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2010-05-27 03:03:08
Expert picks are back for Thursday at the French Open. Join the fun in the comments section for the right to become a guest picker later in the tournament!
Novak Djokovic vs. Kei Nishikori
Ricky: That Nishikori could play a five-set match right now was news to me. Not only that, but he came from two sets down in the first round to defeat a stellar clay-courter (Santiago Giraldo). Djokovic is relatively vulnerable at the moment, but there's no way Nishikori is all the way back to the extent that he can pull off this upset. Djokovic 7-6(4), 4-6, 6-3, 6-3.
Cheryl: Unless Djokovic has a battle with Paris pollen, this should be a no-brainer for the Serb. Nishikori is ranked 246th for a reason - and that reason is because he can't seem to string together more than one win on tour at a time. Djokovic 6-4, 6-2, 6-2.
Potito Starace vs. Robby Ginepri
Ricky: I don't care how messed up in the head Sam Querrey was, but that was very good win for Ginepri and a solid performance. And it wasn't a fluke. The American is not as bad on clay as some of his countrymen and he once went all the way to the French Open fourth round. Starace may be a clay-court specialist, but he underachieves at slams. Ginepri 6-4, 6-7(6), 4-6, 7-5, 6-3.
Cheryl: The fact that Robby Ginepri is in round 2 at all is a shocker. He played admittedly well against Querrey, but then again, Querrey as much as admitted that he tanked the 3rd and 4th sets. Starace is just too good on the dirt. Starace 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, 6-2.
Ivan Ljubicic vs. Mardy Fish
Ricky: Ljubicic is a big server who actually does his best work on clay. Fish is a big serve who generally stinks on clay. The American did very well to beat Michael Berrer in a five-set first-round clash, but he won't be able to trouble Ljubicic on this surface. Ljubicic 7-5, 6-3, 6-2.
Cheryl: I have a feeling this isn't going to be a very good day for Americans. Mardy Fish isn't exactly a clay-court specialist...though come to think of it, neither is Ljubicic. The thing is that Ljubo is in better form than Fish - as long as the Croat is healthy, that is. Ljubicic 6-2, 7-5, 6-4.
Philipp Kohlschreiber vs. Andreas Seppi
Ricky: This match actually pits two solid clay-courters against each other. Unfortunately, I don't necessarily think that will translate into a blockbuster second-round match. Seppi simply doesn't have any weapons with which to trouble the German. Kohlschreiber beat Djokovic at last year's French Open and he should cruise with relative ease into another third-round appearance. Kohlschreiber 7-6(3), 6-4, 4-6, 6-3.
Cheryl: If this match were played earlier in the week, I'd have given Kohlschreiber the advantage. The court was playing quick on Monday and Tuesday - almost like a hard court. Now with all of the rain, the court is considerably slower and clay-courters like Seppi are prone to do better. Seppi 4-6, 7-5, 6-4, 6-3.
Rafael Nadal games against count: How many for Zeballos?
Ricky: This is actually one of the more difficult second-round matchups that Nadal could have drawn. In fact, according to talent (not according to ranking, of course), Zeballos should be seeded at a clay-court Grand Slam. Unfortunately for him, he isn't; and he is also coming off a four-hour marathon win over someone named Martin Fischer. Not a good situation. Nine games for Zeballos.
Cheryl: The recent rain is not as beneficial to Nadal's game as one might think. Sure, it slows the court down, but it means that the balls won't kick up as much. Nevertheless, Rafa won't surrender more than 10 games. Eight games for Zeballos.
Tell a friend »
we don't include the Armada as a sign of respect
we KNOW with certainty that Team Ferrer-o is going to score 2 BLOWOUTS, so there's no point in picking those.
RickyDimon , 5/27/10 5:43 AM
Straight sets for Djoker, Rafa and Ljubicic. Kohl and Ginepri in four. I do not know how to predict scoreline without knowing who is going to serve first. Can anybody help.
eskay , 5/27/10 8:09 AM
ill say 10 games for zeballos!!
VAMOS!!!
vrael , 5/27/10 10:05 AM
clayking - you forget to mention that BEFORE Nishikori got hurt...he couldn't string more than 2 matches together. Yes, he's done well on the Challenger circuit, but Djokovic ain't no challenger player.
cherylmurray , 5/27/10 2:17 PM
cheryl,
he got injured when he had just turned 19..
before that he was a very good challenger player, with a good record on atp cicuit for a newcomer and an atp title to his name as well..
the very fact that he was the atp newcomer of the year in 2008 means he was a player constantly improving and certainly someone capable of stringing more than 2 wins..
the reason i pointed it out here is because i think you predicted that he would win just 4 games against giraldo, who is well on the same level, but has not done anything worth mentioning ever in a 5 set game, unlike nishikori, who has proven himself to be capable of stringing more than 1 win in a best of 5 match...
plus the way you highlighted nishikori over your 2 predictions was, as a player incapable of doing anything worth of note, which he is clearly not..
fine, anyone would say djokovic in today's match, but i feel the way you describe it as a no brainer, it is slightly offensive to a player as capable as nishikori...
clayking , 5/27/10 2:52 PM
i agree, Nishikori is ranked 246 for one reason and one reason only.
If he had stayed healthy, he would be WELL within the Top 30 right now.
RickyDimon , 5/27/10 3:25 PM
Nishi's last four tournaments before the injuries hit for the first time: fourth round of US Open, third round of Tokyo, semifinals of Stockholm, quarterfinals of Brisbane.
RickyDimon , 5/27/10 3:27 PM
Ricky, since you mentioned that , i would like to add that during stockholm open, he was carrying a knee injury..
clayking , 5/27/10 3:43 PM
Zeballos gets 4 games if he is lucky and Rafa has a shy start, and he might so that's my bet.
grafight , 5/27/10 5:52 PM
Were ANY of the 'expert pick' matches played today?
smr , 5/27/10 11:45 PM
some are in progress
Friday expert picks - http://www.tennistalk.com/en/blog/Ricky_Dimon/20100528/French_Open_Exp ert_Picks:_Day_6
RickyDimon , 5/28/10 2:37 AM
where did kelli's pick disappear?? anyhow, between ricky and cheryl, cheryl came closer, i.e zeballos won 7 games and cheryl said 8....this might help her if we have a tie brk in the end ..
I will be posting the scorecard to sum things up for the battle between ricky and cheryl, it is a pity kelli is not regular, wrist tendonities perhaps ?? :P
vamosrafa , 5/28/10 1:25 PM
did Kelli pick these matches? I can't remember. I don't see how her picks could have disappeared.
RickyDimon , 5/28/10 2:06 PM
I was only 1 game off with Nishikori. :D
cherylmurray , 5/28/10 4:11 PM
yeah, and you also picked STARACE to BEAT Ginepri. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
RickyDimon , 5/28/10 4:13 PM
AND Seppi over Kohlschreiber? Sure that was a mis-type!
RickyDimon , 5/28/10 4:15 PM
On Zeballos' games taken off Nadal I was closest without going over. Are we using "price is right" rules? ;-D
grafight , 5/28/10 6:45 PM
grafight - unfortunately Kelli got it exactly right with 7 games, so the experts win!
RickyDimon , 5/28/10 7:18 PM
ricky, yes kelli's picks were there. she pikd zeballos to win 7 games :S where did her picks go?
vamosrafa , 5/28/10 10:17 PM
Maybe you should ask Ricky?
smr , 5/28/10 10:37 PM
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@cheryl,
nishikori is ranked 246 not because he cannot string more than one win on tour, but because he missed out about 13 months due to an elbow injury..
after returning from injury 4 months ago, he has compiled a 14-2 record on challengers and 1-1 on atp circuit..
so, he is not as bad a player as you have been trying to show through your last 2 predictions, the one against giraldo and now against djoko boy....
moving onto my predictions..
djokovic 6-4, 3-6, 7-5, 6-1
ginepri 3-6, 6-4, 7-6, 1-6, 9-7
ljubicic 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 6-2
seppi 3-6, 7-6, 4-6 6-1, 8-6
11 games for zeballos (coz, he is a darn good claycourter)
my wishlist-
nishikori in 5
ginepri in 4
fish in 5
seppi in 4
2 games for zeballos.. :)
p.s. if you could have included insignificant games like ginepri starace or kohli seppi , which includes no player that can be called a clay court attraction, you could certainly have included the matches of 3 armada members, one of whom happens to be a former champion, and other 2, star attractions....
injustice to armada.. :P
clayking , 5/27/10 5:06 AM