A new thread for today - let's hope that after the excitement of yesterday today's matches turn out to be just as good.

here's the schedule:

COURT CENTRAL start 2:00 pm

T Robredo (ESP)[8] vs M Baghdatis (CYP)

> Not Before 4:00 PM
D Nalbandian (ARG) vs D Ferrer (ESP) [5]
M Youzhny (RUS) vs R Nadal (ESP) [2]

> Not Before 9:00 PM
A Murray (GBR)[15] vs R Gasquet (FRA)[10]
B Bryan (USA) / M Bryan (USA) [1] vs L Dlouhy (CZE) / P Vizner (CZE) [5]

COURT 1 start 2:00 pm
P Hanley (AUS) / K Ullyett (ZIM) [7] vs D Nestor (CAN) / N Zimonjic (SRB) [2]
J Kerr (AUS) / A Sa (BRA) vs S Aspelin (SWE) / J Knowle (AUT) [6]

> Not Before 6:00 PM
A Clement (FRA) / M Llodra (FRA)[8] vs J Bjorkman (SWE) / M Mirnyi (BLR) [3]

Did Nalby win again last night?????????? what the hells he doing, he worse than Patty Schnyder for form fluctuations :wacko: :wacko: :wacko:

Starting the Gasquet Murray at 9pm is not really smart! What kind of recuperation will they get when playing Nalby or Ferrer on Saturday. Not very smart from the French organisers I must say....unless Gasquet asked for it.

yep - won in straight sets :blink:

but surely in terms of what the french crowd want to see it's the best time for them to start that match? :shrug:

(not saying it's entirely sensible, but I can see why they did it....)

surely Gasquet wouldnt request a late start knowing Murray doesnt like getting up early. This will benefit Andy no end

btw, I do remember reading sth on the BBC about the fact that as the main broadcaster for Wimbledon they got some input with the organisers about who played when and on which court ie. they could put in requests to the organisers.

I don't know if whoever the main French broadcaster is, is able to do the same thing, but i'm pretty sure the TV companies would prefer gasquet to be on at 9 rather than at 2pm :shrug:

The Murray vs Gasquet match is very simple. If Gasquet plays at 80% or above, he wins, otherwise Murray wins. It's a tough one to call - the Parisien crowd might fire up Gasquet, or they might inspire him to produce another choke. I certainly want the winner of this match to make Shanghai, but it's difficult to choose one. Murray is more guaranteed to have some kind of impact, whereas if Gasquet does have an impact, it could be huge. I'll be cheering the Frenchman on, but wouldn't be too distressed if he lost.

Incidentally, now that Federer's out, I don't think these two should be worrying about Shanghai - a win at this tournament would be much more important for their careers (and would obviously ensure qualification). A lot of emphasis is being placed on making the top 8, but in reality a win at the Paris Masters is a much more noteworthy achievement.

As for the other matches: Ferrer has a very good record against Nalbandian, but he hasn't really met him in this kind of form yet. I want the Argentine to win here, as although I don't dislike Ferrer, his style of play gives me migraines. Nalbandian is probably the favourite, but who knows when he's suddenly going to switch off again?

Youzhny vs Nadal - Youzhny should win, but this is probably Nadal's best ever chance to win an indoor tournament and you can never write him off.

Baghdatis vs Robredo - for the good of tennis, Baghdatis has to win this. He's easily the more talented of the two, but is so inconsistent. Judging by the manner of his last two victories, he's favourite, so let's just hope that the pressure of saving Shanghai from the utter mediocrity that is Tommy Robredo doesn't get to him.

As a final note, the Shanghai situation is straightforward now. If Robredo loses, and Youzhny or Baghdatis don't win the tournament, the winner of the Murray vs Gasquet match will make it. And given the rumours about Roddick, Murray might already have done enough.

Ferrer does the same to me.Advanced moonball tennis.It makes me ill I tell you! :angry: Yet Berdych still finds a way to choke against him and lose.Im like WTF!

You're starting to sound like Blake, now. :P

Come on Muff Chops! Beat the Frenchie!!!

Good start for Baggy against Robredo :ok:

3-5 0-15, Robredo is serving to stay in the set as we speak B)

5-4, Baggy serving for the set
(please don't choke now)

OMFG
15-40

'Mon Baggers, save them break points

Deuce.
Thank god.
Now serve it out, Baggers

GS Baggers, 6-4

Now keep going like things, my Cypriot friend.

He must have saved them as my scoreboard says Baggy Waggy took the first set 6-4.

If Baggy can win then Fuzzy Felt Wolf boy will look in even better shape if he can beat Gasquet tonight... :D

...As well as Richard :huh:

Baghdatis is a break up in the second. :yahoo: It really would be a sick joke if Robredo qualified for Shanghai.

roflmao

Just like Ferrer.I tell you these Moonball Spaniards that are qualifying for Shanghai is a bit ridiculous,I suppose Im eventually going to be saying weak era :rolleyes:

:P

I'm no Murray fan, but give me him qualifying over "invisible seeds" Robredo and Ferrer. Just so boring, predictable and weapon-free.

In some respects, I've started to come round to that... :blink:

Only in some respects!!

Sara have you seen how high they hit the ball over the net.It drives me mad.Makes me think of Conchita Martinez :angry:

:ok:

:P

But what else is one to think! :shrug:

:yahoo: Baggy won!!!! :yahoo:

I know, it's ludicrous - and it actually does make me seeth at their comparatively high rankings. Honestly, Robredos game is just so utterly predictable :shrug:

I know - outside the top three, there seems to be some vacuum that sucks the weapons out of players. Who else can actually hurt Federer? So many of the players just have nothing in their game to bring to the top man

Someone posted this link on the Beeb

http://stevegtennis.com/rankings/yearend/s1987.txt

Check out that top 10!!

All in that top 10 were grand slam winners.Really amazing! :blink:

I also cant understand how the Ferrers and Robredos are ranked so high.It totally escapes me.Robredo is a bit 1 dimensional and so is Ferrer. :angry:

100000 stroke rallies with none going near a line...it's got to test the patience of a saint.

Robredo gets too much stick on here - he has consistently performed at a high level, and in another era, I'd be more than happy with him at Shanghai.

However, we have this exciting bunch of young, new players, Murray, Gasquet, Baghdatis, etc, who are likely to make more of an impact at Shanghai, so for that reason, I am glad Robredo lost (nothing personal Tommy, but I want Murray/Gasquet to get to Shanghai!).

Nalby vs. Ferrer up next.......

roflmao
As funny as that is its so true.It really frustrates me.The funny thing is though Ferrer seems to frustrate Andy Roddick a lot and with Donkey in the double fault zone,he could make for interesting competition at Shanghai however he is Federer's bitch and Novak also seems to get his way with him so he is a bit pointless in that mix. :shrug:

Go Donut :yahoo:

I see your point, Mr Invisible - I am not a Murray fan, but it's precisely because he plays a more exciting, varied game that I'd like to see him replacing Robredo in the rankings. Maybe Robredo does get some stick, but he doesn't exhibit any real weapons, and his games are so souless?

As for Gasquet - if only he'd come good on that promise :shrug:

Gasquet needs some anti choking dope! :rolleyes:

Pronto. I actually get cross watching him now - I've eulogised that backhand enough, until Gasquet stop overpromising and under delivering, I am keeping my mouth closed on my "of course Gasquet can win..." predictions!!

Everytime he's on the big stage, he just chucks it all away...

:D

And the pundits always say he still is so young....Rubbish!

I was a bit harsh there but its true nevertheless. ;)

One of the most irritating thing about the pundits in this case, is their blinkered refusal to compare his age with some of his - more successful - peers i.e. Nadal and Djokovic.

Murray gets the same treatment - I heard one Beeb pundit say "the older player" when comparing him and Nadal. Nadal is 6 months older!!

If Gasquet wants to make it, he needs to get something in the bag this season.