Rio Olympic Men’s Singles Preview It’s been four years since Andy Murray won Olympic Gold for Great Britain at the London games. This time, the scene shifts south to Brazil where Rio de Janeiroplays home to the 64 player field at the 2016 games. All matches will be played outdoors on hard courts at the Olympic Tennis Centre, which houses 16 courts altogether. Weather at this time of year in Rio averages around 78 degrees fahrenheit or 26 degrees Celsius. As with any city, there are bound to be temperature spikes which could see highs perhaps up towards 80. Humidity could be the bigger factor for players with Rio right at sea level and often very humid.
Due to “injuries” a.k.a. fear of the Zika virus and actual fear of Rio and the Zika virus, only 10 of the players in the field are currently ranked inside the Top 20 currently on the ATP Tour. The field should be top heavy with Novak Djokovic and defending Gold medalist Andy Murray as the two obvious favorites to medal this year. Despite the myriad of accomplishments for Djokovic, who is now a 12-time Grand Slam winner, the Serb has just a single Olympic medal. That was a Bronze in the 2008 games. Djokovic lost to Juan Martin Del Potro in the Bronze medal match in 2012. Murray has the Gold from 2012 along with a Silver that same year in mixed doubles. Outside of Djokovic, Murray and Del Potro, only Rafael Nadal has an Olympic medal among this year’s field. Rafa won Gold in 2008.
Three of those four medal winners (Djokovic, Murray, Nadal) will be seeded in the top five along with Kei Nishikori, who will hold down the #4 spot and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga at #5. Following Djokovic, Murray, Nadal, Nishikori and Tsonga among the top eight seeds are Gael Monfils, David Ferrer and David Goffin (Belgium). All those players are ranked 13th or better in the latest ATP rankings. There are nine players ranked outside the Top 100 who have a spot in the draw with Barbados’ Darian Kingas the lowest ranked player to participate (278). Only six countries are taking advantage of being able to send a maximum of four players into the singles competition: Argentina, Australia, France, Italy, Spain and the United States.
In looking back at the last three Olympics (2004,2008,2012), it has been all seeds to win medals outside of 2004 when American Mardy Fish crashed the party as a Silver medal winning unseeded outsider in Atlanta. That means eight of the last nine medalists have been seeded and this year’s field could hold much the same. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the Top 16 seeds in Rio and how they could fare at this year’s games.
Rio Olympic Men’s Singles Preview It’s been four years since Andy Murray won Olympic Gold for Great Britain at the London games. This time, the scene shifts south to Brazil where Rio de Janeiroplays home to the 64 player field at the 2016 games. All matches will be played outdoors on hard courts at the Olympic Tennis Centre, which houses 16 courts altogether. Weather at this time of year in Rio averages around 78 degrees fahrenheit or 26 degrees Celsius. As with any city, there are bound to be temperature spikes which could see highs perhaps up towards 80. Humidity could be the bigger factor for players with Rio right at sea level and often very humid.
Due to “injuries” a.k.a. fear of the Zika virus and actual fear of Rio and the Zika virus, only 10 of the players in the field are currently ranked inside the Top 20 currently on the ATP Tour. The field should be top heavy with Novak Djokovic and defending Gold medalist Andy Murray as the two obvious favorites to medal this year. Despite the myriad of accomplishments for Djokovic, who is now a 12-time Grand Slam winner, the Serb has just a single Olympic medal. That was a Bronze in the 2008 games. Djokovic lost to Juan Martin Del Potro in the Bronze medal match in 2012. Murray has the Gold from 2012 along with a Silver that same year in mixed doubles. Outside of Djokovic, Murray and Del Potro, only Rafael Nadal has an Olympic medal among this year’s field. Rafa won Gold in 2008.
Three of those four medal winners (Djokovic, Murray, Nadal) will be seeded in the top five along with Kei Nishikori, who will hold down the #4 spot and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga at #5. Following Djokovic, Murray, Nadal, Nishikori and Tsonga among the top eight seeds are Gael Monfils, David Ferrer and David Goffin (Belgium). All those players are ranked 13th or better in the latest ATP rankings. There are nine players ranked outside the Top 100 who have a spot in the draw with Barbados’ Darian Kingas the lowest ranked player to participate (278). Only six countries are taking advantage of being able to send a maximum of four players into the singles competition: Argentina, Australia, France, Italy, Spain and the United States.
In looking back at the last three Olympics (2004,2008,2012), it has been all seeds to win medals outside of 2004 when American Mardy Fish crashed the party as a Silver medal winning unseeded outsider in Atlanta. That means eight of the last nine medalists have been seeded and this year’s field could hold much the same. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the Top 16 seeds in Rio and how they could fare at this year’s games.
Seed Report 1. Novak Djokovic Djokovic comes in off the heels of his 4th Rogers Cup title in Toronto last week. The Serb was playing for the first time since his shock exit at Wimbledon to Sam Querrey. Djokovic did well enough, not dropping a set in winning five matches. The reigning #1 player in the world moved his record on outdoor hard courts to an astonishing 31-1 this year. His lone loss came in Dubai when he suffered from an eye problem that forced him to retire against Feliciano Lopez. As mentioned above, Djokovic did not medal in 2012 and has only a bronze medal (2008) to show for in his Olympic career.
2. Andy Murray Murray hasn’t played since winning his third career Grand Slam at Wimbledon. The Scot withdrew from Rogers Cup play in order to train strictly for the Rio games. It seems a prudent course of action with Murray having played just 11 matches on outdoor hard courts this season. He is 8-3 in those tilts, with unexpected early season losses in Indian Wells to Federico Delbonis and in Miami to Grigor Dimitrov. Those may have been a product of distraction when Murray and his wife were expecting their first child. Murray won Gold in 2012 in his lone appearance at the Olympics.
3. Rafael Nadal Nadal has just a dozen matches on hard courts this year, going 8-4. Two of those losses have come at the hands of Djokovic. The Spaniard has been sidelined since the French Open, when he was forced to withdraw due to a wrist injury. He has spent the time since resting and rehabbing. He pronounced himself fit enough to play singles, men’s doubles and mixed doubles in Rio. That seems a bit overzealous for a man who has had plenty of issues staying healthy in the last few years. Rafa missed the 2012 games due to a knee tendonitis, but did win the Gold in 2008 in Beijing.
4. Kei Nishikori Nishikori comes in arguably with the second best form on hard courts this season. The fourth seed in Rio is 19-6 outdoors on hard courts in 2016. That includes a pair of Masters finals in Miami and Toronto. Half those losses have come courtesy of Djokovic. Nadal is responsible for inflicting one as well. Still, Nishikori has been consistent on this surface so far with his physical well-being usually the bigger question mark versus his game. Nishikori made the quarterfinals at the last Olympics, losing to Del Potro.
5. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga Tsonga is another one who shunned the Rogers Cup to prep for Rio. The Frenchman did play Davis Cup in July with a 1-1 mark against the Czech Republic. He lost to Lukas Rosol, but came up clutch against Jiri Vesely on an indoor hard surface. Outdoors this year on hard courts, Tsonga is 9-4. Two losses have come from Roberto Bautista Agut, another from Djokovic and the fourth via Nishikori at the Australian Open. Tsonga made the quarterfinals in London back in 2012, losing to Djokovic as his lone foray into Olympic play.
6. Gael Monfils Monfils comes in with some of the best form of his career in recent years. After missing months due to injury, the French showman returned to play the Citi Open in July. He would win that tournament and then follow up with a semifinal run at the Rogers Cup. In all, Monfils is now 19-4 on outdoor hard courts this season. His losses have come to Milos Raonic (2), Djokovic and Nishikori. La Monf made the quarters at the Beijing games in 2008 and did not play in 2012.
Seed Report 1. Novak Djokovic Djokovic comes in off the heels of his 4th Rogers Cup title in Toronto last week. The Serb was playing for the first time since his shock exit at Wimbledon to Sam Querrey. Djokovic did well enough, not dropping a set in winning five matches. The reigning #1 player in the world moved his record on outdoor hard courts to an astonishing 31-1 this year. His lone loss came in Dubai when he suffered from an eye problem that forced him to retire against Feliciano Lopez. As mentioned above, Djokovic did not medal in 2012 and has only a bronze medal (2008) to show for in his Olympic career.
2. Andy Murray Murray hasn’t played since winning his third career Grand Slam at Wimbledon. The Scot withdrew from Rogers Cup play in order to train strictly for the Rio games. It seems a prudent course of action with Murray having played just 11 matches on outdoor hard courts this season. He is 8-3 in those tilts, with unexpected early season losses in Indian Wells to Federico Delbonis and in Miami to Grigor Dimitrov. Those may have been a product of distraction when Murray and his wife were expecting their first child. Murray won Gold in 2012 in his lone appearance at the Olympics.
3. Rafael Nadal Nadal has just a dozen matches on hard courts this year, going 8-4. Two of those losses have come at the hands of Djokovic. The Spaniard has been sidelined since the French Open, when he was forced to withdraw due to a wrist injury. He has spent the time since resting and rehabbing. He pronounced himself fit enough to play singles, men’s doubles and mixed doubles in Rio. That seems a bit overzealous for a man who has had plenty of issues staying healthy in the last few years. Rafa missed the 2012 games due to a knee tendonitis, but did win the Gold in 2008 in Beijing.
4. Kei Nishikori Nishikori comes in arguably with the second best form on hard courts this season. The fourth seed in Rio is 19-6 outdoors on hard courts in 2016. That includes a pair of Masters finals in Miami and Toronto. Half those losses have come courtesy of Djokovic. Nadal is responsible for inflicting one as well. Still, Nishikori has been consistent on this surface so far with his physical well-being usually the bigger question mark versus his game. Nishikori made the quarterfinals at the last Olympics, losing to Del Potro.
5. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga Tsonga is another one who shunned the Rogers Cup to prep for Rio. The Frenchman did play Davis Cup in July with a 1-1 mark against the Czech Republic. He lost to Lukas Rosol, but came up clutch against Jiri Vesely on an indoor hard surface. Outdoors this year on hard courts, Tsonga is 9-4. Two losses have come from Roberto Bautista Agut, another from Djokovic and the fourth via Nishikori at the Australian Open. Tsonga made the quarterfinals in London back in 2012, losing to Djokovic as his lone foray into Olympic play.
6. Gael Monfils Monfils comes in with some of the best form of his career in recent years. After missing months due to injury, the French showman returned to play the Citi Open in July. He would win that tournament and then follow up with a semifinal run at the Rogers Cup. In all, Monfils is now 19-4 on outdoor hard courts this season. His losses have come to Milos Raonic (2), Djokovic and Nishikori. La Monf made the quarters at the Beijing games in 2008 and did not play in 2012.
7. David Ferrer The 34-year-old has had plenty of trouble staying healthy in 2016. Ferrer has managed to play 40 matches in 2016, but his results have been all over the map. He is just 8-5 on outdoor hard courts this season and hasn’t played on the surface since Miami in March. His last tournament came in early July in Bastad, where he lost in the quarterfinals to Albert Ramos-Vinolas. Ferrer is 0-1 in his Olympic career, losing his lone match in 2008 to Janko Tipsarevic.
8. David Goffin Goffin is a solid 14-5 on outdoor hard courts this year. Djokovic, Federer, Raonic and Monfils are responsible for four of those losses. The fifth came early in the season to Lucas Pouille and of course doesn’t look too bad given Pouille’s surge into the Top 30. This will be Goffin’s Olympic debut. The Belgian has gone 14-6 all-time in Davis Cup singles rubbers, including 7-2 on hard courts. This shouldn’t be too large a stage for him and he’s proven to be a consistent performer just outside of the top tier of players.
9. Marin Cilic The Croat sports a 7-6 record on outdoor hard courts in ATP play this season, but did add a big win in Davis Cup play in July against the United States. Cilic has had problems with consistency this year as he comes in off a Rogers Cup opening loss to Ivo Karlovic. Cilic makes his Olympic debut in Rio, but has been a stalwart in International play in Davis Cup over the years. He has racked up a 25-15 mark overall in singles with a stout 16-4 record on hard courts.
10. Roberto Bautista Agut RBA is 14-5 on outdoor hard courts in 2015. His brightest moment on the surface came in January when he won the title in Auckland, knocking off John Isner, Tsonga and Jack Sock along the way. Both his titles this season came on hard courts, the other indoors in Sofia. Overall, six of his eight ATP finals appearances have come on hard courts. He is one of the Spaniards who performs fairly evenly on both hard courts and clay. This will be Bautista Agut’s first appearance in the Olympics.
11. Pablo Cuevas Cuevas often gets a bad wrap as just a good clay court player. He is, but he has also shown to be very competent on hard courts. This season, Cuevas is only 3-4 on outdoor hard courts. Still, his losses have come to Grigor Dimitrov, Gael Monfils, Nick Kyrgios and Guido Pella. He was competitive in all of those losses. This will also be Cuevas’ first Olympic trip, but he too has a wealth of experience in Davis Cup play. He stands 30-10 overall in DC play and 6-2 on hard courts, so again he should not be overwhelmed at all.
12. Steve Johnson Johnson heads to the Olympic games for the first time and in the midst of a breakout season on the ATP World Tour. Johnson has racked up 20 wins already in 2016 and his first career title. His 8-9 mark on outdoor hard courts looks paltry by comparison to some, but he has heated up after a slow start on the surface. He made the Citi Open semifinals before a disappointing loss to Fabio Fognini at the Rogers Cup.
7. David Ferrer The 34-year-old has had plenty of trouble staying healthy in 2016. Ferrer has managed to play 40 matches in 2016, but his results have been all over the map. He is just 8-5 on outdoor hard courts this season and hasn’t played on the surface since Miami in March. His last tournament came in early July in Bastad, where he lost in the quarterfinals to Albert Ramos-Vinolas. Ferrer is 0-1 in his Olympic career, losing his lone match in 2008 to Janko Tipsarevic.
8. David Goffin Goffin is a solid 14-5 on outdoor hard courts this year. Djokovic, Federer, Raonic and Monfils are responsible for four of those losses. The fifth came early in the season to Lucas Pouille and of course doesn’t look too bad given Pouille’s surge into the Top 30. This will be Goffin’s Olympic debut. The Belgian has gone 14-6 all-time in Davis Cup singles rubbers, including 7-2 on hard courts. This shouldn’t be too large a stage for him and he’s proven to be a consistent performer just outside of the top tier of players.
9. Marin Cilic The Croat sports a 7-6 record on outdoor hard courts in ATP play this season, but did add a big win in Davis Cup play in July against the United States. Cilic has had problems with consistency this year as he comes in off a Rogers Cup opening loss to Ivo Karlovic. Cilic makes his Olympic debut in Rio, but has been a stalwart in International play in Davis Cup over the years. He has racked up a 25-15 mark overall in singles with a stout 16-4 record on hard courts.
10. Roberto Bautista Agut RBA is 14-5 on outdoor hard courts in 2015. His brightest moment on the surface came in January when he won the title in Auckland, knocking off John Isner, Tsonga and Jack Sock along the way. Both his titles this season came on hard courts, the other indoors in Sofia. Overall, six of his eight ATP finals appearances have come on hard courts. He is one of the Spaniards who performs fairly evenly on both hard courts and clay. This will be Bautista Agut’s first appearance in the Olympics.
11. Pablo Cuevas Cuevas often gets a bad wrap as just a good clay court player. He is, but he has also shown to be very competent on hard courts. This season, Cuevas is only 3-4 on outdoor hard courts. Still, his losses have come to Grigor Dimitrov, Gael Monfils, Nick Kyrgios and Guido Pella. He was competitive in all of those losses. This will also be Cuevas’ first Olympic trip, but he too has a wealth of experience in Davis Cup play. He stands 30-10 overall in DC play and 6-2 on hard courts, so again he should not be overwhelmed at all.
12. Steve Johnson Johnson heads to the Olympic games for the first time and in the midst of a breakout season on the ATP World Tour. Johnson has racked up 20 wins already in 2016 and his first career title. His 8-9 mark on outdoor hard courts looks paltry by comparison to some, but he has heated up after a slow start on the surface. He made the Citi Open semifinals before a disappointing loss to Fabio Fognini at the Rogers Cup.
13. Philipp Kohlschreiber The 32-year old German veteran is another first timer in Rio. Kohlschreiber is just 4-4 on outdoor hard courts this season, but all four losses have been to solid players in Djokovic, Nishikori, Tsonga and Stan Wawrinka. The German has always been respectable on this surface and generally fights well. This is a nice reward for one of the true professionals on tour.
14. Jack Sock Since a hot start to the season on this surface in Auckland where he made the final, Sock has cooled off considerably. He went 4-1 in New Zealand, but stands just 11-6 on the season. He’s been largely a .500 type of guy since that start. Perhaps the Davis Cup tie against Croatia best exemplified how maddening it is to see Sock struggle on this surface. He worked the miracle five set comeback over Marin Cilic, but then was terrible in losing the fifth rubber to Borna Coric. Sock’s issues stem from a return game that has not really improved enough to help him against the better players on tour and just general inconsistencies still with his game. His serve has been very disappointing at times and needs to be better if he is going to make a run in Rio.
15. Gilles Simon Simon returns to the Olympics for the first time since Beijing in 2008, where he made the third round. The Frenchman has been mired in mediocrity this year on tour at 19-16. On hard courts, he has gone 7-4 with a couple nice results. Simon made the fourth round of the Australian Open – pushing Djokovic to five sets – and he made the quarterfinals in Miami. His results this summer on the grass swing were underwhelming, but his backboard style of play can be tough for players who lack patience. If fit, Simon could be a fly in the ointment for someone of a higher rank.
16. Benoit Paire The roller coaster that is Benoit Paire makes its first stop at the Olympics this year. Paire is 6-7 on hard courts outdoors this season. The recent North American swing showing his trademark inconsistency as he followed up a quarterfinal run in Washington, D.C. by getting slaughtered by Radek Stepanek at the Rogers Cup the following week 6-1, 6-3. Paire is one who has not participated in Davis Cup either, so he doesn’t have much experience playing “for country.” As usual, he could win a few or get absolutely pounded in round one.
13. Philipp Kohlschreiber The 32-year old German veteran is another first timer in Rio. Kohlschreiber is just 4-4 on outdoor hard courts this season, but all four losses have been to solid players in Djokovic, Nishikori, Tsonga and Stan Wawrinka. The German has always been respectable on this surface and generally fights well. This is a nice reward for one of the true professionals on tour.
14. Jack Sock Since a hot start to the season on this surface in Auckland where he made the final, Sock has cooled off considerably. He went 4-1 in New Zealand, but stands just 11-6 on the season. He’s been largely a .500 type of guy since that start. Perhaps the Davis Cup tie against Croatia best exemplified how maddening it is to see Sock struggle on this surface. He worked the miracle five set comeback over Marin Cilic, but then was terrible in losing the fifth rubber to Borna Coric. Sock’s issues stem from a return game that has not really improved enough to help him against the better players on tour and just general inconsistencies still with his game. His serve has been very disappointing at times and needs to be better if he is going to make a run in Rio.
15. Gilles Simon Simon returns to the Olympics for the first time since Beijing in 2008, where he made the third round. The Frenchman has been mired in mediocrity this year on tour at 19-16. On hard courts, he has gone 7-4 with a couple nice results. Simon made the fourth round of the Australian Open – pushing Djokovic to five sets – and he made the quarterfinals in Miami. His results this summer on the grass swing were underwhelming, but his backboard style of play can be tough for players who lack patience. If fit, Simon could be a fly in the ointment for someone of a higher rank.
16. Benoit Paire The roller coaster that is Benoit Paire makes its first stop at the Olympics this year. Paire is 6-7 on hard courts outdoors this season. The recent North American swing showing his trademark inconsistency as he followed up a quarterfinal run in Washington, D.C. by getting slaughtered by Radek Stepanek at the Rogers Cup the following week 6-1, 6-3. Paire is one who has not participated in Davis Cup either, so he doesn’t have much experience playing “for country.” As usual, he could win a few or get absolutely pounded in round one.
Quarter Previews Quarter #1: Novak Djokovic (1) An absolute soul crusher for Juan Martin Del Potro and to an extent for Djokovic to be paired against each other in round one. The “randomness” of the draw pits a repeat of the 2012 Bronze medal match in round one. The big plus for Djokovic is Del Potro’s lack of match play. The Argentine has not played since losing in round three at Wimbledon and has played just 21 matches this season. Perhaps that leaves him fresher than most at this point, but Delpo needs reps in my mind to find his best game. So far, that has not been seen nearly enough. Since the Olympic defeat, Djokovic has owned Del Potro to the tune of 7-1 in their last eight. That version of Del Potro was better than this version, so despite the marquee names, this is one Djokovic has to expect to win.
Elsewhere in the top half of the quarter, Jack Sock (14) is the only other seed floating around. Sock opens with Japan’s Taro Daniel. Daniel may be better suited to clay, but he isn’t a pushover on hard courts. Sock will need to muster up some good stuff to dispatch of him. The other two first rounders in this half are Joao Sousa vs Robin Haase and Kyle Edmund vs Jordan Thompson. The latter being a nice match-up of youngsters, but none in this half seemingly close in class to Djokovic. Don’t be stunned though if the winner of that Thompson-Edmund match pushes Sock hard in round two if he’s there.
The bottom half of the quarter features 5th seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. Tsonga too had a bit of a tricky first round match-up, albeit very winnable against Tunisian Malek Jaziri. Tsonga won their lone career match in Doha back in 2012, a three set fight that included two tiebreaks. Progression from that match would see Tsonga against Gilles Muller or Jerzy Janowicz. Janowicz had been out since January due to a knee injury. He chose to play the Segovia Challenger last week, losing in three to Luca Vanni. It at least gave him some much-needed match play. Muller has enjoyed a solid summer at age 33 with some great grass court results. He has shown well enough on hard courts to expect a win here and a tough out against Tsonga if that happens in round two.
The other seed in the bottom half is Roberto Baustista Agut (10). RBA draws Russian Andrey Kuznetsov to open. A win there would put him up against either Yen-Hsun Lu or Paolo Lorenzi. It’s a pretty nice early draw for the Spaniard who could emerge from this part of the draw as a quarterfinalist. RBA has beaten Tsonga twice on hard courts this season in Auckland and Miami. All three of their career meetings on outdoor hard courts have gone three sets.
Zika-Proof Predictions Djokovic struggles a bit against Del Potro, but is able to get stronger as the draw advances. He beats Bautista Agut in the quarterfinals for a shot at a medal. Jack Sock disappoints with an early exit.
Quarter Previews Quarter #1: Novak Djokovic (1) An absolute soul crusher for Juan Martin Del Potro and to an extent for Djokovic to be paired against each other in round one. The “randomness” of the draw pits a repeat of the 2012 Bronze medal match in round one. The big plus for Djokovic is Del Potro’s lack of match play. The Argentine has not played since losing in round three at Wimbledon and has played just 21 matches this season. Perhaps that leaves him fresher than most at this point, but Delpo needs reps in my mind to find his best game. So far, that has not been seen nearly enough. Since the Olympic defeat, Djokovic has owned Del Potro to the tune of 7-1 in their last eight. That version of Del Potro was better than this version, so despite the marquee names, this is one Djokovic has to expect to win.
Elsewhere in the top half of the quarter, Jack Sock (14) is the only other seed floating around. Sock opens with Japan’s Taro Daniel. Daniel may be better suited to clay, but he isn’t a pushover on hard courts. Sock will need to muster up some good stuff to dispatch of him. The other two first rounders in this half are Joao Sousa vs Robin Haase and Kyle Edmund vs Jordan Thompson. The latter being a nice match-up of youngsters, but none in this half seemingly close in class to Djokovic. Don’t be stunned though if the winner of that Thompson-Edmund match pushes Sock hard in round two if he’s there.
The bottom half of the quarter features 5th seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. Tsonga too had a bit of a tricky first round match-up, albeit very winnable against Tunisian Malek Jaziri. Tsonga won their lone career match in Doha back in 2012, a three set fight that included two tiebreaks. Progression from that match would see Tsonga against Gilles Muller or Jerzy Janowicz. Janowicz had been out since January due to a knee injury. He chose to play the Segovia Challenger last week, losing in three to Luca Vanni. It at least gave him some much-needed match play. Muller has enjoyed a solid summer at age 33 with some great grass court results. He has shown well enough on hard courts to expect a win here and a tough out against Tsonga if that happens in round two.
The other seed in the bottom half is Roberto Baustista Agut (10). RBA draws Russian Andrey Kuznetsov to open. A win there would put him up against either Yen-Hsun Lu or Paolo Lorenzi. It’s a pretty nice early draw for the Spaniard who could emerge from this part of the draw as a quarterfinalist. RBA has beaten Tsonga twice on hard courts this season in Auckland and Miami. All three of their career meetings on outdoor hard courts have gone three sets.
Zika-Proof Predictions Djokovic struggles a bit against Del Potro, but is able to get stronger as the draw advances. He beats Bautista Agut in the quarterfinals for a shot at a medal. Jack Sock disappoints with an early exit.
Quarter #2: Rafael Nadal (3) The expectations on Nadal should be low. Out since withdrawing from the French Open with a continuing wrist problem, it is impossible to know the true status of the lefty until he plays. When healthy this year, he has shown some ability still to grind out positive results. This quarter realistically is set up almost perfectly for him to make a run. There is no power presence to blow him off the court. The other seeds in this quarter are Goffin (8), Cuevas (11) and Simon (15). If he made the draw himself, only Goffin might be someone he would have wanted to avoid. That is despite Cuevas beating him on clay this year. Rafa opens against Federico Delbonis of Argentina. Nadal is 2-0 against Delbonis.
A win there gets him a winnable match-up against Andreas Seppi or Illya Marchenko. Simon has a tougher task in this half with Borna Coric to open. I’m not sure Coric has the patience or consistent forehand to stick with the long rallies Simon will employ, but he could make things interesting due to Simon’s own inconsistent play off the ground this year. The winner there gets Brian Baker or Yuichi Sugita. Baker of course is a great story, playing his first Olympics at age 31 after multiple lost seasons due to injury. He has played better of late and can beat Sugita. If Rafa isn’t hindered by the wrist, he really does have a good shot to get to the quarters at-minimum.
In the bottom half, the lead seed is Goffin with Cuevas as the other. Goffin has to face big hitting Sam Groth, who was a last minute sub for Australia after Stan Wawrinka’s withdrawal opened a slot in the field of 64. Nothing at all suggests Groth can hang with Goffin. That should set Goffin up for success against Damir Dzumhur of Bosnia or Israel’s Dudi Sela in round two. That should be a good 1st rounder. Cuevas opens against Nikoloz Basilashvili with the winner getting Germany’s Dustin Brown or Brazil’s own Thomaz Bellucci. There’s definitely some wiggle room for an upset here with Cuevas as no lock on this surface. Basilashvili might be better on clay, but he could be more troublesome than Brown or Bellucci.
Zika-Proof Predictions Goffin comes out of this quarter for a shot at a medal due to his better consistency and all-around game on this surface right now. Nadal has his chances in a quarterfinal clash with the Belgian, but falls apart late. Dustin Brown makes at least two ridiculous shots that are talked about for several days.
Quarter #2: Rafael Nadal (3) The expectations on Nadal should be low. Out since withdrawing from the French Open with a continuing wrist problem, it is impossible to know the true status of the lefty until he plays. When healthy this year, he has shown some ability still to grind out positive results. This quarter realistically is set up almost perfectly for him to make a run. There is no power presence to blow him off the court. The other seeds in this quarter are Goffin (8), Cuevas (11) and Simon (15). If he made the draw himself, only Goffin might be someone he would have wanted to avoid. That is despite Cuevas beating him on clay this year. Rafa opens against Federico Delbonis of Argentina. Nadal is 2-0 against Delbonis.
A win there gets him a winnable match-up against Andreas Seppi or Illya Marchenko. Simon has a tougher task in this half with Borna Coric to open. I’m not sure Coric has the patience or consistent forehand to stick with the long rallies Simon will employ, but he could make things interesting due to Simon’s own inconsistent play off the ground this year. The winner there gets Brian Baker or Yuichi Sugita. Baker of course is a great story, playing his first Olympics at age 31 after multiple lost seasons due to injury. He has played better of late and can beat Sugita. If Rafa isn’t hindered by the wrist, he really does have a good shot to get to the quarters at-minimum.
In the bottom half, the lead seed is Goffin with Cuevas as the other. Goffin has to face big hitting Sam Groth, who was a last minute sub for Australia after Stan Wawrinka’s withdrawal opened a slot in the field of 64. Nothing at all suggests Groth can hang with Goffin. That should set Goffin up for success against Damir Dzumhur of Bosnia or Israel’s Dudi Sela in round two. That should be a good 1st rounder. Cuevas opens against Nikoloz Basilashvili with the winner getting Germany’s Dustin Brown or Brazil’s own Thomaz Bellucci. There’s definitely some wiggle room for an upset here with Cuevas as no lock on this surface. Basilashvili might be better on clay, but he could be more troublesome than Brown or Bellucci.
Zika-Proof Predictions Goffin comes out of this quarter for a shot at a medal due to his better consistency and all-around game on this surface right now. Nadal has his chances in a quarterfinal clash with the Belgian, but falls apart late. Dustin Brown makes at least two ridiculous shots that are talked about for several days.
Quarter #3: Kei Nishikori (4) If seeds hold, this quarterfinal could be one of the matches of the tournament. It’s Nishikori as the fourth seed in one half and Gael Monfils as the 6th seed in the other half. Nishikori opens with Spain’s Albert Ramos-Vinolas. The Spaniard should not be taken lightly. He’s still better on clay, but can hang with the best on hard courts too. Nishikori has three wins against him, but the last time they met in 2013, it was Ramos-Vinolas who won. That was on clay. The winner batles Australia’s John Millman or Lthuanian Ricardas Berankis. Both can have their moments on hard surfaes, but Nishikori should be the class in this part of the quarter.
In the other side of this half of the quarter, 13th seed Philipp Kohlschreiber takes on Argentina’s Guido Pella to start. Pella is another who has stepped outside his weight class a time or two to score an upset on this surface. Don’t be shocked if he gets one here. Denis Kudla or Andrej Martin awaits the winner. If Nishikori can avoid any potential trouble early against Ramos-Vinolas, this really should be his time to shine until the quarterfinals at-minimum.
For Monfils, it’s a comfortable start against Vasek Pospisil. The Canadian has quite simply lost his way as a singles player. That led him to part ways with his longtime coach recently. Given Monfils’ surge, it likely would not matter if Pospisil had a coach or not. He should coast to round three with Rogerio Dutra Silva or Thomas Fabbiano the opponent in round two. Or at least, Monfils v.2016 should. Still a little seed of doubt in your mind that he will revert to clown play at some point, isn’t there?
A blockbuster first round match is opposite Monfils in this half with 12th seed Marin Cilic clashing with Grigor Dimitrov in the opening round. That goes to show how far Dimitrov has fallen off that he’s having to go against a seed this early. The series is split 1-1 between these two and perhaps Dimitrov’s run at the Rogers Cup gives him the confidence boost he needs. An upset is not out of the question here for sure. The winner gets Radu Albot or Russian Temuraz Gabashvili. Whether it might be Cilic or Dimitrov, Monfils in his current form should prevail to that meeting against Nishikori.
Zika-Proof Predictions We get our show of shows in the quarterfinals with Nishikori vs Monfils. They play an epic third set that goes on for a while. Dimitrov either wins a few for a surprise run or changes nationalities and becomes a full-time resident of Micronesia, the only place where his name and game might be big now.
Quarter #3: Kei Nishikori (4) If seeds hold, this quarterfinal could be one of the matches of the tournament. It’s Nishikori as the fourth seed in one half and Gael Monfils as the 6th seed in the other half. Nishikori opens with Spain’s Albert Ramos-Vinolas. The Spaniard should not be taken lightly. He’s still better on clay, but can hang with the best on hard courts too. Nishikori has three wins against him, but the last time they met in 2013, it was Ramos-Vinolas who won. That was on clay. The winner batles Australia’s John Millman or Lthuanian Ricardas Berankis. Both can have their moments on hard surfaes, but Nishikori should be the class in this part of the quarter.
In the other side of this half of the quarter, 13th seed Philipp Kohlschreiber takes on Argentina’s Guido Pella to start. Pella is another who has stepped outside his weight class a time or two to score an upset on this surface. Don’t be shocked if he gets one here. Denis Kudla or Andrej Martin awaits the winner. If Nishikori can avoid any potential trouble early against Ramos-Vinolas, this really should be his time to shine until the quarterfinals at-minimum.
For Monfils, it’s a comfortable start against Vasek Pospisil. The Canadian has quite simply lost his way as a singles player. That led him to part ways with his longtime coach recently. Given Monfils’ surge, it likely would not matter if Pospisil had a coach or not. He should coast to round three with Rogerio Dutra Silva or Thomas Fabbiano the opponent in round two. Or at least, Monfils v.2016 should. Still a little seed of doubt in your mind that he will revert to clown play at some point, isn’t there?
A blockbuster first round match is opposite Monfils in this half with 12th seed Marin Cilic clashing with Grigor Dimitrov in the opening round. That goes to show how far Dimitrov has fallen off that he’s having to go against a seed this early. The series is split 1-1 between these two and perhaps Dimitrov’s run at the Rogers Cup gives him the confidence boost he needs. An upset is not out of the question here for sure. The winner gets Radu Albot or Russian Temuraz Gabashvili. Whether it might be Cilic or Dimitrov, Monfils in his current form should prevail to that meeting against Nishikori.
Zika-Proof Predictions We get our show of shows in the quarterfinals with Nishikori vs Monfils. They play an epic third set that goes on for a while. Dimitrov either wins a few for a surprise run or changes nationalities and becomes a full-time resident of Micronesia, the only place where his name and game might be big now.
Quarter #4: Andy Murray (2) Murray will be pleased with his draw in Rio. David Ferrer (7) is the seed opposite of him in this quarter. The other seeds floating in this part of the draw are Steve Johnson and Benoit Paire. Much like Rafa and probably more so, Murray could not have written himself into a better draw to start. Viktor Troicki is the opening round opponent. The 2nd seed is 7-0 lifetime versus the Serb. A win gets Murray a look at either Juan Monaco or Mirza Basic.
The other half of this part of the quarter looks much more questionable as to the results. Paire could go down in round one with a tough match-up against Czech Lukas Rosol. The two have split four career meetings and two earlier in the year on hard courts. The survivor gets a piece of Fabio Fognini or Victor Estrella Burgos. That could be another competitive first round match. Fognini is in good form in recent times, but obviously floats in and out of usable brain activity from tournament to tournament. Burgos is just a solid veteran grinder who will make him work. If Fognini is flaky, Burgos makes him pay.
The top half with Ferrer and Johnson looks pretty wide open. Ferrer has not been in the best or form or health this season and draws Denis Istomin to start. Istomin beat Ferrer when the Spaniard retired in Geneva back in May. The Uzbeki has been mostly terrible this year (7-19), but has the flat and hard game to compete on this surface. The winner gets Evgeny Donskoy or Jan-Lennard Struff. Donskoy has two wins over Struff, but those were several years ago. The Russian does come in with a Challenger title last week in Astana on this surface though and can produce some magnificent stretches of tennis. He’ll be a tough out and could win more than one.
In the bottom of this top half, Johnson gets the lowest ranked player in the draw in Darian King. That’s good news for Johnson of course. Even better is that his second round foe will be either Gastao Elias or Thanasi Kokkinakis. Kokkinakis lost a thrilling match to Johnson in the qualifying rounds of the 2013 Australian Open. The problem for the Aussie has been injuries this season. He has not played a match since last Fall. It will be good to see him back on court, but there is no knowing how his surgically repaired shoulder will do here. That means Johnson should feel confident of a third round showing at-minimum if he can channel consistency in Rio. A quarterfinal isn’t a wing and a prayer either if he plays well.
Zika-Proof Predictions Murray runs through this quarter with relative ease and sets himself up well for defense of his Gold medal in the final two rounds. David Ferrer is done by round two, which could be a round longer than Paire or Fognini. Steve Johnson again shows why he might be the best American player currently by making a quarterfinal run.
Quarter #4: Andy Murray (2) Murray will be pleased with his draw in Rio. David Ferrer (7) is the seed opposite of him in this quarter. The other seeds floating in this part of the draw are Steve Johnson and Benoit Paire. Much like Rafa and probably more so, Murray could not have written himself into a better draw to start. Viktor Troicki is the opening round opponent. The 2nd seed is 7-0 lifetime versus the Serb. A win gets Murray a look at either Juan Monaco or Mirza Basic.
The other half of this part of the quarter looks much more questionable as to the results. Paire could go down in round one with a tough match-up against Czech Lukas Rosol. The two have split four career meetings and two earlier in the year on hard courts. The survivor gets a piece of Fabio Fognini or Victor Estrella Burgos. That could be another competitive first round match. Fognini is in good form in recent times, but obviously floats in and out of usable brain activity from tournament to tournament. Burgos is just a solid veteran grinder who will make him work. If Fognini is flaky, Burgos makes him pay.
The top half with Ferrer and Johnson looks pretty wide open. Ferrer has not been in the best or form or health this season and draws Denis Istomin to start. Istomin beat Ferrer when the Spaniard retired in Geneva back in May. The Uzbeki has been mostly terrible this year (7-19), but has the flat and hard game to compete on this surface. The winner gets Evgeny Donskoy or Jan-Lennard Struff. Donskoy has two wins over Struff, but those were several years ago. The Russian does come in with a Challenger title last week in Astana on this surface though and can produce some magnificent stretches of tennis. He’ll be a tough out and could win more than one.
In the bottom of this top half, Johnson gets the lowest ranked player in the draw in Darian King. That’s good news for Johnson of course. Even better is that his second round foe will be either Gastao Elias or Thanasi Kokkinakis. Kokkinakis lost a thrilling match to Johnson in the qualifying rounds of the 2013 Australian Open. The problem for the Aussie has been injuries this season. He has not played a match since last Fall. It will be good to see him back on court, but there is no knowing how his surgically repaired shoulder will do here. That means Johnson should feel confident of a third round showing at-minimum if he can channel consistency in Rio. A quarterfinal isn’t a wing and a prayer either if he plays well.
Zika-Proof Predictions Murray runs through this quarter with relative ease and sets himself up well for defense of his Gold medal in the final two rounds. David Ferrer is done by round two, which could be a round longer than Paire or Fognini. Steve Johnson again shows why he might be the best American player currently by making a quarterfinal run.
Going to be checking out the futures markets to see if there's much more being offered than just picking the Gold medal winner. If that is it, then likely skipping futures as there isn't a ton to like from what I have seen in that market.
Going to be checking out the futures markets to see if there's much more being offered than just picking the Gold medal winner. If that is it, then likely skipping futures as there isn't a ton to like from what I have seen in that market.
Gonna vomit if the over doesn't hit and Daniel winds up winning against Sock. Had him +1.5 sets on my list, but decided to go with the chalk fade on the total instead. Erg.
Gonna vomit if the over doesn't hit and Daniel winds up winning against Sock. Had him +1.5 sets on my list, but decided to go with the chalk fade on the total instead. Erg.
Positive traction today at 2-1. Scaled back on a couple picks that wound up winning, but didn't want to get buried two days in a row. Small profit is good profit. Long way to go.
Positive traction today at 2-1. Scaled back on a couple picks that wound up winning, but didn't want to get buried two days in a row. Small profit is good profit. Long way to go.
If you choose to make use of any information on this website including online sports betting services from any websites that may be featured on this website, we strongly recommend that you carefully check your local laws before doing so. It is your sole responsibility to understand your local laws and observe them strictly. Covers does not provide any advice or guidance as to the legality of online sports betting or other online gambling activities within your jurisdiction and you are responsible for complying with laws that are applicable to you in your relevant locality. Covers disclaims all liability associated with your use of this website and use of any information contained on it. As a condition of using this website, you agree to hold the owner of this website harmless from any claims arising from your use of any services on any third party website that may be featured by Covers.