well done ricky...brilliantly written. Rafa to lose one set only...coool :)......hey i read that rafa lost to a qualifier in a exhibition 7-5 yesterday!lol...ricky,any comments on this one?

We have very similar picks this time. You said you would have several unseeded guys at second week but I see you changed your mind. I think Roddick hand-picked the names himself lol, ridiculously easy draw.

yes orion..roddik's draw is ridiculously easy!

good predictions..........hope they come true

djokovic vs federer would be the match to watch..........if djokovic really does manage to beat federer,it wud do a world of good to his confidence.....

vamos rafaaaaaaa!!!!!!

Thanks Ricky! Your picks are sound; makes sense all the way until

except....who is destiny?

Great picks.

And loved that remark for Bodo!

Ricky................I hope you are right!!!!!!!!

if Ricky's predictions hold true, there will not be a change in the top 4 rankings. On the other hand if Djokovic beats Federer in the semis, and Murray goes out in the QF as predicted, I think Djokovic will leap frog them both to be #2 in the world :D. Comments anyone?

small error in my calculations. if Djokovic beats Federer, and Murray reaches the QF, MURRAY is #2, Djokovic #3 and Federer #4! how many free jumps to the top is this guy gonna get? grrrrrrrrrrr.

Free jump? Murray was better than nole from june 2008 till april 2009 nothing free there

Wilander just commented about Coria trying to comeback aswell. One would think he would know Coria announced his retirement (atleast for now) but I guess he doesnt

stu....maths has never been one of my strong points....but I have listed the current atp points which still need to be updated in terms of roger winning the madrid masters so 1,000 points need to be added.....

# Player Country Points Diff pts Diff rank

1. Rafael Nadal Spain 14 960
2. Roger Federer Switzerland 10 470
3. Andy Murray United Kingdom 9 020
4. Novak Djokovic Serbia 8 830

that being the case...I think that changes everything? tell me if I am wrong......

stu....i dont think the ranking wud change!!even if roger loses in the semis..and murray reaches semis!! roger will still retain no.2! djo has to win RG to becum no.2 given that roger loses the semi...muray has to reach teh final atleast given that roger loses the semis...

You have to remember he has played really well on the hardcourts so not exactly a free jump Stu

malteser...no mate..no changes wil occur in the rankings..roger's madrid pnts have already been added! these are the final pnts before RG!

There will only be changes to their rankings if roger loses in the quarters, which is next to impossible! Right malt? :-)

hey danny......have found an article re: the points.
vamosrafa......thanks for that........I am a bit confused tho' cos the points of 10470 for Fed....were the same BEFORE he entered madrid? I thought another thousand has to be added...but I am away that he got to defend 1400 points at RG....anyway, am sure you or dan will put me right......Here is the article.....

Andy Murray had a bag stolen on his way home from the Madrid Masters last weekend. "A bit of a nightmare," he said, after his laptop, telephone and house keys were all lost. When Murray leaves the French Open, which begins here today, he will be hoping to avoid the same fate, especially as he could be returning to London with something even more valuable in the bag, namely the No 2 spot in the world rankings. He would have trouble claiming that on travel insurance.


Clay has been Murray's least productive surface in the past, but such is his recent progress that he has realistic hopes of overtaking Roger Federer over the next fortnight. The Swiss is 1,450 points ahead of the Scot, but whereas Federer has 1,400 points to defend here, having finished runner-up to Rafael Nadal for the third year in succession 12 months ago, Murray has only 150 after going out to Nicolas Almagro in the third round.

While there are many possible permutations in the rankings ? not the least of which is the prospect of Novak Djokovic, the world No 4, leapfrogging both men here ? Murray knows that if he reaches at least the semi-finals and betters Federer's performance he should start the Aegon Championships at Queen's Club in a fortnight's time as world No 2.


whatever happens guys...I can tell you that Federer will still enter Wimby as NO.2 based on the 'past champions rule'...that is a cert......

danny....not wanting to tempt the fates...but I believe that you make your own way/luck......in answer to your question...reprinted here for ease.....

There will only be changes to their rankings if roger loses in the quarters, which is next to impossible! Right malt? :-)

anything is possible danny.....but that likelihood is well.....? about as likely as you and me hooking up danny.....now that could all change...right?

Then it's impossible! :-)

Ricky is correct in 10 of 15 so far. Not bad.:-)

YEP, we all make are own luck and destiny to boot!

I think the Fed has put the hard time and energy in and its time to get PAID!!

Am I ever pleased you got the Gulbis pick so wrong! Bit disappointed you thought that he would manage only one set worth of effort in defence of his first GS quarterfinal, though.

And I still believe that despite not having too much faith in him, you will be pleased by this result, so cheers!

Jyocka - I pick against Gulbis every match no matter what. It doesnt necessarily mean that I actually think he is going to lose.

Danny....you break my heart...:-( xx

thnx for the article malteser...firstly let me clear that madrid confusion that is bothering u...mate..yes roger gained 1000 by winning madrid...bt at the same time..18 may..the pnts from hambirg came of ,where roger ws to defend 700 pnts...so overall he gained 300...rafa lost 400...1000 from hamburg came of and he gained 600 by reaching madrid final.....secondly yes if murray reaches the semis and roger falls before the semis(highly unlikely) then the scotsman wil b no.2....thirdly ...yes i think roger may well enter wimby as NO.2 SEED despite being no.3 as seedings are not entirely based on rankings especially at wimby..i remember venus williams given a higher seeding than her rank back in 06 or 07 .

Ricky: Looking at Murray's form over Chela today, are you willing to revise your predictions and pick Murray over Gonzales in the QF? Also if Murray reaches the Semi-Finals, he will definitely have a very competitive match with Nadal. Possibly 4 or 5 sets.

vamosrafa: I believe Wimbles does its own thing re seeds which is based on past year's tournament performance so Roger will be No 2 whatever.
imjimmy: would you please stop! I'm still behind the sofa having palpitations! One match at a time...

vamosrafa....thanks so much....I didn't take the points off but now I understand.....I

did mention a while ago tho' that irrespective of the points system, that wimbledon is special in terms of 'their own rules'...as roger has won wimby 5 times in a row, he will still enter as No.2 as they have their own 'past champions rule'...

thanks for clarifying the points tho'......so presumably should rafa lose RG and Wimby and roger wins plus defends his US title, then Roger could be back at No.1 by the end of the year? as rafa stands to lose more points?

vamos rafa...here is an article found from clarabella davis which gives another permeatation on the points system up to the end of the year.....

So to add a little more spice to the scenario, let?s shift the focus onto Federer?s target, and mix a little more imagination into the recipe.

Let?s suppose Federer wins at both Roland Garros and Wimbledon. Even if Nadal is the runner up in both cases, the gap between them closes dramatically, from around 4500 to nearer 1500.

Take the projection forward to the end of July and assume Nadal makes it only to the semis in the Canadian Masters: that?s another 640 lost.

By Cincinnati, Nadal may begin to feel the pain in his knees as the hard courts work their worst, and only make the quarters rather than the semis: a further 270 lost.

In August, his 800 points from Beijing disappear (Federer only has 200 to lose).

In October, both lose 450 points from the ?old? Madrid, and both defend 250 points at the Paris indoor.

Federer, meanwhile, only has 160 points to defend from Cincinnati and Canada combined. He therefore needs only to make the semis in one of them and he gains around 500 points.

Indeed, he can afford to opt out of both with little penalty and, with one eye on the pregnancy calendar, July looks to be a good guess (or rather a good 40-week calculation from post-Flushing Meadow) for paternity leave. Now that would be timing on a par with his best forehand!

Also in October, the Basel 500 drop off Federer?s total, though he can recoup at least 300 of those by reaching the final.

This all points to a US Open of huge significance. If Federer is runner up, he loses 800 points, and if Nadal reaches the semis again, he loses 180. The stunning consequence of all these calculations is that, by the time they arrive at the O2 arena in London, Nadal and Federer could be separated by almost exactly the points available to the winner of the World Tour final.

Now that?s a lot of ifs and buts. It?s also a thrilling prospect!

Will Nadal maintain enough fitness and energy to break through in New York and beyond?

Will Djokovic sustain his form and endurance through the summer to steal a Grand Slam at Wimbledon or Flushing Meadow?

Will Murray improve as the year advances into the hard court season as he did last year? Will he, indeed, snatch his first Slam from under the noses of the other three on that newly-covered Centre Court?

Will Federer apply the thumb screws to the rest with his resurgent fitness and technique? Or will baby Federer throw the year?s rankings right out the window?

Time will tell. But the early signs are that, regardless of all these variables, Djokovic has both a cunning strategy and a deadly serious intent.

thnx for the article malteser....yes tennis is so interesting..anything possible..bt i am quite sure rafa will end the year as no.1 :D

Unless he wakes up the next morning and decided to play right handed. :-)

ricky...I hope you're right about what is destined(!) and we will see Roger in the final!!
oooh,the discussion on rankings is really stressing me!!

imjimmy - no. Sure he looked great, but it was against Chela. By the same logic, Gonzalez absolutely destroying Jiri Vanek right now would mean that he is going to beat Murray. That logic makes no sense, but I do think that Gonzalez will win.

And no, Murray and Nadal would not "definitely" have a great 4 or 5 set match in the semifinals. They "might" have a 4 or 5 set match, but it is VERY unlikely.

Like the picks except for the final. Hope we have a different outcome there!

Ricky: 3 sets in the final and a near repeat of the 2008 drubbing but maybe without the bagel as I think it'll not be as easy. Than again, you never know with Rafa...

One match at a time and I want to see him bite that trophy. Vamos Rafa!

Hey Peter Bodo, how is the Montanes in the semifinals pick working out for ya?

Tipsy beat Montanes??!!

what! Montanes just lost in first round, didn't make the Semis!!! I can't believe Bodo got that wrong !!! :)

2 strange opening games for both rafa and roger.....both seeming nervous.....but eventually got back on track.....

Roger's serve right now is B-R-I-L-L-I-A-N-T....the best I have seen him serve in a while...which is great news....tho' some mighty mis..hits from the fed....gotta put that right as he goes through the tournament....back on the practice courts fed til thursday!!!!!!!!

Goooooooooo Rogggggggggggeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!

BODO WAS WRONG??????? Oh no!!!!!!!!! The world must be coming to end then----LOL.

small error in my calculations. if Djokovic beats Federer, and Murray reaches the QF, MURRAY is #2, Djokovic #3 and Federer #4! how many free jumps to the top is this guy gonna get? grrrrrrrrrrr.
stu
, 5/24/09 5:23 PM
_______________________________________________

That makes very sense to me.
federer belongs to #4 long time ago. Now it's time to put him where he truly belongs. Hope Djoker is not gonna screw it again. (he did it 2 times already: USO and Australia).

Free jumps? You mean he's been sitting on his behind, not working, not training and not winning anything? What planet are you on? How many tournies has he won this year already?
Universon, we must cheer and will on the Djoker to the finals. It will make my year buddy! :)

homos, sure he's been winning lots of masters series events. djokovic won a lot of those in 2007 too. did he jump to #2? no, because federer and nadal did not roll over and play dead! you have to admit that murray has had a little assistance from djokovic and federer, who didn't bring it when they had to (the worst phase of his career in Fed's case). if you think objectively (and not in terms of numbers and rankings), do you really think murray is the second best player in the world? i would think not, and the rankings should reflect that.

Time will tell. But the early signs are that, regardless of all these variables, Djokovic has both a cunning strategy and a deadly serious intent.

malteser1 , 5/25/09 10:53 AM

I just can't believe that it was you who signed this??!
Anyway, I think you're darn right with this one! Seems like Djoker made his form to peack at FO and wimby! He looks determined too. Yet, there's no guarantee, because somebody can stop him for whatever reason, but it's gonna be hell of the run for that guy!?

only a change in ur prediction Ricky..........Fed over Rafa in 4 sets !!!!! lol

stu, rankings don't lie. You might think Murray is not the 3rd best player in the world right now (I don't want to talk 2nd and get ahead of myself) but others do. There are always variables and factors that add to it no doubt. Djoko last year ended 10 pts behind Fed. While it was a great end for Djoko, it was contributed by the fact that Fed lost a lot of points last year. So Djoko was helped by Fed, yes? We can look at it in many ways but I don't think it's fair to deny the player a ranking because you think he was helped and might not deserve it. Murray did very well leading up to Oz Open and also won Miami so it's not like he's a slouch. Another way to look at Madrid is that Fed won because Djoko helped him. I mean can you always look at things this way? Would it be fair to say Fed didn't deserve that win because Djoko took everything out of Rafa "FOR" Fed - and deny Fed the victory? Whatever, the fact is Fed won and Murray is rising up the ranks. There are so many ways to look at one situation. Ranking is always an interesting topic though. It almost attracts the same emotions as the GOAT discussions :)

stu: you seem to have conveniently forgotten that Andy M was out of competitive tennis for 6 months in 2007. He had a wrist injury and missed RG and Wimbledon. This lack of competitive match practise makes his rise even more spectacular...and deserved!

universon.......hate to burst your bubble honey...but have posted the quote you thought had come from me....here.....

quote....here is an article found from clarabella davis which gives another permeatation on the points system up to the end of the year.....

Time will tell. But the early signs are that, regardless of all these variables, Djokovic has both a cunning strategy and a deadly serious intent. ..........unquote.

this quote was part of the article I posted from clarabella davis....that's not to say that I don't think novak has a chance....he does....but I don't think that he got the fitness to go through to 5 sets......paris is hot right now......

and should he make it to the semis....I think that roger will win.......at least....roger should win and am sure he will do everything he can to do so........

I don't think Wawrinka will make it so far to be honest, yes he's in great form but I don't see it happening. Plus, a hypothetical match Nadal-Verdasco will not be a walk in the park, Nadal could drop a set there... And I agree with imjimmy when he says that Murray could upset Gonzalez (even in straight sets)

you're right homos. tennis is SO exciting right now coz theres so much happening at the top!
i will continue to have reservations about Murray until he does well at a Slam, but if he does get far at the FO i guess im going to have to come around and admit that he deserves to be where he is :)

shireling...have you seen gonzales play right now? He is in destroyer mode!!!!! seriously....when hes on his game he is incredible to watch...I think it will be an interesting match against murray...i think it will come down to mental strength...both guys have the game, but it gonna be a battle of wits..there is also rumour that these two HATE each other.....not sure what the story is there.....but gonzo very spirited and if i had to bet...i think he might just get one over on murray.....

OK stu :) We'll have to wait and see. It's hard to predict. Players lift their games in slams and upsets happen. I think Murray got knocked out first round of AO last year but made finals of USO and did well on HC. Not winning a slam will hang over him and the critics won't rest. Like Jankovic and Safina being no. 1 and being criticized for not winning a slam. It doesn't always seem fair. But I think Murray himself is feeling pressured into winning a slam to prove he belongs in the top 4 - he's the only one of them who hasn't. It's weird isn't it? I'm not a huge fan, I do like his game but I just think the bigger picture should be looked at when judging their performance. He's not that far ahead of Nole so he's not safe at no. 3 anyway.

no malteser1, I haven't seen Gonzalez yet although, judging from the scoreboard, he did dismiss Vanek pretty swiftly... yeap, he can be scary with his forehand but he's much more volatile than Murray. I think if Murray gets a fast head start Gonzalez could crack and give it away. If the opposite thing happens there will be more of a match for sure... (yeah, maybe I'm not acknowledging Gonzalez as he deserves but he just pisses me off when he goes mental during matches.. sorry Gonzo fans out there)

shireling...fair point...but gonzo been smashing rackets for years and it kind of has been accepted for him to do this.....(not saying its right..)....am not a big fan of the murray game tho'......am trying...but so far...unsuccessful...and let's face it...murray has his moments in terms of attitude on court....in rome he was very rude to umpire, swearing on court....even the commentators had to apologise to us...the audience.....for the 'blue remarks'.....they both have firey temperaments but also gonzo seems to have a soft edge in interviews....the hard man on court, but the softie off court..anyways....will be a gritty match thats for sure......

little mosquito won.......ferrero won........hurrayyyyyyyyyy........finally he played to potential.....VAMOS FERRERO!!!!!!!!!!!

Ricky have you heard about Nadal having an injury in his left knee after yesterday's match?

smr: I've heard this rumour too, but that he got it in practise. Can someone in the know please confirm or deny?

Hi Malteser, is that juicy bit true? Murray and Gonzo "Hate" each other? Wouldn't want to be on the bad side of either!! I love watching Gonzo. His ball toss when he serves has a latin flare .....he snaps his fist closed. Wonder if he can tango? hehehe and he's a charmer all right.

True Muzz can be less than charming but I like his spirit and his game is growing on me, his speed and footwork especially.

I have a feeling that Rafa has a 2:0 htoh with Gabashvili, but the ATP website only has 1:0, which was Miami. I'm sure they played on clay this season, can anyone confirm their HtoH, please??

1-0 Nadal

http://www.tennistalk.com/en/headtohead/Teimuraz_Gabashvili_- _Rafael_Nadal

yeah....zoey...was something I read about a year ago? at one of the masters series, I think in cincinatti......can you imagine? two hot heads together? that match is gonna be spicy beyond believe...and gonzo gonna be exercising that smashing racquet wrist.....!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pinky and the Brain over Gabashvili in 3
Hewitt over Golubev in 3
Soderling over Istomin in 3
Ferrer over Kiefer in 4
Davydenko over Junqueira in 3
Wawrinka over Massu in 4
Almagro over Gulbis in 4
Verdasco over Petzschner in 3
Murray over Starace in 3
Tipsarevic over Lopez in 4
Stepanek over Montcourt in 3
Cilic over Sela in 4
Gonzalez over Machado in 3
Safin over Ouanna in 4
Youzhny over Hanescu in 4
Simon over Kendrick in 3

peter bodo had tipped montanes to reach the semis..lollz

Pinky and the Brain to take over the world!

Murray and Gonzo practiced together on Tuesday.

So i highly doubt they "hate" each other!

I don't think they hate each other malteser where did you hear/read this rumour?

ricky...remi......a year ago at cincinnati masters....i thought at first the commentators were talking about del potro and murray (but that was another story)....it was defo gonzales and murray.....apparently there had been a 'altercation' between them and the commentators said 'no love lost between murray and gonzo'....unless they got it wrong????? but I just remember their reporting......if they practised together, then obviously they kissed and made up?

Yes... definitely andy Murray have ill-feeling against JMDP... JMDP spoke badly about his mother but I saw the vid on YT and Andy was acing like a child. WHy is Murray not hyped this time of the year?

When will he win a GS? I dont think if he goes down to his old losing mentality self he will get his momentum back like right now. I watched his matches and his winners are seldom spectacular. I don't know but his tennis is even more boring than Nadal and I thought that wasn't possible.

malteser - they WERE talking about DP and Murray, NOT Gonzo and Murray.

torres - Murray isnt hyped this time of year because he isnt any good on clay, plus he's being overshadowed by an on-fire Djokovic

no...ricky...i know about delpo...this was gonzo.....defo......obviously they must have made up if in practice together.....

gotta say the commentating on euro sports is absolute P-A-N-T-S....as soon as murray lost a game, they were writing him off......am not a big fan but thought they were really unfair and completely OVER THE TOP.....God help murray when wimbledon arrives.......

Hmmm, I never heard that - I was at cincy last year, but who knows? That is kinda where I lost that lovin' feeling for Murray - he was a bit of a jerk on the practice court. (Not to me, but well, let's just say Cincy is in America.)

Anywho, I'm still obsessing about Adam Lambert....can't quite get into the tennis, altho Marat is fighting hard right now, and Maria is BACK! Can't wait to see Fed...I guess I'll have to tape it - heading to Savannah tomorrow.

Rafterfan!!!!!!! Help.....I am over on another post digging myself a grave! But I can't help it!

What's the antidote for Lambert? I don't know. The other guy got some major
sympathy votes.

Watching Venus and ESPN2 promises more tennis!

What sre your thoughts on Federer lately?

Rafterfan, Adam will be just fine. Maria played so well today. She looked thoroughly overjoyed and a little surprised to win today!

May I dare to think, predict or whatever that Murray might have a problem with Tipsy. You know that Tipsy can be very unpredictable.

zikili: as a Murray fan I can only shake my head, sigh and say "so can Murray. so can Murray!"

zikili,

wrong. Tipsy is very predictable: he has 5 wins of last 7 matches against top 10!!
He almost slaughtered Federer at AO 08, remember??

If Murray survives tipsy, he will go deep in this FO. However, I doubt it.

murray played a poor match yesterday.....some of the shots he was returning were no better than a 9 yr old....weird to see him play that way....I don't know alot about tipsy......but Murray is not a natural on clay tho' he through to next round...one round better than he did last year.......but you never know what's gonna happen......all about mental strength and to be fair to murray...he pulled back bigtime yesterday....third set he was 1:5 down, and then went on to win 7:5....incredible....all about self-belief....if Tipsy has that self-belief than murray in trouble....

Hey Ricky, what do you think about Murray-Tipsy?

murray aint losing to tipsy........it can be close but murray shud win......nd if he doesnt,then he really is no good to be world no 3

If Nole loses a match anytime from now on, would he also be unfit to be world no. 4 and same for Rafa's no. 1 and Fed's no. 2 positions? A bit unfair...

losing to #64 in the grandest stage of all.....i.e french open isnt good for murray HOMOS.....fed,nadal,nole......all these havent lost to an unseeded player ever in a grand slam........if murray does want to join their ranks then he has to beat these guys......

zikili, Ricky already stated on another thread (i think Murray's R2 match report) that there is no way Tipsy can beat Murray :)

Power rankings for the last 34....in order:

1) Rafael Nadal ? The world No. 1, of course, did not lose a set in either of his first two matches. His left knee could be a minor issue and he has not been utterly dominant like he sometimes is, but his form should be more than good enough to win French Open number five.

2) Novak Djokovic ? Djokovic dominated his first-round match and led Sergiy Stakhovsky 6-3, 6-4 when play was halted due to darkness on Thursday. The Serb is showing no signs of slowing down after his remarkable start to the clay-court season.

3) Fernando Verdasco ? Verdasco has decimated two straight opponents. The Spaniard, who has reached at least the quarterfinals of every tournament he has entered this season, would have a serious shot at either the semis or the final if he wasn?t in Nadal?s quarter of the draw.

4) Fernando Gonzalez ? Gonzo was in awesome form earlier in the clay-court swing, but he flew under the radar heading into the French because he missed the previous two weeks with an alleged ankle injury. Nobody is sleeping on the Chilean now after he raced through his first two foes in warp speed.

5) Roger Federer ? The 13-time Grand Slam champion rode a wave of momentum into Paris from his win over Nadal in Madrid, but he has done little to inspire confidence so far this week. Before storming back to oust unseeded Jose Acasuso, Federer spilt sets with the Argentine and trailed 5-1 in the third.

6) Juan Martin Del Potro ? Del Potro upset nemesis Andy Murray in the Madrid quarterfinals and he is showing no signs of looking back this week. The 20-year-old Argentine dismantled world No. 32 Viktor Troicki in the second round.

7) Gael Monfils ? A surprise semifinalist last year at Roland Garros, Monfils was doubtful to even participate in this event due to knee tendinitis. Not only is he participating, but he has also been dominant through his first two rounds. The French crowd and the soft clay courts could be enough for another Monfils miracle.

8) Jo-Wilfried Tsonga ? Another crowd favorite, Tsonga had never won a match at the French Open prior to this season. He has already won two this week, including a huge second-round victory over Juan Monaco, arguably the most dangerous unseeded player in the entire draw.

9) Andy Murray ? Murray has accomplished little on clay throughout his career, and reaching the third round here is already a solid result for him. Obviously he is expected to go a lot further, but he almost didn?t even make it this far. In round two, Murray was tied with Potito Starace at one set apiece and trailed 5-1 in the third before mounting a charge.

10) Andy Roddick ? On clay? Yep. An American is through to the third round of the French Open. In related, Hell froze over today. In all seriousness, though, Roddick has even looked good doing it. Thanks in part to a favorable draw, Roddick has not even lost a single set!

11) Stanislas Wawrinka ? Unlike his gold medal-winning doubles partner (Federer), Wawrinka prefers clay to any other surface. The Swiss survived a five-setter in round one, but is heading into a third-round showdown with Nikolay Davydenko after absolutely destroying Nicolas Massu.

12) Nikolay Davydenko ? The former world No. 3 missed most of the season prior to the clay-court swing with a foot injury, but he is back in business now. Still, dropping a set to little-known Diego Junqueira in the second round is nothing to write home about.

13) David Ferrer ? Ferrer opened his French Open campaign by dismissing talented clay-courter Frederico Gil in straight sets, but he had to go to five with Nicolas Kiefer in round two. Kiefer is a solid veteran, but Ferrer has no business going five sets with him on clay.

14) Robin Soderling ? Soderling makes a living off blowing out players whom he is expected to beat, but he rarely beats the top guns. The Swede did what was expected of him in rounds one and two, but is in a quarter of the draw with Nadal, Ferrer, Verdasco, Davydenko, and Wawrinka.

15) Gilles Simon ? The highest-seeded Frenchman in Paris, Simon had been slumping prior to his arrival at the French Open. He almost made a quick exit, too, but survived Wayne Odesnik in five sets before having a much easier time of it with another American, Robert Kendrick.

16) Marin Cilic ? Cilic is more at home on faster surfaces, but the 6?6?? Croat is surprisingly adept on the slow stuff. He has not come remotely close to losing a set through two rounds.

17) Tommy Robredo ? A rock-solid veteran who is especially stellar on clay, Robredo advanced to round three probably without breaking a sweat. He should be able to dispatch Maximo Gonzalez with ease before running into Djokovic.

18) Paul-Henri Mathieu ? Once perceived as one of France?s next great hopes, Mathieu is now overshadowed by the likes of Tsonga, Monfils, and Simon. After two blowouts, Mathieu unfortunately now goes up against Federer.

19) Janko Tipsarevic ? After leading Serbia to a title at last week?s World Team Championships, Tipsarevic has already scored two impressive victories at Roland Garros. He surprised clay-court specialist Albert Montanes in round one and then sent Feliciano Lopez packing.

20) Lleyton Hewitt ? Hewitt went down two sets to love against Ivo Karlovic in the first round, but he has since won six straight sets. He?s about to lose three straight, however, with Nadal looming.

21) Nicolas Almagro ? Almagro dismissed Ernests Gulbis, a quarterfinalist at last year?s French Open, in four sets to reach round three. Gulbis, however, has been an embarrassment to tennis this season so it?s hard to treat that as a good win.

22) Radek Stepanek ? Has anyone even noticed that he reached the third round? Well, maybe it?s a good thing that he did it so quietly. Cilic, however, should be too tough for him on clay.

23) Josselin Ouanna ? He will surely go down to Gonzalez in the third round, but Ouanna is the new arrival of this tournament no matter what. The 23-year-old Frenchman upset clay-court specialist Marcel Granollers in his opener before shocking Marat Safin in a five-set epic.

24) Maximo Gonzalez ? With wins over Mardy Fish, who is actually decent on clay, and Andreas Seppi, who is very good on clay, Gonzalez is enjoying by far the best result of his professional career.

25) Jurgen Melzer ? It?s hard to tell if Melzer is playing well based on two wins over unimposing opponents. He will have to be playing out-of-this world tennis to even stay on a clay-court with Monfils.

26) Jeremy Chardy ? One of the lesser-known Frenchman, Chardy made a shocking fourth-round appearance last year in Paris. He has already done well to reach to make a return trip to round three after ousting tough customer Simone Bolelli in a five-set second-rounder.

27) Tommy Haas ? The veteran German has dispatched two unseeded foes, but he needed five sets to get past little-known Leonardo Mayer.

28) Victor Hanescu ? A straight-set victory over Mikhail Youzhny in round two is a very impressive result. Simon is beatable in the third round, but probably not on clay.

29) Marc Gicquel ? Gicquel has simply capitalized on being in a section of the draw that is absolutely atrocious. Give him credit, but don?t give him a ton of credit unless he stuns Roddick.

30) Juan Carlos Ferrero ? The former world No. 1 and 2003 French Open championship pulled off a considerable upset over an in-form Ivan Ljubicic. It took five sets, and now Ferrero is tied up at two sets apiece with Philipp Kohlschreiber heading into a darkness-suspended match.

31) Christophe Rochus ? Third round of a Grand Slam is a great result for Rochus, who took out both Fabrice Santoro and Arnaud Clement in four sets. He won?t, however, get past a third consecutive Frenchman (Tsonga).

32) Igor Andreev ? Dealing with an abdominal strain heading into the French Open, Andreev has already endured two five-setters. He will be lucky to get one set off Del Potro.

33) Philipp Kohlschreiber ? Kohlschreiber basically got a first-round bye, drawing teenager Bernard Tomic in round one. The German must outlast Ferrero in order to make his trip to Paris a relatively successful one.

34) Sergiy Stakhovsky ? He?s down to sets to Djokovic. That means about thirty more minutes until he is out of the tournament.

Have you always been so humorous, Ricky?

After yesterday's abysmal performance, Shankstar doesn't merit top 5 status no matter how you slice it. He won that match because Acasuso didn't believe HE could win. So, I think delPo deserves to be in the top 5. Hell, rank Tsonga above Shankstar as well for the greatness he bestowed upon us today. Wuz loving the forehands. But Shanx should be ranked right around Andy (Roddick, that is). Until he gets his act together...

""His left knee could be a minor issue and he has not been utterly dominant like he sometimes is""

Ricky: Is this really true? Does Nadal have knee problems once again? Pity. I agree that he's not been as good as usual. But I'm not sure that it's physical. He's had some issues throughout the clay season w.r.t his tennis.

ricky...what's the take on terminology in relation to 'seeded' players? example...in your point 5) on federer..you say Acasuso is 'unseeded'...Does 'seeded No.45' in ATP rankings not count? and also No.8)...Tsonga where you refer to Monaco as 'unseeded'...isn't he No. 68? If they are above 32..does it 'not' count?

grand slam seedings are different.........the top 32 players are called seeded....nyone beyond that is unseeded.........i might be wrong,but in a grand slam only the top 32 are called seeded!

I agree with tennisdeva. Federer does not deserve the top 5. How could he, after that dismal 2nd round performance. He should change places with Roddick at # 10!

malteser - you are confusing rankings with seedings!

vrael is correct, GSs have only 32 players seeded. I may be wrong but they are not necessarily always the TOP 32 players in ranking. It can depend on their performance on that surface though they tend not be outrageous of course, it's usually close to rankings.
malteser, they are given a seedings to aford them some level of protection in the slam in hope they don't get knocked out too early.

remi - only Wimbledon does not go STRICTLY by the rankings

I should explain by protection I meant so the best players don't meet each other early.

Ricky I WAS thinking of Wimbledon where I know in the past some top ranked Spaniards weren't even given a seed or a very low seed because of its unique surface. I remember some boycotted Wimb in protest (I'm trying to remember if it's Corretja's time). Do the other 3 slams follow the rankings when allocating seeds than?

yes, the other 3 slams go exactly according to rank

yeah, all kinds of Spaniards used to boycott, some still do. But they did it because they just didn't want to play...and had to come up with an excuse. They all knew they had no chance of winning any matches. So rather than get embarrassed, they said they were boycotting and went off to play clay-court challenger events.

Thank you for the power rankings they make a good read. But I think Federer should be ranked #3 at least no matter how bad he played against Acasuso.

thanks for clarifying ricky....

its all happening here at rg.......i cudnt imagine this in my wildest dreams:VENUS WILLIAMS BAGELLED!!!!

federer (in theory) has now got a really, really road to the final. am slightly worried for rafa now. federer wants this so much and now he hasnt even got djoko in his way

C'MON THE FED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

game by game, match by match....more aggression and self-belief please roger.....!!!!!!!!!!C'MON.......................!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Don't worry Sib69. Fed still would have to face either an on-fire Tsonga or Monfils (with a the French crowd behind them) or Roddick, who is going for broke and playing his heart out! But then again, after the Nole upset, who's to say Haas won't beat Fed?

Now that Djokovic's out, I don't think anything can stop Federer. For parts of today's match, Federer played like Roger of the old. When Federer's on song, there's NO one that can stop him. Except for one man. He wears a pink shirt :)

fan4tennis...so great to read your positive comments about fed A-G-A-I-N...don't you E-V-E-R get tired..................??????!!!!!!!!!!

A great day for all fedfans.........

Allllezzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Fedeeerrreeerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My comments to Sib69 were the truth. Do you have a problem with that?

f4t: thanks for your comments :) i reckon a match with tsonga or monfils could potentially go to 5 sets, unless fed goes out there firing on all cylinders

on another note: how ace is it to see roddick into the second week? am happy he's finally he can actually play ok on clay, even if he has got a ridiculously easy draw as Ricky says

not at all fft..its always a pleasure to read your awe-inspiring posts....

imjimmy..well said mate..when roger his on song..he is the 2ND best on clay!!! only the miracle man from monacor can and will stop him...5th rafa-roger meeting at RG and 4th final...abt to cum!

It is great Sib69! I've always liked AR and he holds no illusions about getting this far at RG. That's why I think he will go for broke (he has nothing to lose!) and play hard! His presser on the RG site was funny, humble, and honest. Check it out!

Hey f4tennis just saw AR presser and i am growing to respect him more and more. He speaks the truth about his limits (particularly on clay) without beating round the bush, making excuses or pretending they arent what they are. Something that i respect in players especially Nadal and AR they know they have limits and faults and are willing to except that they have them.....that they are not perfect. They accept there faults and work on them and it seems to be working well for both, as they have both added and developed there game especially Nadal which some people do not seem to acknowledge. Andy Roddick might not make it deep into the tournament (might most likely loose his next match lol). But i think he has done a fantastic job of getting to the stage he did.

Sib69, F4T and TD: I agree with you guys. I read that press cover of ARod. Was very impressed. He's always been honest imo, sometimes too honest. I always liked him but his spat last year about Nole at USO left a bad taste in my mouth. But I'm starting to like him again...cautiously :)
Agree with TD that he and Nadal have made a lot of improvements and still acknowledge they are not perfect. I like that they both don't get ahead of themselves. It's the best way to keep learning and improving, and keep themselves well grounded about their limitations.

anyone got a link to roddicks presser? i've always liked him. he makes me laugh how he's just completely honest about the fact fed can kick his ass. i think his best line was "yeah, we (him and fed) have a great time. always a laugh in the locker room... when i try to push him over and injure him"

HAHAHAHAHA very funny quote sib69

http://www.rolandgarros.com/en_FR/news/articles/2009-05-30/20 0905301243688852578.html.

This however is not the full thing but i loved what he said in the quote.

who wants to bet on the next top seed to fall in Paris?

Murray will be the next to fall... no doubt about it.

Roger has the best chance of his life now. I hope he takes it. Even if Soderling keeps this level up and ends up in the final, it is the particulars of the Nadal-Federer matchup on clay that have lowered his chances.

BTW, Bodo managed to spin this as half-predicted by him! That is, he had "predicted" that we wouldn't get a Federer-Nadal final...

I'm still in shock and don't know whether I can bear to watch the second week...this week was with full of dramas already.

True fuzz, but Bodo had predicted that it would be the FEDERER part that would be missing not the other way around. The FED should remain focused. One game at a time. I'm not so much interested in predictions. Everyone's predictions have gone down the drain already. I see Ricky now believes Roger will WIN RG. What matters is Roger has to go out playing it one game at a time, have FUN doing it, last but not least BELIEVE, just keep BELIEVING in himself. Go Roger go! Aller Roger! Aller!

Had to pop over to say Hi Sky. What a ride this FO has become! Gonna try and sleep early so I can listen to some match tomorrow morning. Keep Believing!

Roddick over Monfils in 5. Andy is hungry, been on a supermodel diet, cranky and the crowd won't bother him!

Of course, I want the Fed v Roddick match

I always thought Soderling got too much bad rap for the Wimbledon 2007 imitation incident. At the same time I knew that there may have been more to it than that, from the past, since Rafa clearly has an issue with the guy and Rafa doesn't have issues with anyone.

But now I just found this. Check this out. It is from previous match of Soderling Nadal in Rome 2009. It shows why Soderling is a total jerk:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CnX6k0snxA
you won't believe what you see.

Fuzz

I cant believe what i just saw this guy is unbelievable such a cheat and a liar i cant believe what he tried to do. Does he think his oppponant, Umpire and the crowd are stupid and blind??????
GOD.........AHHHHHHHH. I could have taken any loss to anyone but this guy it does make it worse. GOD why him why such a cheat and a nasty guy. Lord help Nadal he might feel worse for loosing to this guy than for the actual loss.

its strange that u guys didnt see this during the match????.......i saw this during the live coverage of the match actually.....nd sod really is no angel..far from it!!!

Vrael

Simple reason i did not see it was because i did not watch the match. I have had courseworks and exams that i had to do and prepare for. I was pretty busy for the past month and a half.

So suprised and the guy had the audacity to argue with that guy. Please God show no mercy on this guy tomorrow and let Daveydenko take him out in 3 straight easy sets. Just to show that he is a one hit wonder. lol

If life has ever a justice,this disgusting guy should lose to Davydenko tomorrow.Let's just hope and pray!!! He doesn't deserve anything!!

Nadal always lose to these type of devillish player. Like Berdych was really bad and beat Rafa 3 times. Maybe Rafa's focus is put off by feeling annoyed with the player on the other side of the court.

Is Fernando Gonz really suffering from a virus? Oh please don't let it be true!

Where did u here this stu. You must be kidding me!!!
Can this tournamnet get any worse???? (Yes Soderling wins RG...lol.....that..... would be a joke a very sick one at that.)

Still just a rumor on tennis-x.com. He did withdraw from the doubles QF tho.

I can see the headlines already, Andy Murray wins first Grand Slam on CLAY!

My prediction:
Davydenko over Soderling in 3
Gonzalez over Murray in 4
Fed over Monfils in 4
DelPo over Robredo in 5

Davydenko over Gonzales in 5
Fed over DelPo in 3

Fed over Davydenko in 4!!!!!!! ROGER TAKES RG

I think Fed is gonna meet Murray and if he beats Monflis it will be 5 sets.

I reckon that Murray is going to win the tournament. As unlikely as it seemed a couple of weeks ago, he is showing definate improvement on clay, and whilst he will be never be the claycourter Nadal is, the draw is opening up for him. If Haas can take Fed to 5 sets, Murray can definately beat Fed.

Oi you two! imjimmy's predictions were hard enough to cope with, without you now making them! Us Murray maniacs have been living on our nerves for the WHOLE of the clay court season!! Think what that must be like. One match at a time please. I personally don't think Andy M will fulfill his real potential till 2010/11. Waving from behind two sofas....

I like Murray's chances too. It may come down to who wants it more and just who is that little bit more hungry - french fanatic crowd aside. If he meets Fed, Fed will want RG after letting it slip 3-4 times and Murray will want to get that monkey off his back. That's a ssumng the two even meet.

Murray? really? Am I the only person on TT who thinks that if Murray somehow manages to get past Gonzalez (because he is sick or injured or something), RSod (who just thrashed Davyd) will beat him. If by some miracle he makes it to the final Federer will _definitely_ win the title. Credit to him for getting this far, but I believe that his only impressive match so far has been against Cilic, and you have to be incredibly lucky to WIN a grand slam playing the way he has so far.

Playing the way he does, he's got to be incredibly lucky to have a decent H2H against a great player like Roger, make the finals of USO, win ?3-4 titles this year incl a Masters and move from no. 4 to 3 after being out half of 2007 from injury? Everyone has luck but please give SOME credit where it's due. Gonzo and Tsonga have each made 1 GS final (AO), they must play bad and be lucky too? You just don't like Murray? Is that it because that would normal.

Jean, I'm talking about this tournament.

Predictions is out of the window. THere is no way of predicting anymore. There's no way anybody will bet on Soderling to win against Nadal and Davy. Who put $100 on Soderling getting to the SF will probably get $10000 now.

I dunno what to expect from tomorrow's match between Fed and Monflis. Ricky can u update your predictions once again?

A humble request for all of you...

Watching quarterfinals without commentary on ESPN 360 is a great option! I am now watching Murray-Gonzales and it is great to just focus on the tennis without commentary. I really appreciate good commentary too, but sometimes it is nice

I really appreciate great commentary sometimes, but other times I just want that near-court experience of just seeing them play and listening to the action, without any distractions.

It is so nice that ESPN offers both options right now. (In contrast, in some early rounds they had some awful commentary, worth muting and missing the ball hit sounds). I am so happy they are doing this. tennistv.com was also doing the same during some (but not all) matches in the last few tournaments.

A REQUEST: IF YOU TENNIS FANS AGREE, PLEASE EMAIL ESPN 360 (and tennistv.com) THANKING THEM FOR THIS OPTION. URGING THEM TO KEEP IT THROUGH THE FINALS AND IN FUTURE COVERAGES. I USED A FEEDBACK ON THE BOTTOM LEFT OF THE ESPN PLAYER MYSELF.

Ricky, if you agree on this, maybe you could promote such a campaign with a post. It would have a lot of following.

hahah...just re read the predictions .....it cracks me up.

lolzzzz.........Fedexfan...........it does cracks me up.........

M extremely happy at the result of FO !!!! Fed is a man to love ........love u Roger !!!!!

Go Roger Go...........

The hindsight is always 20/20. The predictions are based on the form and ranking. If not for a few freak matches, the predictions held up well.