29-2004, 03:26 AM

Dubai Draw. The top half is tough.

Federer (1) v Safin (WC)
Robredo v Bjorkman
Pavel v Ulihrach
Qualifier v Henman (6)

Nalbandian (4) v Niemenen
Carraz v Bahrouzyan (WC)
Santoro v Martin, Alberto
Sargsian v Schalken (

Srichaphan (7) v Hrbaty
Qualifier v Ljubicic
Lopez, Feliciano v Davydenko
Qualifier v Schuettler (3)

Philippoussis (5) v Rochus, Olivier
Mirnyi v Nadal
Al Ghareeb (WC) v Qualifier
Youzhny v Coria (2)

CBodom · 02-29-2004, 07:19 AM

Srichaphan (7) v Hrbaty
interesting 1st rounder

hrbaty is tearing 04 up

@wright · 02-29-2004, 08:29 AM

Could be an incredible first round match, now that Safin's got more in the tank, but is Federer 100% yet?

pound cat · 02-29-2004, 02:37 PM

Some of the most interesting matches in Dubai should be in the doubles when Safin and his partner Ollivier Rochus. ( 6'5 and 5'6 ) take on the world!!! I would love to see this and the strategy they'll use.

PureCarlosMoyaDrive · 02-29-2004, 05:41 PM

Let me guess, I formation when Safin is serving?

But this tournament looks awesome. Hope Nalbandian and Nadal go deep, and then I of course want Fed to win it.

C_Urala · 02-29-2004, 08:06 PM

I wish luck to Safin. But his latest records do not leave much hope for his win over Federer. I think Federer will win.

pound cat · 03-01-2004, 03:31 AM

Then I guess there's not much hope for Federer either if he has to meet Henman in R 2. 1-6 record.

sliceroni · 03-01-2004, 12:52 PM

Sucks for both players, this should be the final. Federer would be the heavy favorite if this was the finals, but being the first round it can go either way. The inconsistent Henman just lost so Federer doesn't have to worry if he makes it through.

PureCarlosMoyaDrive · 03-01-2004, 05:13 PM

Basically with Henman out, Federer is gonna win the tourney unless he loses first round, in which Safin or Nalbandian will win the tourney instead.

yee · 03-01-2004, 07:28 PM

I'm not so sure about that, Nalbandian is not a player Roger fancy meeting either.

But Roger vs Safin...that's one hell of a first round match. But ya, if Roger goes out today, I'll like to see either Nalbandian or Safin winning this tournament.

02-28-2004, 07:52 PM	#1
sseemiller Rookie Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 357	Dubai Draw -- Pretty Tough for Federer and Safin They have to play each other in the first round. Yikes! And I'm not to happy about Rafa's draw either. Anyway, I haven't seen the actual draw, but here's the info from Eurosport. It's a pretty world-class field: Roger defends Dubai title World number one Roger Federer faces a tough task when he begins the defence of his Dubai Open title on Monday with an opening round match against his Australian Open final opponent Marat Safin. Top seed Federer beat Safin, a wildcard entry in Dubai, in straight sets in January to claim his second gram slam title after Wimbledon. Even if he gets past the big-serving Russian again, the Swiss faces another daunting challenge in the quarter-finals, where he can expect to face Tim Henman. The Britain has won six of their seven meetings, most recently in the quarter-finals of the World Indoor Tournament in Rotterdam this month, with his only loss coming when he retired from the match through injury. Henman plays a qualifier in the first round. In other first-round matches Max Mirnyi takes on teenager Rafael Nadal, with the winner likely to face fifth seed and Wimbledon runner-up Mark Philippoussis. Second seed Guillermo Coria will play Mikhail Youzhny and could meet Philippoussis in the last eight, and third seed David Nalbandian plays Jarkko Niemenen with a possible quarter-final against eighth seed Sjeng Schalken in prospect. Fourth seed Rainer Schuettler, who lost his first three matches of the year and then fell to Lleyton Hewitt in the Rotterdam quarter-finals, plays a qualifier, with a quarter-final clash with Paradorn Srichaphan a possibility.

02-29-2004, 08:29 AM	#9
@wright Hall Of Fame Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 3,568	Could be an incredible first round match, now that Safin's got more in the tank, but is Federer 100% yet? __________________ Proudly donning the Nadal avatar until Fed either wins Roland Garros, or serves Nadal a bagel.

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