The Daniel: Emerging Star or Flash In The Pan?

stringertom · Feb 27, 2013

Brands continues his hot '13 start with a QF (or better) run at Dubai. This is his second strong run in the desert (SF @Doha played Gasquet tough in that match). He also went 3R @AO and played subaTomic tough in his loss.

He hit his peak ranking (66) after 4R '10Wimby at age 22 but dipped below #200 after that...injury or other issues???

He's gotten himself in range by doing well at Challenger level and playing through qualies at every event this year. This run should secure direct acceptance at majors and seeding for qualies at MS1000's, making it a bit easier to climb the rankings.

Does he have the goods to approach and stay top 30? He's 25 so it's prime he's in but not for a long window of opportunity. Big serve/FH combo. Can he add a bit more to get over the top?

Duncan Bell · Feb 27, 2013

A thread for Brands! Arooooga! Let's do this thing Danny! I really like him so am quite biased and would love to see him start challenging for top 25. It appears he's turned something of a corner but it's really too early to tell.

spinovic · Feb 27, 2013

He impressed me early in the year. Hope he does well in 2013.

stringertom · Feb 27, 2013

Next up, I believe, is Delpo, who Brands lost to in a heartbreaker @Vienna last fall (3 TBs!). Could be another tight one!

Duncan Bell · Feb 27, 2013

stringertom said:
Next up, I believe, is Delpo, who Brands lost to in a heartbreaker @Vienna last fall (3 TBs!). Could be another tight one!

Yup that's when he caught my eye and I've looked out for him since. Fun to watch, for sure.

jwjh · Feb 27, 2013

I'm supporting Brands because he looks like he could be cast as Clark Kent. Shallow, I know.

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Tammo · Feb 27, 2013

I think he will beat Delpo.

And he lost to Tomic in round 2 i believe. 3 very close sets

always_crosscourt · Feb 27, 2013

Of course he's a flash in the pan.

If anything watching tennis has taught me it's that the real deal barely ever emerges. Probably once a century.

Duncan Bell · Feb 27, 2013

He's not a flash in the pan or an emerging star. Hes probably an emerging top 25 player.

stringertom · Feb 27, 2013

Duncan Bell said:
Yup that's when he caught my eye and I've looked out for him since. Fun to watch, for sure.

That match had some sick stats...zero breaks, Brands saving 10 BPs, 62 total aces (32/30) and the three TBs. Outdoors, I don't think they'll get that many aces but it's gonna be first-strike ballbashing!

tennisaddict · Feb 27, 2013

I liked the way he played at the AO vs Tomic. Sad that he lost the tiebreak. Tomic played a couple of excellent points.

Relinquis · Feb 28, 2013

Haven't seen too much of him, but I like his attacking style.

Good serve and volley game... big hitter as well... But that's not enough...

Where is his return game?!
i wonder if he can grind it out well enough at the baseline like Simon, or work the angles Davydenko style. Those are the areas he'll need to improve on if he wants to break serve more often. His return of serve on the backhand side needs work.

Holding serve is only half the battle, he needs to be able to break his opponent's serve often.

stringertom · Feb 28, 2013

Sadly, The Daniel was just plain Brand X today. Unlike Vienna, he crashed all three times on BPs and never got a sniff on JMDP's serve. Still, this should boost him a bit in the rankings and avoid the qualie grind for a lot of the events this spring.

stringertom · Mar 6, 2013

The Daniel gets through his qualies and draws Baggy as his first-round opponent...he's going a third day in a row vs a rested Marcos. Can he pull another win in a desert matchup???

I think he's ready...Brands in three!

Duncan Bell · Mar 6, 2013

Yeah, go on Daniel.

TahoeTennis · Mar 7, 2013

Just gave baggy a breakfast bagel in the first set. But I think Baggy will come back. Anyone out there watching this live? Is he dominating or Baggy just sucking, or a combo.

corners · Mar 7, 2013

He played at an extremely high level at AO.

vive le beau jeu ! · Mar 7, 2013

TahoeTennis said:
Just gave baggy a breakfast bagel in the first set. But I think Baggy will come back. Anyone out there watching this live? Is he dominating or Baggy just sucking, or a combo.

i hope marcos will come back too... pame !

stringertom · Mar 7, 2013

Baggy "branded" by The Daniel! DB thrives in the desert...first Doha, then Dubai and now a good win in IW. Keep it up!

Relinquis · Mar 7, 2013

very good result for him. that second set seems like it was close.

it seems brands ends up playing a lot of tie-breaks. he serves and volleys a lot which is good, but he needs to develop his return game strategy.

Duncan Bell · Mar 8, 2013

Great result - Seppi now. Winnable...

stringertom · Mar 8, 2013

Duncan Bell said:
Great result - Seppi now. Winnable...

Brands is hot enough now that every match, with the exception of vs the elites, is 50% or better in his column. Seppi can't be taken lightly...his results lately are strong but I really like The Daniel to win this weekend. I'll say Brands in a tight 3-setter.

Duncan Bell · Mar 8, 2013

The point about his return game is valid though, he'll come unstuck against anyone in the top 15 I'd wager, unless he's hitting really well.

stringertom · Mar 8, 2013

Duncan Bell said:
The point about his return game is valid though, he'll come unstuck against anyone in the top 15 I'd wager, unless he's hitting really well.

Like many big guys, ROS prowess is hard to develop...Karlovic, Raonic and Isner have pathetic return stats, resulting in the need for good TB conversions to advance. The Baggy bagel proves The Daniel can kick it up a notch vs a decent server but I doubt he'll ever dispense bakery products to any of the big-timers.

Sentinel · Mar 8, 2013

Calm down, Stringey

I came in here only cause he's a fellow one-hander. Don't have much hope for him, but wish him the best.

stringertom · Mar 8, 2013

Sentinel said:
Calm down, Stringey

I came in here only cause he's a fellow one-hander. Don't have much hope for him, but wish him the best.

Have you fallen asleep on your watch, Sentinel?

The Daniel is producing the goods at nearly every event on his schedule. I'm only sad he didn't close down subaTomic in Melbourne and set up a beauty of a match with The Eagle. That would have been epic!

stringertom · Mar 9, 2013

Pep rally post here for the others pulling for The Daniel!

A win today will be huge...also would possibly set up a match vs The Ernests! Don't know who I will take if that happens???

RodSmooth · Mar 9, 2013

vive le beau jeu ! said:
i hope marcos will come back too... pame !

Baggy,verdasco,monfils all players that have proven to be top 10 players.

They need to turn it up the next couple of years because they are getting older, even though monfils could prolly go till mid 30's easily.

Tired of the same boring top players, only top players that are enjoyable are tipservaic and Ferrer, and even they are up and down.

Duncan Bell · Mar 9, 2013

stringertom said:
Pep rally post here for the others pulling for The Daniel!

A win today will be huge...also would possibly set up a match vs The Ernests! Don't know who I will take if that happens???

If that happens then tennis is the winner.

norbac · Mar 9, 2013

I've been expecting something decent from Brands since Wimbledon 2010. Seems to finally be putting it together. Can see him as a solid top 30 guy.

Duncan Bell · Mar 10, 2013

Shame he lost. Anyone see it?

Sentinel · Mar 10, 2013

stringertom said:
Have you fallen asleep on your watch, Sentinel?

Yeah, lol. Been busy last few months, and cut down on tennis watching to only "the essentials" (wink). Rogi's performance after the WO has had me in a malaise

stringertom · Mar 10, 2013

Duncan Bell said:
Shame he lost. Anyone see it?

No...I had to work. Judging from the stats, DB wasn't his usual clutch on serve...broken four times (1 of 5 on BPs saved).

On the bright side, he upped his ROS with a couple of breaks himself. Maybe that will help him on sloooooooow Miami HCs and the dirt in Europe.

stringertom · Mar 19, 2013

The Daniel just bowed out in Sony qualies to Gicquel...dropped the first set in a TB and broken late in the second, 6-7 3-6. Lucky loser is his only hope...he was #2 seed and #1 Russell lost in R1 so he is first up.

mightyrick · Mar 19, 2013

When anybody loses to Tomic in a pivotal moment, it really makes me doubt that player.

I think Brands is talented... but he's got a lot more to prove.

Rob_C · Mar 19, 2013

stringertom said:
The Daniel just bowed out in Sony qualies to Gicquel...dropped the first set in a TB and broken late in the second, 6-7 3-6. Lucky loser is his only hope...he was #2 seed and #1 Russell lost in R1 so he is first up.

Arent LLs drawn randomly now?? Or is that for 250s only??

stringertom · Mar 19, 2013

Rob_C said:
Arent LLs drawn randomly now?? Or is that for 250s only??

No, all ATP/WTA events take the highest ranked loser in the final qualie round first. The majors use a four-highest-losers random draw.

heninfan99 · Mar 20, 2013

Neither. He's a solid power player that can get up to #15 in the world but will be in the 20s I'm guessing.

stringertom · Mar 21, 2013

Brands did get in at the last moment, replacing WC Christian Harrison vs Bellucci, took the first set but is now down 2 breaks in the third.

stringertom · May 28, 2013

Had to bump this thread to show there were a few of us on the Brandswagen before his match with ******!

underground · May 28, 2013

What if Brands get Rafa in the 1st round of Wimbledon on real grass?

stringertom · May 28, 2013

underground said:
What if Brands get Rafa in the 1st round of Wimbledon on real grass?

They're putting "real grass" back in @SW19???

I'm psyched!

underground · May 28, 2013

stringertom said:
They're putting "real grass" back in @SW19???

I'm psyched!

Never said that. Just a hypothetical question.

What if they play on the current grass, as in grass, not green clay in the 2nd week.

stringertom · May 28, 2013

underground said:
Never said that. Just a hypothetical question.

What if they play on the current grass, as in grass, not green clay in the 2nd week.

They "brand(s)" bulls, don't they?

The Daniel is 3-1 @SW19 (including a Kolya scalp, a five-set comeback from 4 MPs down vs Hanescu b4 losing to Berd in '10) so he is quite capable on grass. It would be fun!

ruerooo · May 28, 2013

stringertom said:
Had to bump this thread to show there were a few of us on the Brandswagen before his match with ******!

One can both enjoy Brands' play and appreciate Rafa.
One does not have to be a binary bonehead, thinking things can only be EITHER this OR that.

:?

6-1 6-3 6-0 · May 28, 2013

An oversized, overcooked omelette in a frying pan, ready to be thrown into the garbage.

NLBwell · May 28, 2013

You didn't like your breakfast?

axel89 · May 28, 2013

6-1 6-3 6-0 said:
An oversized, overcooked omelette in a frying pan, ready to be thrown into the garbage.

just wondering why is your avatar a 4

stringertom · May 28, 2013

ruerooo said:
One can both enjoy Brands' play and appreciate Rafa.
One does not have to be a binary bonehead, thinking things can only be EITHER this OR that.

:?

Thread is about Brands, started several months before Monday's match. The only thing I appreciate about Rafa is his tendency for abrupt and lengthy "vacations" from the tour. It will be interesting how he reacts after his next unexpected collapse.

The Daniel: Emerging Star or Flash In The Pan?

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