ATP - Rotterdam (€824,000) - R1: Murray vs Haase

johnnylad · Tennis legend

RE: ATP - Rotterdam (€824,000) - R1: Murray vs Haase

Madeline · Admin:Moderator + Tennis Legend

Well it *is* his birthday.

steven · Tennis legend

Re. Andy not getting beyond the Davydenko level:

I see what you mean (he seems to have taken over from the Undertaker as the player with the best optional score total for a start!), but I don't think that's the most likely scenario. I'm pretty sure that if Andy isn't out injured too often (a big IF, given the dodgy knee etc), he'll do better than Tigger & Greg ever did, though come to think of it, in getting to no. 3 in the world, Kolya's already done that too!

Re. 8 unseeded players in the QFs:

It's not like Rafa to pass up an easy draw, but Hair Bear must really be kicking himself now for being so slow out of the blocks this week, I doubt he'll ever have a better chance for back to back ATP titles!

No wonder this was the tournament where Big Arv reached the QFs a couple of years ago!

steven · Tennis legend

Btw, Rotterdam often throws up weird results (an unseeded winner or a seeds wipeout in at least one half of the draw - see below), but with 300 points at stake and none of the top 16 still in, someone is going to really shoot up the rankings this week!

Year - seeds in QFs - winner - runner-up

2001 - 1 - unseeded Escude - Fed
2002 - 5 - unseeded Escude - Tigger
2003 - 4 - unseeded Mirnyi - unseeded Sluiter
2004 - 5 - Hewitt - JCF (Tigger beat no. 1 seed Fed in the QFs then lost to C'mawn)
2005 - 3 (all in top half) - Fed - Ljubo
2006 - 2 (all in bottom half) - unseeded Count Duckula - unseeded C Rochus (i.e. the weaker dwarf, who knocked out Big Arv in the QFs)
2007 - 5 - unseeded Youzhny - Ljubicic
2008 - 0 - unseeded ? - unseeded ?

So the winner this year will be the 6th unseeded winner in the last 8 years.

helki · Futures qualifying

steven wrote:

Btw, Rotterdam often throws up weird results (an unseeded winner or a seeds wipeout in at least one half of the draw - see below), but with 300 points at stake and none of the top 16 still in, someone is going to really shoot up the rankings this week!

Year - seeds in QFs - winner - runner-up

2001 - 1 - unseeded Escude - Fed
2002 - 5 - unseeded Escude - Tigger
2003 - 4 - unseeded Mirnyi - unseeded Sluiter
2004 - 5 - Hewitt - JCF (Tigger beat no. 1 seed Fed in the QFs then lost to C'mawn)
2005 - 3 (all in top half) - Fed - Ljubo
2006 - 2 (all in bottom half) - unseeded Count Duckula - unseeded C Rochus (i.e. the weaker dwarf, who knocked out Big Arv in the QFs)
2007 - 5 - unseeded Youzhny - Ljubicic
2008 - 0 - unseeded ? - unseeded ?

So the winner this year will be the 6th unseeded winner in the last 8 years.

Fascinating stats Steven. If I thought I'd be seeded there I'd consider giving it a miss. wink

murrayfan99 · Lower Club Player

Thanks Steven - but could you explain what is meant by "optional score total" - is that the number of points that arent being used (at any given point in time) in the ranking total?

DJ · County player

I think Steven means the points in the player's overall total which are not gained in the compulsory events, viz the Slams and Masters Series.

murrayfan99 · Lower Club Player

Thanks DJ!

steven · Tennis legend

* nods *