Ricky Dimon

• Approach Shots: Del Potro returns to action in Stockholm

  2011-10-18 06:04:21
  

  “Approach Shots” is Ricky’s weekly look at what’s ahead (or “approaching”) on the ATP Tour.

   

  There are two tournaments this week to kick off the European indoor swing, and I have good news for everyone playing: Andy Murray is not in either one!
  
  That means both titles are up for grabs, especially with Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and newly-christened world No. 4 Roger Federer also on the sidelines. Juan Martin Del Potro is back in action at the If Stockholm Open and will have a great chance of lifting the trophy, while Janko Tipsarevic and Alexandr Dolgopolov should contend in Moscow.

   

  If Stockholm Open
  

   

  Where: Stockholm, Sweden
  Surface: Indoor hard
  Prize money: 600,000 Euros
  Points: 250

   

  Top seed: Gael Monfils
  Defending champion: Roger Federer

   

  Draw analysis: For a 250-point (especially one during post-U.S. Open purgatory, as some call it), Stockholm boasts an impressive field. Gael Monfils and Del Potro lead the way as the top two seeds, joined by Stanislas Wawrinka, Kevin Anderson, and David Nalbandian—among plenty of others.
  
  The third quarter of the bracket is horrendously soft—which makes the other sections loaded. Wawrinka’s nearest seed is an ice-cold Tommy Robredo and Jarkko Nieminen is the only unseeded threat to speak of.
  
  Del Potro, on the other hand, could open with James Blake before a possible quarterfinal against Nalbandian. Monfils is in a top section with Anderson, Bernard Tomic, and Tommy Haas. Raonic has to open against Marcos Baghdatis and the winner of that will have a path to the semis that probably includes Philipp Petzschner and Grigor Dimitrov.

   

  First-round upset alert: Marcos Baghdatis over (6) Milos Raonic. Baghdatis’ rankings free-fall into the 50s has left him at the mercy of draws and he has not been lucky of late. He got Murray in the Tokyo first round and now gets Raonic in his opener this week.

   

  Baghdatis suffered through what was mostly a tough summer, but he finished runner-up in Kuala Lumpur and then took Murray to 6-4 in the third in Tokyo. Raonic also seems to be heating up after a long injury absence, but he still has a way to go. It should give Baghdatis some additional confidence that he captured the Stockholm title in 2009.

   

  Hot: Kevin Anderson, Bernard Tomic

   

  Cold: Milos Raonic, Tommy Robredo, Tommy Haas, Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, Philipp Petzschner, Adrian Mannarino, Xavier Malisse, Olivier Rochus
  
  Semifinal predictions: Marcos Baghdatis over Kevin Anderson and Stansislas Wawrinka over Juan Martin Del Potro

   

  Final: Wawrinka over Baghdatis

   

  Kremlin Cup
  

   

  Where: Moscow, Russia
  Surface: Indoor hard
  Prize money: $725,000
  Points: 250

   

  Top seed: Janko Tipsarevic
  Defending champion: Viktor Troicki

   

  Draw analysis: Smaller events during the annual fall swing are always wide open, and that is certainly the case in Moscow. With top seed Tipsarevic having finally cooled off somewhat, not one player in the tournament looks anything close to dominant.
  
  This field is nowhere near deep enough to give any of the top seeds a difficult draw. In the top half, Tipsarevic could have some trouble with either Julien Benneteau or Dmitry Tursunov in the quarterfinals. Davydenko is likely to go up against either Andreas Seppi or familiar foe Sergiy Stakhovsky in the other quarterfinal.
  
  Viktor Troicki is most ripe for an upset simply because he has been playing dreadful tennis of late. The Serb is also in the same section as an in-form Alex Bogomolov, so Troicki could be out early. A relatively strong third quarter of the bracket features Dolgopolov, Gilles Muller, and Philipp Kohlschreiber.

   

  First-round upset alert: Albert Ramos over (6) Dmitry Tursunov. Ramos is generally considered a clay-courter, but the Spaniard is in the midst of his best season on tour and he took out Marin Cilic last week in Shanghai. Tursunov is in fine form as he continues his comeback from injury, but he remains inconsistent. For example, he upset Tipsarevic in Tokyo then promptly lost to Santiago Giraldo. Even on indoor hard courts, Ramos has a chance.

   

  Hot: Janko Tipsarevic, Gilles Muller, Albert Ramos, Alex Bogomolov, Lukas Rosol

   

  Cold: Viktor Troicki, Nikolay Davydenko, Sergiy Stakhovsky, Philipp Kohlschreiber, Mikhail Kukushkin
  
  Semifinal predictions: Nikolay Davydenko over Janko Tipsarevic and Alexandr Dolgopolov over Alex Bogomolov

   

  Final: Davydenko over Dolgopolov
  
  Comments and your own predictions are appreciated!

   

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