2016 Rio Open - ATP500
- Thread starter Adv. Edberg
- Start date
StannisTheMannis
Hall of Fame
Get ready for Nadals highest level title this year!
helterskelter
G.O.A.T.
@Adv. Edberg
The field for Rio is very similar to that of Buenos Aires, so despite the step up in points, I wouldn't say it's that much more difficult a tournament. The main difference is that the top 4 seeds won't get an opening round bye.
The field for Rio is very similar to that of Buenos Aires, so despite the step up in points, I wouldn't say it's that much more difficult a tournament. The main difference is that the top 4 seeds won't get an opening round bye.
Meles
Bionic Poster
Almost identical player list except hopefully Sock decides to show up.
Gary Duane
Talk Tennis Guru
It's been a long time since Nadal's last match. I expect him to be rusty.
Meles
Bionic Poster
Your poll lacks the option other. I think you can still add it.Finally time for the first serious clay tournament and the first real clay test for Nadal!
Ferrer is defending Champion, but can Nadal come back and win it again?
Date 15 – 21 February
Edition 2nd
Draw 32S / 16D
Prize money $1,548,755 (ATP)
Surface Clay
Meles
Bionic Poster
Plays Monaco tomorrow in Brazil. played last year's final:
"Nadal On Collision Course With Monaco"
@vive le beau jeu !
The head to head is brutal.
Gary Duane
Talk Tennis Guru
The rustiness is more likely to show up in subsequent rounds. I hope I'm wrong. He REALLY needs an early clay tournament.Plays Monaco tomorrow in Brazil. played last year's final:
"Nadal On Collision Course With Monaco"
@vive le beau jeu !
The head to head is brutal.
vive le beau jeu !
Talk Tennis Guru
i'm afraid it sounds like a "bye" for the QF, but i'll be happily surprised if it's pico who drives the car tomorrow in argentinaPlays Monaco tomorrow in Brazil. played last year's final:
"Nadal On Collision Course With Monaco"
@vive le beau jeu !
The head to head is brutal.
Adv. Edberg
Legend
Yep. Draw is similar. But usually the seeds tend to try a bit harder when it's 500 rather than 250. And also 1st round too. Of course for Nadal it wouldn't matter much. But for the other seeds it's a difference.
So do think it's more of a test for Nadal and a good barometer.
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Adv. Edberg
Legend
It's fixed!
Meles
Bionic Poster
Nadal will be hungry for points after coming up empty in Auz. I don't think he stands much of a chance, but he'd love to get to #2 for French Open seeding avoiding Djoko til the final or completely.
Adv. Edberg
Legend
Yeah for sure. If he gets 2nd that must mean he has won a lot during the European clay swing which means he can be back to some sort of form which will make for a pretty interesting FO final!
WarriorRafa
Hall of Fame
Let's see how Rafa does in Buenos Aires first. He should be winning both these tourneys, then we'll get a better idea on how he'll fare against the top four.
stringertom
Bionic Poster
LOL! 4000 points behind The Muzziah for #2. Baby Murray will have to be real busy making #2 in her diapers for Sir Andrew of Dumplane to get distracted enough to cough up that lead.
Adv. Edberg
Legend
LOL! 4000 points behind The Muzziah for #2. Baby Murray will have to be real busy making #2 in her diapers for Sir Andrew of Dumplane to get distracted enough to cough up that lead.
Sir Andy has got a lot of clay points to defend, he can easily lose 2k of them. And Nadal will have to take MC and Rome and Barcelona and go really deep in Miami and IW. Yeah it's gonna be tough. Uugh Verdasco..
tennisaddict
Bionic Poster
I think Nishikori and Ferrer can catch up with Rafa easily if they do well. We cannot discount them.
Rafa has to try to get to No 4 first. I don't believe he is going to get to No 2 without a slam win.
helterskelter
G.O.A.T.
Not in the short term. But he could end 2016 as #2 if, say, he was runner-up in all three remaining Slams. Especially if his opponent was Djokovic on each occasion. (Of course, that's an extremely unlikely scenario).
Adv. Edberg
Legend
Yep, but even top 4 is ok for FO. And we can get 2013 again!
helterskelter
G.O.A.T.
By the way, don't you think that Nadal's quarter-final opponent, assuming he comes through Monaco tonight, is just the sort of harmless opponent that you were looking for him to face?
Also, Monaco's his good friend. It's unlikely that he'll stand in his way.
Adv. Edberg
Legend
Yeah that should do. And then Thiem in semi. It's good. I'm on team Thiem but he's just gonna have to go down in this match.
helterskelter
G.O.A.T.
It seems like Thiem is not playing particularly well this week. I'm not sure he'd have got past Isner had Isner beaten Lajovic. He should beat Lajovic, but even that isn't a given, considering how close he came to losing to Elias.
Nadal's big test this week is likely to be Ferrer in the final, assuming Ferrer makes it that far.
stringertom
Bionic Poster
Another Argie seemed "harmless" entering the final at Vina de la Mar'13 but he gave Nadal an Argy Bargy as to who wanted the trophy the most.
helterskelter
G.O.A.T.
True. Anyone can spring a surprise, but that doesn't mean that all surprises are equally plausible. Also, mediocre than Nadal's form has been in the last year or so, he at least comes in with plenty of match practice, rather than not having played in eight months.
stringertom
Bionic Poster
This will be his first match in almost a month and, if he wins, his first multiple matches in six weeks. Lots of rust. He should win both but expect a possible tough time with Thiem.
helterskelter
G.O.A.T.
Thiem is definitely a much tougher opponent than Zeballos, Lorenzi, or Schwartzman (on paper!) But he doesn't appear to be at his best this week.
Adv. Edberg
Legend
True, he seems s bit off. Maybe he just need to get used to clay after that AO. But he's gonna have to dig deep this spring if he wants to defend all his points. Hope he can go far IW/Miami.
The Green Mile
Bionic Poster
Wrong thread
Meles
Bionic Poster
Murray defending two titles on clay and likely to play as light a schedule as possible. He didn't play Monte Carlo last year, so it will be interesting to see how much he'll play on clay this season. With Fed's schedule and minor knee surgury he may not see an immediate need to protect his ranking. Nadal wins all the minor clay events and the ATP 1000 and deep runs in US 1000s. He'll need luck of the draw since he's not beating Nole anytime soon. Murray drops 1000 points and Nadal moves up 3000.LOL! 4000 points behind The Muzziah for #2. Baby Murray will have to be real busy making #2 in her diapers for Sir Andrew of Dumplane to get distracted enough to cough up that lead.
Meles
Bionic Poster
Thiem's clay season before French was sub par (the tourney before French does not affect seeding.) Thiem's got a shot at top ten even if his play is not as stellar as hoped (like yesterday.)
Meles
Bionic Poster
Hahahaha. Watching Fritz in Memphis, but will keep a blind eye on Monaco to make sure he doesn't get out of hand.
stringertom
Bionic Poster
Yeah, 4000 points can be made up but not before RG, which was the statement I was responding to.
Gary Duane
Talk Tennis Guru
For those of you who watched the Nadal match, how did he look? I can't find stats. It seemed like a very weak win against Monaco, who from what I have read has barely played since last August and who had to have surgery on his wrist.
Mainad
Bionic Poster
He was a bit rusty according to the ATP match report but got it done in straights,6-4,6-4:
http://www.atpworldtour.com/en/news/nadal-versus-monaco-buenos-aires
I Am Finnish
Bionic Poster
It looks like sock is playing?
Adv. Edberg
Legend
Yeah, didn't convince me. But it was also the first match. Lorenzi wasn't much better though.
Gary Duane
Talk Tennis Guru
I also heard that the heat was extreme.
I Am Finnish
Bionic Poster
No draw?
tennisaddict
Bionic Poster
tennisaddict
Bionic Poster
Rafa vs Almagro 2R- should be a good match.
Rafa has a soft draw . Here is hoping he makes it to the finals.
Rafa has a soft draw . Here is hoping he makes it to the finals.
The Green Mile
Bionic Poster
There are a lot of Clay-courters in Rafa's half. With the way things are going for him right now...
1R - Carreno Busta
2R - Almagro
QF - Bellucci
SF - Tsonga/Cuevas
F - Ferrer/Thiem/Fognini
That looks pretty tough, with the way Rafa is playing right now.
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Adv. Edberg
Legend
Really tough r1 match for Nadal. Even Alamagro is playing good again.
tennisaddict
Bionic Poster
Rafa should be happy Fognini, Isner, Thiem are all on the other side of the draw.
tennis_pro
Bionic Poster
If a top 5 player is incapable of winning a title bigger than an ATP 500 for nearly 2 years now it tells you everything you need to know about the you know what.
vive le beau jeu !
Talk Tennis Guru
let's hope pablo will be enough
it's time for a massive and mercyless revenge of the bunnies... there will be bull meat for all !
Meles
Bionic Poster
Almagro is one big bump in the road these days. I'd love to see Sock continue his good form and catch Rafa in the semi. Overall, better than a Thiem QF and Ferrer SF.
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