The Draw

Monday, October 15 2007

Doubles - First Round
N Almagro (ESP) / D Ferrer (ESP) d J Erlich (ISR) / A Ram (ISR) 36 76(4) 10-4 (Match TB)
G Canas (ARG) / D Nalbandian (ARG) d [WC] G Kuerten (BRA) / C Moya (ESP) 63 46 12-10 (Match TB)

I see James Blake is playing with Butorac, and that Murray and Knowles are seeded 8th, which is good news for Murray. How on earth do they work out the seedings in doubles - when the teams keep changing? :blink: Nadal and Lopez are teaming up again, although no federer this time - his usual partner Allegro is playing with Santoro.

Bloody hell, i've just noticed that Erlich and Ram went out to Almagro and Ferrer...... :blink:

I do hope Bjorkmirnyi do well here. I would like them to make Shanghai. It must be good for their chances that Erliram went out early.

What does it mean for the race when teams split up? I understand that, with the ranking points, each player gets their own ranking points for the events they played, but surely for the race only teams count?

So does that mean that Santoro and Zimonjic, who are currently 8th in the race, are not going to gain any more race points unless they play together? And does it mean that Knowles and Nestor will need to team up again for the Masters Cup, even though they have split up?

Is it theoretically conceivable that a player is in two pairings which qualify for the Masters Cup? :wacko:

I guess I should read up on this at some point - but now I need to get back to work.

Yep, Knowles and Nestor will be teaming up for Shanghai - in the race only teams count. So you're right in that Santoro and Zimonijc are not going to get any more points in the race unless they play together.

and as for whether a player could be in two teams that qualify - i suppose theoretically it might be possible - but i'm not entirely sure :wacko:

Lol, how confusing would that be?!

Tuesday, 16 October 2007

Doubles - First Round
J Kerr (AUS) / T Perry (AUS) d Y Allegro (SUI) / F Santoro (FRA) 63 76(3)
F Gonzalez (CHI) / A Sa (BRA) d F Lopez (ESP) / R Nadal (ESP) 67(6) 63 11-9 (Match TB)
F Cermak (CZE) / A Clement (FRA) d T Berdych (CZE) / N Kiefer (GER) 64 63
M Fyrstenberg (POL) / M Matkowski (POL) d J Blake (USA) / E Butorac (USA) 75 64
[WC] I Karlovic (CRO) / F Verdasco (ESP) d R Lindstedt (SWE) / J Nieminen (FIN) 64, 67(4), 10-7 (Match TB)

The Booty/Blake partnership obviously didn't work then! I wonder why Clement and Cermak are playing together? Are their respective partners (Llodra and Friedl) injured??

Strange that Pavel/Vizner are ranked 6th and Erlich and Ram weren't even seeded!

Murray/Knowles will face a tough second round match against Fyrstenberg/ Matkowski!

I actually thought it was more out of friendship than something strategic ... cause I actually don't see any particular strengths of that partnership.. just my opinion.. :)

Wednesday, 17 October 2007

Doubles - Second Round
G Canas (ARG) / D Nalbandian (ARG) d [3] P Hanley (AUS) / K Ullyett (ZIM) 63 61
[5] S Aspelin (SWE) / J Knowle (AUT) d N Almagro (ESP) / D Ferrer (ESP) 64 62
J Kerr (AUS) / T Perry (AUS) d [7] M Damm (CZE) / L Paes (IND) 62 63
[1] B Bryan (USA) / M Bryan (USA) vs [WC] I Karlovic (CRO) / F Verdasco (ESP)
Doubles - First Round
J Coetzee (RSA) / R Wassen (NED) d J Chela (ARG) / J Monaco (ARG) 62 62

couple of fallen seeds there I see :blink:

Yes indeed. Damm and Paes went out in the early stages last week too. Not sure whatever happened to the prospective Paes/Murray partnership?

i assume Murray is in action tommorow? Gotta be looking good for him with 2 seeded pairs gone :ok:

Possibly, although Fyrstenberg and Matkowski are a good team! Fingers crossed!

Thursday, 18 October 2007

Doubles - Second Round
J Coetzee (RSA) / R Wassen (NED) d [2] D Nestor (CAN) / N Zimonjic (SRB) 64 64
[4] J Bjorkman (SWE) / M Mirnyi (BLR) d F Gonzalez (CHI) / A Sa (BRA) 76(5) 64
[6] A Pavel (ROU) / P Vizner (CZE) d F Cermak (CZE) / A Clement (FRA) 64 64
M Frystenberg (POL) / M Matkowski (POL) d [8] M Knowles (BAH) / J Murray (GBR) 64 76(2)

So Knowles and Murray fall at the first hurdle although their opponents were always going to make things tough for them.

At least Nestor and Zimonjic also lost- no decent results as yet!

Bjorkmirnyi should have a really good chance to at least reach the finals here, which would boost them way up the leaderboard in the race, up to 6th, I think.

Friday, October 2007

Doubles - Quarterfinals
[1] B Bryan (USA) / M Bryan (USA) d [6] A Pavel (ROU) / P Vizner (CZE) 63 76(4)
[4] J Bjorkman (SWE) / M Mirnyi (BLR) d J Kerr (AUS) / T Perry (AUS) 61 62
G Canas (ARG) / D Nalbandian (ARG) d [5] S Aspelin (SWE) / J Knowle (AUT) 63 36 10-7 (Match TB)
M Fyrstenberg (POL) / M Matkowski (POL) d J Coetzee (RSA) / R Wassen (NED 26 76(4) 10-6 (Match TB)

bloody hell, Nalby won in doubles too. surely he doesn't actually want to be still playing doubles and singles??? :unsure:

what are the semi match ups then (she says, being far too lazy to look at the draw herself...... :P )

I think its The Bryans vs Nalby and Canas; Bjorkman/Mirnyi vs Fyrstenberg/Matkowski.

:ok:

I can't believe Nalbandian is still playing in both singles and doubles. :o

Bjorkmirnyi will have a tough match tomorrow, but I reckon they should have a good chance.

There seems little chance that Nalbañas could pull off the upset against the Bryans, but then who would have thought he would still be playing in either competition on Saturday? Watch him power through to both finals ...

oooh...Nalbanas - i like that MJT :ok:

Saturday, 20 October 2007

Doubles - Semifinals
[1] B Bryan (USA) / M Bryan (USA) d G Canas (ARG) / D Nalbandian (ARG) 61 26 10-4 (Match TB)
M Fyrstenberg (POL) / M Matkowski (POL) d [4] J Bjorkman (SWE) / M Mirnyi (BLR) 76(4) 57 10-6 (Match TB)

Sunday, October 21, 2007

Doubles - Final
[1] B Bryan (USA) / M Bryan (USA) d M Fyrstenberg (POL) / M Matkowski (POL) 63 76(4)