[LocoPorElTenis]

So Tipsy plays Nalbi now? As close to a bye as he could hope for in a 3rd round.

[Bleeth]

Waste of time this match, should have watched Kvitova - McHale instead

[allpro]

damn, that was an ugly match. neither player really trusted their stroke and they both had exactly twice as many ue’s as winners.

tipsy on to the rd of 16.....

[BroTree123]

Originally Posted by allpro

damn, that was an ugly match. neither player really trusted their stroke and they both had exactly twice as many ue’s as winners.

tipsy on to the rd of 16.....

. Tipsy can't even beat a semi-decent player this year to save his life.

[RIboy]

Nalby needs a miracle vs Tipsarevic, he would have lost 2 and 2 today against any average player

[Filo V.]

The only time these two played, AO 2007, Tipsarevic was 2-0 sets and a break serving for the match, and then suffered a heat stroke/choked and retired in the fifth set. Janko is clearly a better player now than he was then, but Nalby will be in return games. Nothing is stopping him from winning over Janko. But his up and down play his first two matches here show his confidence isn't really there right now. Matches like this can help with that. I definitely think he's in with a shot vs the Serbian.

[tennishero]

last time Nalby won a match 7-6 7-6 was against Federer in Cincinatti 03.

[Stephan]

Dramatical match, David had a 4-1, 5-2 in first set and a match point at 5-4...
good that he won in the end

[motorhead]

Originally Posted by LocoPorElTenis

So Tipsy plays Nalbi now? As close to a bye as he could hope for in a 3rd round.

[allpro]

Originally Posted by BroTree123

. Tipsy can't even beat a semi-decent player this year to save his life.

you laugh now, but wait and see

[BroTree123]

Originally Posted by Filo V.

The only time these two played, AO 2007, Tipsarevic was 2-0 sets and a break serving for the match, and then suffered a heat stroke/choked and retired in the fifth set. Janko is clearly a better player now than he was then, but Nalby will be in return games. Nothing is stopping him from winning over Janko. But his up and down play his first two matches here show his confidence isn't really there right now. Matches like this can help with that. I definitely think he's in with a shot vs the Serbian.

Not really. It's 99% NID that Nalbandian will beat him.

[Filo V.]

I wouldn't say 99%. It's 50-50. But just because Nalbandian played bad today doesn't mean he can't beat Janko when they play in R3. He just has to find a way to play better than he did today.

[1811mil]

Originally Posted by Filo V.

Match was topsy-turvy, as many matches have been throughout this tournament, and the quality wasn't very good. Cilic had two break points in the first game of the match after Nalbandian had 30-0 and didn't take them. From there it seemed as if Nalbandian gained confidence, as he played two strong games to break on an off-forehand and hold to love with good serving, and poor returns from Marin. Cilic looked rattled, and Nalbandian had break points at 4-*1 to serve for the set, which he didn't take advantage of.

Nalbandian held serve throughout the first set until 5-3 when serving for it, where he made some loose errors and played tentatively, and Cilic started hitting with authority and going for his shots more being behind. David saved a break point before losing serve on a double fault to bring things back even at 5-4. At *5-6, Cilic had 40-15 before having to save another break point, making more loose errors and playing nervous tennis, but held on with a couple good serves and Nalbandian errors to get into a tiebreak.

Cilic had the early mini-break lead in the tiebreaker, but Nalbandian won four straight points from 3 all to win the breaker, hitting a great forehand winner for *4-3, serving better and allowing Cilic to get nervous and tightening up his game.

In the second set, both held serve without a break point against until 3 all, where Cilic played a very tired looking game, with abysmal serving and footwork to dump serve. Nalbandian then played a bad game with errors and mishits, to lose his break advantage immediately. Cilic had 30 all at 5-*4 after a couple poor Nalbandian errors to potentially win the set, didn't take advantage and got broken immediately afterward, making extremely tight errors, missing many first serves and hitting an ugly double fault, playing tentative tennis and being broken after saving three break points. Nalbandian fell behind 0-30 serving for the match at *6-5 with two extremely nervous missed shots, but climbed back with with decent serving and aggressive play to set up a match point. From there, Cilic played three great points in a row, hitting the ball with authority and confidence, and taking advantage of Nalbandian missing first serves, to break to enter the second set breaker.

In the tiebreak, the two traded mini-breaks twice early, both missing first serves and making poor errors. Nalbandian again made a run in the tiebreak as in the first set, going from *1-3 down to *5-4 ahead with confident play and good serving, eventually winning the match with an ace, and on a Cilic error at match point.

Overall, there wasn't too much between them. Neither played particularly well in any area, both showed signs of mental fragility, but both had moments of greatness. But David was the one who played with more assertiveness at the end of both tiebreakers, and that ended up being the difference.

A nervy win but a tough win for Nalbandian.

could you please stop saying ,,topsy-turvy,, in EVERY match thread you open...

[rocketassist]

Nalbandian = real tennis.

[Filo V.]

I would stop saying topsy-turvy if the matches weren't all so ridiculously topsy-turvy. It's the perfect description for basically 80% of the matches so far in Indian Wells.

This match was topsy-turvy personified.