2017 Qatar ExxonMobil Open...ATP 250...Doha, Qatar

[don_budge]

Here's a trumped up tournament for us. It's the Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic show. The rest of the draw relegated to supporting roles with the current "Big Two" in the house.

http://www.atpworldtour.com/en/scores/current/doha/451/draws

klacr of course has an emotional investment in Tomas Berdych but this has to be getting a bit old. But Berdych has a new coach doesn't he? Is it enough to achieve what it takes to crack the top four for instance. Fernando Verdasco defeated David Goffin 6-1, 7-6 in the second round. I watch David play Robin Haase in the first and was unimpressed. Goffin was the #4 seed in the draw before he was eliminated. The game is rather watered down. Yes...he plays very well from the baseline but where is the rest of it.

Radek Stepanek...the journeyman once again finds himself on the other side of the court against Novak Djokovic. He gives Novak a tough set normally with his all court game. But the years work against him. Too many miles and not enough horsepower.

[klacr]

a new coach and a new toss for Berdych.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[don_budge]

a new coach and a new toss for Berdych.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

Maybe there is something to this. Perhaps the new coach will bet the seemingly uptight Berdych to loosen up a bit. The new toss? I didn't get to see enough of it last night. I watched out of the corner of my eye until 4-4 or so. Pretty boring tennis all in all. The commentators were discussing the lack of emotion from both players.

But onto the semis. Andy Murray...speaking of boring. It's the attitude and behavior. He doesn't carry himself as the world's number one. Even against Nikolas Almegro...he was fretting, whining and complaining the whole match. He doesn't look good doing it. Somehow the great John McEnroe and the mercurial Ilie Nastase used to be able to pull of the act. It is way beyond Murray though. He comes across as...a whiney liberal.

In the other half though it is Fernando Verdasco on a bit of a comeback too. He has dispatched Goffin and Karlovic. Now it is a big fish...Novak Djokovic. Djokovic can be had. He got rid of the pesky journeyman Radek Stepanek but he looks to be less sure of himself as of late.

[don_budge]

2017 Qatar Open Final...Andy Murray versus Novak Djokovic


I was a good part of the Djokovic/Verdasco match and it was technically a snoozer. It was interesting up until the point that Djokovic won. Verdasco had five match points on the slippery Djokovic but couldn't get the horse in the barn. It's a pity really as he almost deserved to win. But almost only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades. Djokovic righted the ship when he had to and snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. Verdasco had four match points in the second set tie-break but after he lost that it was all Djokovic. He seems to have an extra gear but he is having a tougher time finding it these days. He seems more vulnerable but he is still slippery. Along comes Andy Murray.

Andy Murray for his part is still frightfully boring. I don't care if he is number one in the world. This doesn't bode well for the sport in general. He just finished and I watched him finish off Tomas Berdych. I started to watch the match but never got past the first game. I suddenly remembered that they were playing and got logged in just in time to see the last game. Andy Murray...bitching and complaining right to the bitter end. He isn't much to watch...frightfully boring.

So it was predictable...it is Murray and Djokovic in the final. Take your pick. You can have either of them.

[stotty]

Well the final was a right old ding-dong. Djokovic switched into lock down mode in the final set. He started moving extremely well and the enforced errors seemed to dry up. He looked close to being back to his best to me. Finally, for the first time in months, he was more incisive with his down the line backhands and hooked cross court forehands.

I missed most of the second set - as had to pop out to give a lesson - so I am not sure how Murray performed there, but in the third set Andy seemed to break down a little. His first serve deserted him and the unforced errors crept in on the forehand wing.

Anyway, both players were playing well and my initial thoughts are, can Roger make a dent in either one of them? It occurred to me that he could bump into Murray or Djokovic as early as the fourth round with his current ranking. I know Roger doesn't seem the least bit concerned about his ranking but it could produce a wicked draw when you think about it.

Stotty

[klacr]

That was a doozy! Djokovic did go into lockdown mode. Murray starts jawing at his box when things don't go his way. Djokovic should have wrapped it up in straights.

Djokovic needs to win the aussie open and Murray needs to lose before semifinals for Djokovic to regain #1.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[stotty]

Djokovic needs to win the aussie open and Murray needs to lose before semifinals for Djokovic to regain #1.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

Thanks for this slip of information. I just checked and Roger is now ranked 16. I assume he can race back up as he won't have too much to defend, right?

Stotty

[klacr]

Thanks for this slip of information. I just checked and Roger is now ranked 16. I assume he can race back up as he won't have too much to defend, right?

Stotty

He won't have anything to defend post Wimbledon. Thats where he can make up some serious ground. He had some decent results in 1st half with an Aussie Open semi. However, the real issue is as the #16 seed he will have to face a top seed by round 4assuming they are not upset earlier in event.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[don_budge]

The Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic Show

Well the final was a right old ding-dong. Djokovic switched into lock down mode in the final set. He started moving extremely well and the enforced errors seemed to dry up. He looked close to being back to his best to me. Finally, for the first time in months, he was more incisive with his down the line backhands and hooked cross court forehands.

I missed most of the second set - as had to pop out to give a lesson - so I am not sure how Murray performed there, but in the third set Andy seemed to break down a little. His first serve deserted him and the unforced errors crept in on the forehand wing.

Anyway, both players were playing well and my initial thoughts are, can Roger make a dent in either one of them? It occurred to me that he could bump into Murray or Djokovic as early as the fourth round with his current ranking. I know Roger doesn't seem the least bit concerned about his ranking but it could produce a wicked draw when you think about it.

Stotty

I watched a lot of the match. It's hard to say exactly how much because it was all so monotonous. Tremendously so. Whenever one of the players made it to the net more or less by some accident the commentators were gushing and slobbering all over themselves as if they were witnessing the second coming. In some ways it is an utter fiasco. Then there were the flubbed routine chances at the net and the opportunities passed up. Much of the original game has virtually been engineered into the mulch pile.

It's not as if I cannot admire the groundstrokes and the geometry of the court. I can. They were moving the ball around with a lot of pace and a lot of placement. But they were pretty predictable too. Murray can pretty much be counted on to go crosscourt with his backhand. It's a great backhand too...hard to penetrate.

The announcers were so happy they were almost giddy with each other. A couple of British fellows...one of them sounded like he may have been a regular at Wimbledon. There were occasional comments thrown out regarding the one dimensional aspect of the play but they were quickly glossed over by ridiculous drivel proclaiming how great the play was. It seems that when they were panning the audience late in the third set more of the spectators looked to be struggling to stay awake then they were enthralled with the action...or lack of it.

These are the top two players in the world and if you ask me...I would not go down to the end of the driveway to see either. Funny how when you throw Roger Federer in the mix it takes on a whole new meaning. Suddenly it is tennis again. The sport that I grew up playing and passionately loving. Don't get me wrong...I still love to teach the game to anyone that is interested in learning.

How would Roger do against either of these two culprits? He's going to struggle...particularly if it is best of five. But under the right conditions he can play with them. If the courts are playing fast and his serve is gunning under control he may be even odds in two out of three. But that being said there is the question now of his match fitness. These questions are going to be answered rather soon it seems. As far as him meeting a top seed early on in a tournament...this may work to his advantage and he will have to figure out how to manage just that. A big early win may be what he needs to ignite the old fire deep in the belly. But realistically...he is 35 five years old and he hasn't played in some months. It will certainly be fun to have him back. Just for the bloody fun of it.