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Truc · 02-25-2009, 06:32 AM

I have much lower expectations, I'm already relieved he beat Olivier Patience. It must be really hard to face guys who have been playing in those conditions for weeks unlike him.
I see Almagro complains about the heat and it looks hot in the pics indeed!

He was leading 3-1 in the 1st set, but Olivier broke back immediately. I didn't follow the 2nd set.

In an all-French opener, No. 2 seed Gael Monfils put together an excellent serving performance - firing 17 aces and winning 31 of his 32 first serve points - to beat Oliver Patience 7-6(4), 6-4.
"It is never easy to play a countryman," Monfils said. "I didn't have much time to adapt to the climate and the surface but I'm sure tomorrow I will play better. I felt a good connection with the crowd here in Acapulco. I think they like to see a show and I love that. It was great to play in front of them today."
http://www.atpworldtour.com/tennis/1...ticle_2342.asp

Truc · 02-25-2009, 06:35 AM

He's never played against Bellucci before.
2nd match of the day, matches start at 3 pm. There should be a livestream this time, but it will start around midnight for us in Europe.

Puschkin · 02-25-2009, 06:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Truc

"I didn't have much time to adapt to the climate and the surface.....

Then why the hell did you go there?

Keijan · 02-25-2009, 08:43 AM

Nalbi lost to an obscure qualifier. I'm beginning to think that if Gaël doesn't win this tournament, it will be very embarrassing

simplet · 02-25-2009, 10:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Keijan

Nalbi lost to an obscure qualifier. I'm beginning to think that if Gaël doesn't win this tournament, it will be very embarrassing

This is what I'm thinking. Join me! I mean, I don't believe he's playing that well at the moment, but I've seen him go very deep in tournaments playing really badly, I think that's really one of his strenghs. And everyone else there is so terrible at the moment, he should be ok.

And he'll want to honor his new top 10 rank. Really, I believe the only real danger (save a brain explosion) is his semi-final now that Nalby is gone.

edit : Monaco lost too? Better and better

Keijan · 02-25-2009, 10:12 AM

Wow, MTF is totally crazy today. I posted a reply, then it appeared 5 times on the board, so I tried deleting one and now they're all gone

So Almagro is his possible semi right ? He was quite scary at last clay season but Gaël made it a step further in Roland, so every dream is allowed.

simplet · 02-25-2009, 10:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Keijan

Wow, MTF is totally crazy today. I posted a reply, then it appeared 5 times on the board, so I tried deleting one and now they're all gone

So Almagro is his possible semi right ? He was quite scary at last clay season but Gaël made it a step further in Roland, so every dream is allowed.

Nope his possible semi is Robredo (who lost a set yesterday to Ramirez-Hidalgo), he can only met Almagro in the finals. I'm not sure if Almagro is going to go this far though, these last two weeks he lost to Frederico Gil and Oscar Hernandez...

Truc · 02-25-2009, 10:41 AM

I'm keeping my expectations low because Gaël is just arriving from the European indoors tournaments, but Acapulco sure is a great opportunity otherwise, look at the 2nd round and the guys Almagro will have to beat to reach a 500 final (Montanes seeded #6, he is a Challenger player and never wins a match on the main tour lately)...

KOELLERER, Daniel AUT v MARTIN, Alberto ESP
VASSALLO ARGUELLO, Martin ARG v (7) GRANOLLERS, Marcel ESP

(4) ALMAGRO, Nicolas ESP v STARACE, Potito ITA
GIMENO-TRAVER, Daniel ESP v (6) MONTANES, Albert ESP

(5) ACASUSO, Jose ARG v (WC) CHELA, Juan Ignacio ARG
KIM, Kevin USA v (3) ROBREDO, Tommy ESP

(8) MOYA, Carlos ESP v MAYER, Leonardo ARG
BELLUCCI, Thomaz BRA v (2) MONFILS, Gael FRA

Truc · 02-26-2009, 06:22 AM

7-6 (7/4) 6-7 (5/7) 6-1, sounds like he made new friends according to GM.

He does look a bit pumped up in the 3rd set in the highlights.
(I can't get the interviews to work on tennistv.com, it says they have an interview of Gaël, but I don't find it...)

Leonardo Mayer now, not before 9pm (good for him as it seems to be very hot, but I won't stand up at 4 to watch that).
They've never played before.

Truc · 02-26-2009, 10:58 AM

~~I just realized he should also pass Verdasco and be #9 on Monday with this QF.~~

lisaplenske · 02-26-2009, 12:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Truc

I just realized he should also pass Verdasco and be #9 on Monday with this QF.

great news for him

I hope he'll win the whole thing.He has to play better though.Robredo seems confident those days...

Truc · 02-26-2009, 02:39 PM

He hasn't passed Verdasco yet according to duong, sorry!
If Verdasco goes to Dubai to make some promotion activities, he will stay at #9.

Keijan · 02-26-2009, 02:46 PM

Yeah, or if he stays injured for 30 days. Why is that, do you have any idea ? classement protégé or sth ?

Tess Gray · 02-26-2009, 03:53 PM

Gael Gael, what did I hear?

Have you been a nasty boy in the 3rd set today? Tsk tsk... Well, a win is a win

Even if it's an ugly one

Truc · 02-26-2009, 05:28 PM

I'm not sure either how it works, Marion, I guess that if Nando is injured long enough, Dubai won't count as a zero in his ranking breakdown, but I don't know at all the new rules for the 500 tournaments.

According to the guy of GM.com who watched Gaël's match yesterday, it really wasn't that bad (his behaviour, I mean, he agrees his game was way too defensive). He found the 3rd set quite funny. He says it when Gaël is embarrassing, I trust him for this kind of things. People often think Gaël's antics are directed at the opponent, but he does that for himself and for the crowd most of the time imo.
Gaël said after his first round that the Acapulco crowd seems to appreciate a bit of a show, I immediately thought he was probably going to overdo it a bit!