Week 19 - ATP Masters 1000 - Madrid, Spain (clay) - doubles

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

Week 19 - ATP Masters 1000 - Madrid, Spain (clay) - doubles

indiana · Tennis legend

Overall a very decent draw with Rajeev & Joe looking to have the toughest opponents.

-- Edited by indiana on Monday 6th of May 2019 11:23:40 AM

JonH · All-time great

I'm not sure doms draw fills me with any confidence though! I'm hoping for two wins, anything better from these matches a bonus!

indiana · Tennis legend

I'll go par 3. Bonus being all 4.

JonH · All-time great

Kyrgios and tomic?! Really?!

Bob in Spain · Tennis legend

JonH wrote:
Kyrgios and tomic?! Really?!

It does get my goat a bit when the pairs that are currently in 13th and 14th place in the Race, can't get into a 32 pair draw for a Masters. Ken on Twitter is being publicly very diplomatic saying "Its fine. Its what we all deal with. ", but I am sure there are some private frustrations.

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

JonH wrote:
Kyrgios and tomic?! Really?!

Not to mention Delpo/Nish, Schwartzman/Thiem, Cecchinato/Fucsovics & Dimi/Khachanov & Foggy, Koolhof & Medvedev hanging on to the coattails of established doubles players, which the latter are presumably happy to go along with because they aren't ranked highly enough to get into a Masters event with a more regular partner! furious The odious one & Tomic are in as WCs. Let's hope Henri & John can see 'em off.

JonH · All-time great

I think what amazed me about kyrgios and tomic though is only a few months back they had a right old bout of verbal attacks in the media, back and forth. Time or money is a great healer.

flamingowings · All-time great

Stircrazy wrote:
JonH wrote:
Kyrgios and tomic?! Really?!
Not to mention Delpo/Nish, Schwartzman/Thiem, Cecchinato/Fucsovics & Dimi/Khachanov & Foggy, Koolhof & Medvedev hanging on to the coattails of established doubles players, which the latter are presumably happy to go along with because they aren't ranked highly enough to get into a Masters event with a more regular partner! The odious one & Tomic are in as WCs. Let's hope Henri & John can see 'em off.

Well the Delpo/Nish one makes sense - Delpo's first match since Delray Beach and even that was a comeback from last year. Nishikori has faltered rather, as has Dimi/Khachanov.

Also, surely it's the tournament that hands out WC's, so obviously they decided to give it to them. Not saying it's right or ok though. No comment about Kyle playing with an established doubles player (yes, they've played together before. Yes, I suppose if Ken partnered Neal they wouldn't get in etc)

JonH · All-time great

I think in a 32 draw masters they should maybe limit singles players to 4 pairs or 8 players in total, leaving 56 places to doubles players, in which case all our top 7 grits would have got in I think.

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

Stircrazy wrote:
JonH wrote:
Kyrgios and tomic?! Really?!
Not to mention Delpo/Nish, Schwartzman/Thiem, Cecchinato/Fucsovics & Dimi/Khachanov & Foggy, Koolhof & Medvedev hanging on to the coattails of established doubles players, which the latter are presumably happy to go along with because they aren't ranked highly enough to get into a Masters event with a more regular partner! The odious one & Tomic are in as WCs. Let's hope Henri & John can see 'em off.

Jeepers! Dimi & Khachanov have beaten the fourth seeds, Cabal & Farah, by 2 & 5, while the local WCs, Marrero & Verdasco, lost to Schwartzman & Thiem in three... disbelief

indiana · Tennis legend

JonH wrote:
I think in a 32 draw masters they should maybe limit singles players to 4 pairs or 8 players in total, leaving 56 places to doubles players, in which case all our top 7 grits would have got in I think.

Or maybe say guarantee entry to the 4 second half of the year Masters events for the top 16 pairs in the race if they want to enter as a pair.

By that stage, if they are so high in the race they are likely to have a very decent CR anyway. But that would be a good guarantee to at least ensure all the top race contendors have an even chance as the race reaches its later stages.

I recall last year Dom & Franko were ridiculously high in the race ( think about #12 ) and still couldn't get into Masters late in the year. 32 pair draws rather than 24 should now make it a bit easier but such a guarantee might help on occasion.

flamingowings · All-time great

All pairs bar Jamie & Bruno play tomorrow. Kyle's singles must be Tuesday.

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

First one down:

L32: Guido Pella & João Sousa (ARG/POR) CR 161 (132+29) defeated Rohan Bopanna (IND) & Dominic Inglot CR 73 (42+31) by 7-6(4) 6-3 cry

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

indiana wrote:
Overall a very decent draw with Rajeev & Jo looking to have the toughest opponents.

They playing mixed in Madrid, then? wink