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2010-04-30 06:16:10
Expert picks are here to stay through the remainder of the Rome Masters. Friday's version features a blockbuster quarterfinal lineup. Join the fun for a chance to be a guest picker for the semifinals and/or final!
Ernests Gulbis vs. Feliciano Lopez
Richard "Gasquet" Dimon: Gulbis spent two hours and 42 minutes on the court against Filipp Volandri on Thursday, while Lopez's "match" with Ivan Ljubicic last zero minutes and zero seconds. Having also upset Roger Federer, Gulbis is coming off two emotional victories. On clay, though, he will still have enough left in the tank to get past a hard-court loving Spaniard. Gulbis 7-6(3), 7-5.
Cheryl "Andy" Murray: If Gulbis could have picked somebody out of the top quarter to played in the QFs, Lopez might just have been it. The Spaniard has a...well...we'll call it a weak backhand side - Gulbis should be able to exploit it with the way he's been playing this week. I'm calling for a first-ever Masters semifinal for the Latvian. Gulbis 6-4, 6-2.
Cheryl: You'd never know it by the scoreline, but Rafael Nadal hasn't had an easy draw in Rome. Kohlschrieber and Hanescu played QUITE well, but Nadal is in clay god mode right now. Wawrinka is a good clay-courter too - but with Nadal at as close to 100% as I've seen him in a couple of years, Wawrinka will be lucky to get four games a set. Nadal 6-4, 6-2.
Cheryl: The surface in Rome is as conducive to Tsonga's game as any clay court can be...but I have a feeling that even the relatively quick court isn't going to be enough of a help against Ferrer. The Spaniard has already put the beatdown on Murray this week - and now it's Tsonga's turn. Ferrer 7-5, 6-4.
Cheryl: I want this to be a good match, or at any rate better than their last one which Verdasco won 6-2, 6-2 a couple of weeks ago in Monte Carlo. The good news for Nole fans is that he's playing much better in Rome than he did in MC. Added to that, Verdasco actually had a bit of a rough time of it against Guillermo Garcia-Lopez. Djokovic 7-5, 6-3.
Kelli: Verdasco showed signs of wear in his round of 16 with Garcia-Lopez, and I'm not convinced he has a lot left in the tank. He's played a lot of matches over the past few weeks; certainly he's feeling the effects. Djokovic wasn't at 100% in Monte-Carlo but seems to be feeling fine this week. Won't be easy, but a more consistent world No. 2 in three. Djokovic 6-7(2), 6-3, 6-2.
Tell a friend »
yesterday i was too much adventurous..
today i will stick to the basics..
nadal 6-3, 6-2
verdasco 3-6, 6-4, 6-3
ferrer 6-4, 7-5
@ruicky..
why is gulbis, lopez match not included??
clayking , 4/30/10 6:50 AM
gulbis lopez match is thr??
did my eyes go blind???
sorry for the confusion ricky..
well gulbis 3-6, 7-5, 6-4
clayking , 4/30/10 6:58 AM
djokovic 6-3 7-5
ferrer 7-5 6-3
nadal 6-3 6-4
gulbis 6-4 7-5
mriiidula , 4/30/10 7:21 AM
djokovic 6-3 6-7 6-4
ferrer 6-4 6-2
nadal 6-4 6-1
Lopez 6-4 5-7 6-4
Rachit , 4/30/10 7:27 AM
lopez 7-5 2-6 6-4
nadal 6-4 6-3
ferrer 6-4 2-6 6-3
djokovic 6-2 3-6 6-3
iMaFaN , 4/30/10 7:31 AM
verdasco 6-4,6-7,6-3
ferrer 6-4,6-4
nadal 6-4,6-3
gulbis 6-3,7-6
vrael , 4/30/10 7:32 AM
Lopez 6-4, 2-6, 6-4
Nadal 6-1, 6-1
Ferrer 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-4
Verdasco 6-4, 6-3
Raindrops , 4/30/10 8:04 AM
Lol, the nicks are too funny this week.
Not sure why, but I'm having doubts about the Djokovic/Verdasco match. Someone emailed me and said his shoulder is hurting. Zero clue about the reliability of that claim...guess we'll see in a few hours.
Kelli , 4/30/10 8:04 AM
@Kelli, the rumour about his shoulder started circulating the day this tournament started. But he hasn't confirmed it, so..maybe its just a rumour? Anyway, i hope he's all fit - i wanna see a nadal-djokovic final.
mriiidula , 4/30/10 8:22 AM
I find it strange that folks are picking such an easy scoreline for Nadal against Wawrinka.
To be sure, Wawrinka is a "better" version of Hanescu: better serving, far better backhand, better return of serve and better movement. Hanescu did NOT exploit Nadal's rather weak second serve, but Wawrinka sure will. And he will step in and hit his backhand ferociously.
My prediction: Wawrinka wins 7-6, 7-5
Just Kidding : Nadal wins 7-5, 7-6 ( It could be a tough match and Nadal may even loose a set)
Side Note: It's too bad that Nadal is facing the "wrong" Swiss. He would have loved to settle some scores here.
imjimmy , 4/30/10 9:19 AM
Gulbis 6-3, 7-5
Nadal 6-3, 6-4
Ferrer 6-4, 5-7, 6-4
Djokovic 6-4, 6-2
Champion7 , 4/30/10 9:29 AM
Picking with my heart - La Armada Sails!
Verdasco 7-6, 6-4
Ferrer 7-5, 6-4
Nadal 6-4,6-4
Lopez 7-6, 6-3
Ramara , 4/30/10 9:39 AM
love the nicknames :D
i'm picking what i want to happen, rather than what i think will :P
lopez in 3 - 5-7 6-4 6-3
rafa in 2 6-4 6-2
ferrer in 7-6 6-2
nando in 3 6-7 7-6 6-3
yes... all spaniards in the semis. hahaha
Sib69 , 4/30/10 10:06 AM
Djokovic 7-5 4-6 6-2
Gulbis 6-4 6-3
Nadal 6-4 7-5
Ferrrer 6-3 0-6 6-4
tj600 , 4/30/10 10:08 AM
Djokovic 64 57 63
Gulbis 63 76
Nadal 62 63
Ferrer 75 75
Jyocka , 4/30/10 10:16 AM
My heart says: Djko, Tsonga, Gulbis, Rafa. My head says: Verdasco, Ferrer, Gulbis, Rafa. Not attempting scores!
deuce , 4/30/10 10:20 AM
Nole 7-5, 7-5
Ferrer 6-4, 7-5
Rafa 6-3, 6-3
Gulbis 3-6, 7-5, 6-2
luckystar , 4/30/10 10:31 AM
True Wawrinka has a beautiful one-hand-backhand and it works well to those flat ball strikers with less spin applied to it and to almost none. Rafa will break that backhand down just like he normally does with Roger.
Raindrops , 4/30/10 10:41 AM
Veradasco 6-4 6-4
Ferrer - 6-4 7-5
Rafa 6-2 6-1
Gulbis 4-6 6-2 6-4
janadevchp , 4/30/10 10:43 AM
djokovic 7-5 7-6
ferrer 7-5 6-4
rafa 6-3 6-2
lopez 7-6 3-6 7-6
vamosrafa , 4/30/10 11:54 AM
Nadal 6-4 6-3
Ferrer 7-5 6-3
Lopez 3-6 6-4 7-6(3)
Verdasco 6-4 6-4
vmk1 , 4/30/10 12:36 PM
Nadal 6-2,6-4
Ferrer 6-4,5-7,6-3
Gulbis 7-5,5-7,6-4
Djoker 6-4,4-6,6-3
chr18 , 4/30/10 1:00 PM
Gulbis 6-3 7-6
Ferrer 6-4 6-4
Rafa 6-4 7-5 (come on, Wawa's a fighter!)
Novak 6-4 6-2
stu , 4/30/10 1:00 PM
My completely irrelevant prediction...
Nole 6:4,6:3...I am from Serbia....
Wawrinka 7-6,7-5...I live in Geneva...
Tsonga 6-4,6-4....I live 1km from France...
Gulbis 6-3,6-4...so yes, no spaniards in sf :-)
(Basicaly I had chosen winners to make Nole's road to victory easiest possible )
zare , 4/30/10 1:09 PM
zare: that's funny. But I do sincerely hope none of them, apart from the first one, come true. I think a lot of us are hoping for a Nadal-Nole final.
ed251137 , 4/30/10 1:20 PM
This is a pretty HOT looking list of quarter-finalists ... yikes!
smr , 4/30/10 1:38 PM
ED....as I said...it's more wish list then real prediction. :-)
Of course Rafa will be there in finale...
...but I like Wawa... can you imagine... so good player and never N01 in his own country... eternally in shadow... HUGE shadow!!!
zare , 4/30/10 1:57 PM
imjimmy - Wawrinka isnt any kind of "version" of Hanescu!
RickyDimon , 4/30/10 2:40 PM
Well at the rate this first match is going we will still be playing today's schedule ... tomorrow.
smr , 4/30/10 4:22 PM
Yep...Nando just won!!!!
Monalysa , 4/30/10 4:38 PM
Congrats to all who picked Nando to win!!
grafight , 4/30/10 5:04 PM
Vamos Fernando!
mara002 , 4/30/10 5:19 PM
Watching Ferrer-Tsonga now. David leads 4-3 on the first. No breaks yet but Tsonga is already losing his nerves.
grafight , 4/30/10 5:22 PM
Yeaaaaayyy!!Nando won once again!! Brilliant efforts for the last 3 weeks.. would love to see him in the final.. (if he is through to the final, and meets Rafa, hopefully he wins..It's the time for revenge!!)
GoldenRose , 4/30/10 5:27 PM
Hey, can I get credit for picking Ver in two sets in the first match? I didn't recognize that second set as anything resembling ATP level tennis.
Ferrer takes the first set 6-4.
Ramara , 4/30/10 5:38 PM
valid point, ramara...sadly, i dont think so.
cherylmurray , 4/30/10 6:15 PM
Spanish Armada half way there.
smr , 4/30/10 6:23 PM
I got the Wawa-Rafa set 1 prediction right. Now go Wawa!
stu , 4/30/10 7:17 PM
La Armada is 75% of the way there!
Nadal, of course! 6-4 6-1
Stan did look scary good much of the way through the first set.
Ramara , 4/30/10 8:03 PM
Rafa has faced the challenge of hot players with doses of cold water from his racket!!
VAMOS!! Keep it going!!
fan4tennis , 4/30/10 8:15 PM
i got the first set right too!!
vrael , 4/30/10 8:29 PM
.... and no one got the correct score for the second set EXCEPT me. I got a *stick hehehe
Raindrops , 4/30/10 8:34 PM
ooohh wait, janadevchp got it correct 2nd set score too.
Raindrops , 4/30/10 8:39 PM
Rachit got the score dead on correct for both sets . Congrats!!
fan4tennis , 4/30/10 9:45 PM
vrael wins it, got winner and correct # of sets in all 4 matches!!!
vrael, email me if you want to get in SF picks
RickyDimon , 5/1/10 1:16 AM
SF expert picks - http://www.tennistalk.com/en/blog/Ricky_Dimon/20100501/Expert_Picks:_G ulbis_and_the_Spaniards
RickyDimon , 5/1/10 5:47 AM
yeah i WON!!!
vrael , 5/1/10 5:56 AM
i do not have ur email id ricky..
vrael , 5/1/10 5:57 AM
Go with your "head" not your "heart" it seems.
deuce , 5/1/10 7:40 AM
Yes deuce (sad isn't it) ... very good head picks!
smr , 5/1/10 2:47 PM
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agreed with Kelli. Absolutely SHOCKING that Ferrer and Tsonga have never played.
also, GET YOUR PICKS IN!
RickyDimon , 4/30/10 6:29 AM