I don’t want to be a grouch, but the above is not really the most exciting line-up for the Madrid Open Quarterfinals. The absence of Djokovic and Federer stand out as glaring holes and personally I would have liked Haas and Dimitrov to beautify the draw with their all-court games and one-handed backhands.
But enough whining. We still have some great matches to look forward to. My pick for the Madrid Open Semi-finals: Nadal, Nishikori, Murray, and Tsonga.
Some thoughts on the separate matches:
Nadal vs Ferrer. Ferru is a runner, a terrier, but how is he going to beat Nadal on clay? Sadly, a bit predictable.
Andujar vs Nishikori – blockbuster match! Nah, seriously. Andujar could with some Spanish cheering be a semi-final upset. But Nishikori is in good form so I doubt it.
Murray vs Berdych – the hottest match of the day. 4-4 H2H and a great match-up between attacker and defender. I pick Murray, but that’s with my gut – nothing else. Will be three sets.
Wavrinka vs Tsonga –Â The shadow-Swiss is playing great, but his H2H record vs Tsonga is not great. I have a feeling the clever Frenchman will outwit the Swiss one more time.
