WIMBLEDON, England — Like the main human characters in "Planet of the Apes," tennis fans might have trouble recognizing the world they return to Friday when play reverts to the bottom half of the draw, the same half that was devastated by the exits of Roger Federer, Maria Sharapova and Victoria Azarenka, among others, on Wednesday.
Rain late Thursday prevented the start of one of the Day 4 picks, Alison Riske vs. Urszula Radwanska, so that remains a suggestion for Day 5. The second-round match between Grega Zemlja and Grigor Dimitrov, which was halted by rain with Zemlja leading, 9-8, in the fifth set, is a good bet for entertainment, especially if Sharapova returns to the stands to support Dimitrov, her boyfriend, as she did on Thursday.
Here are six new picks from the third-round matches scheduled for Friday.
Nicolas Almagro vs. Jerzy Janowicz It could be entertaining, but putting this match on Centre Court reflects just how slim the pickings are in the bottom half of the men's draw. At No. 15, Almagro is the second-highest seed remaining in the bottom half, behind only No. 2 Andy Murray. Grass is by far his worst surface, and Wimbledon is the only Grand Slam at which he has never reached the second week. Janowicz, the big-serving No. 24 seed, has a game much more suited to grass, but he has never made it to the second week of any Grand Slam. Almagro knocked out Janowicz in the third round of the Australian Open in January, but the conditions should be stacked in Janowicz's favor this time.
Petra Kvitova vs. Ekaterina Makarova In the wreckage of the bottom half of the women's draw, this match-up is the rare marquee battle. Both left-handers, Kvitova, the 2011 Wimbledon champion, and Makarova play their best tennis on grass, and they might have been considered favorites to reach the semifinals had they been put further apart in the draw. Makarova has had the stronger recent form of the two, but Kvitova has more success on the Grand Slam stage. No. 8 Kvitova is the highest seed remaining on the bottom half, but No. 25 Makarova should hardly be considered a clear underdog when these two meet on Court No. 1 Friday afternoon.
Sloane Stephens vs. Petra Cetkovska Although it is a seeded player against a qualifier, whoever makes it out of this match could make it into the semifinals. Stephens, the No. 17 seed, beat Cetkovska in three sets at Wimbledon last year but had a tough second-round victory over Andrea Petkovic, winning by 8-6 in the third set. Cetkovska dropped only four games in a 6-2, 6-2 drubbing of No. 9 Caroline Wozniacki. Cetkovska was ranked No. 25 last year before injuries forced her off the tour and dropped her ranking so low that she needed to play in the qualifier to enter this year's tournament. With a win over Stephens, the 196th-ranked Cetkovska could be considered a serious contender to make the final out of this decimated bracket.
Jurgen Melzer vs. Sergiy Stakhovsky Stakhovsky, who beat Roger Federer in the second round, will have the chance to back up his serve-and-volley driven victory against Melzer, a former top-10 singles player and a champion at Wimbledon in both men's and mixed doubles. Melzer's left-handed baselining will prove a very different challenge from Federer's game for Stakhovsky, not to mention the immense possibility of a letdown after the biggest victory of his career. But if he can summon that same form again, there is room for him in this draw to make it quite far.
Marion Bartoli vs. Camila Giorgi At No. 15, Bartoli is the second-highest seed remaining in the women's draw, and the highest in her quarter. In 93rd-ranked Camila Giorgi, Bartoli faces a player who has recent familiarity with this stage of the tournament, having reached the fourth round of Wimbledon last year with a straight-sets upset of Nadia Petrova. Giorgi plays a stylish, aggressive game that will keep points short, just as Bartoli likes them. The margins of victory could be very small in this one.
Ernests Gulbis vs. Fernando Verdasco Though still a recognizable name for his run to the Australian Open finals and top 10 in 2009, the 54th-ranked Verdasco has been slumping for most of this year, going just 11-12. Gulbis, meanwhile, has been ascendant, going 23-9 and rising to No. 39 after starting the year at No. 136. Gulbis should be considered something of a favorite to reach the quarterfinal from his section, but if Verdasco can show glimpses of vintage shot-making, he could frustrate Gulbis into a possible collapse.
Anda sedang membaca artikel tentang
Straight Sets: Matches to Watch at Wimbledon on Day 5
Dengan url
http://suporterfanatikos.blogspot.com/2013/06/straight-sets-matches-to-watch-at.html
Anda boleh menyebar luaskannya atau mengcopy paste-nya
Straight Sets: Matches to Watch at Wimbledon on Day 5
namun jangan lupa untuk meletakkan link
Straight Sets: Matches to Watch at Wimbledon on Day 5
sebagai sumbernya
0 komentar:
Posting Komentar