Ricky Dimon

• Indian Wells quarterfinal expert picks

  2010-03-18 19:19:09
  

  
  Masters Series events are back, and so too are expert picks! We’ll be picking the rest of the way in Indian Wells, starting with Cheryl and Ricky going head-to-head with the quarterfinals.

   

  Juan Monaco vs. Ivan Ljubicic
  
  Cheryl - In a tournament filled with unwelcome upsets, Pico Monaco remains one of the few pleasant surprises. When he's not injured (which is sadly far too common), he has an absolutely delightful game to watch. I'd like to be able to pick him for the win here, but I think ol' Ljubicic is going to pull it out. Is it just me, or does this guy just come out of nowhere when he's playing well? Even when he was No. 3 in the world, it seemed that way. Anyway, he's hitting the ball a TON right now. Ljubicic 7-6, 6-4
  
  Ricky – Ivan Ljubicic is a Masters Series quarterfinal MACHINE. He reached four of them last year and basically did nothing else the entire rest of the season. Now the question is can he get over the hump and get into a semifinal? He has a favorable draw against Monaco, who advanced out of Marin Cilic’s part of the draw. Still, Monaco is playing well and Ljubicic’s win over an out-of-form Novak Djokovic is overrated. I think Monaco will out-fight Ljubicic and advance with a 6-7(4), 6-4, 6-3 victory.

   

  Rafael Nadal vs. Tomas Berdych
  
  Cheryl - This is the one everyone will be watching for. Rafa back off injury and facing down an old rival he once called a "very bad man" - good stuff indeed at the Tennis Garden. I'm expecting Nadal to come away with this win. Yes, Berdych is playing well, but so is Rafa. And frankly, Rafa's "well" is better than Berdych's "well". I liked what I saw from Nadal against Isner - plus, Berdych hasn't beaten Nadal since 2006. Nadal to win - 6-3, 4-6, 6-2.
  
  Ricky – I hate on Berdych quite often, and why not? He has been wasting his talent for many years now, beating up on lesser players and completing imploding against any and all of the top guys in the world. In Indian Wells, however, he has been beating up on those lesser opponents even worse than usual. Does that mean he is ready to take down Nadal? He has a chance if he keeps this pace up, but I don’t think so. Nadal is looking good after wins over Schuettler, Ancic, and big John. Nadal for a 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 win.

   

  Andy Murray vs. Robin Soderling

   

  Cheryl - This has all the potential to be a great match - but it could also be the worst quarterfinal stinker in the whole bunch. Basically, it all depends on which Andy Murray shows up. When he's playing well, Murray is difficult to hit off the court - and that's the only way Soderling knows how to win. Murray hits a lot of junk balls, he mixes up the pace and basically doesn't give players like Soderling anything to work with. But when Murray's playing badly, he camps out behind the baseline and plays defensive tennis. Maybe his 7 straight games against Almagro will have given the Scot confidence. I'm going out on a limb and saying Murray to win 3-6, 7-6(4), 6-4.
  
  Ricky – Soderling is like a rich man’s Berdych. Every now and then he actually scores a big win (monumental win if we’re talking about last year’s French Open). Still, he does not do it on a consistent basis and his win over Tsonga is almost as overrated as Ljubicic’s over Djokovic. Murray is has not been spectacular in Indian Wells, but Soderling will see a return of serve that he has not seen in a while. The Scot is going to make his opponent hit too many balls, so he will pull out a hard-fought victory. Murray FTW 7-6(5), 3-6, 6-4.

   

  Tommy Robredo vs. Andy Roddick
  
  Cheryl - This was supposed to have been Roger Federer vs. Andy Roddick in the Wimbledon final redux. Sadly for tournament directors, it was not to be. Federer was upset by Baghdatis, and then Baghdatis was upset by an ailing Tommy Robredo (who looked like he was going to toss up his dinner at any moment on Wednesday night). All of this is good news for Roddick though. The lone American left in the draw would have to mess up terribly for Robredo to get this win. And with the crowd behind him, I can't imagine that happening. Roddick for the straight-set win 6-4, 6-2.

   

  Ricky – Roddick was supposed to be the pigeon in this one (against Federer). Instead, he gets his biggest pigeon on tour in the form of Robredo, against whom he is 10-0 lifetime. What’s to say Robredo will actually buck the trend this time around? Well, actually, the Spaniard was sensational against Baghdatis, overcoming a stomach bug for an improbable win. Unfortunately, this is not the setting in which Robredo is going to be able to handle Roddick’s serve. This will be tougher than it usually is for the American, but he should prevail. Roddick 7-6(5), 7-5.

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