Tomas Berdych going for Top-5

It’s been a great start of the year for Tomas Berdych, as he is standing #4 in the RACE this year, with a 18-4 record with some really solid tennis, which makes us think he can finally assault Top-5 this year and why not try to win his maiden GS.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga awful season vs Top-10’s.

– Throughout the course of the years, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga has been regarded as one of the most dangerous players for the Top-5 out there, among with Soderling, Berdych or Nalbandian & Davydenko on their prime, but he was also tagged as a player who could lose to nearly anyone on a bad day. But this changed radically this season, as he has been awful vs Top-10 players all year long ( a record of 1/15!) , but his consistency vs lesser players has made him stay in the Top-10 ( he has only been defeated 10 times by a non Top-10 player). Now we’ll some stastics from him vs Top-10’s.

Overall record by season vs Top-10’s:

2012: 1/15 [ 6,25%].
2011: 10/13 [ 43,47%].
2010: 1/5 [ 16,66%].
2009: 5/5 [ 50%].
2008: 8/5 [ 61,53%]
2007: 0/3 [ 0%].
Previously to 2007: 1/1 [ 50%].

Overall record: 26/47 [ 35,61%].

Losses not to Top-10 players this season:

1- #26 Nishikori- Australian Open R4.
2- #74 Nalbandian- Indian Wells R4.
3- #11 Isner- Davis Cup QF’s.
4- #15 Simon- Monte-Carlo QF.
5- #134 Haas- Munich R2.
6- #20 Dolgopolov- Madrid R3.
7- #69 Dodig- Queens R3.
8- #47 Chardy- Toronto R2.
9- #52 Klizan- US Open R2.
10- #58 Malisse- Valencia R1.

Losses not to Top-10 players on his Top-20 seasons:

2011: 11.
2010: 11 ( though he missed half of the season).
2009: 15.
2008: 8 ( missed again half of the season).

Top-10 players he has lost this year to:

1. Djokovic- 5 times ( Masters Cup RR, Beijing F, Olympics QF, Roland Garros QF & Rome QF).
2- Berdych- 3 times ( Masters Cup RR, Stockholm F & Shangai QF).
3- Del Potro- 2 times ( Dubai QF & Marseille SF).
4- Murray- 2 times ( Masters Cup RR & Wimbledon SF).
5- Ferrer- 1 time ( Paris QF).
6- Nadal- 1 time ( Miami QF).
7- Isner- 1 time ( Winstom Salem SF).

Took two sets off Djokovic in RG ( even had two MP’s), a set off Berdych in Stockholm, a set off Murray in Wimbledon SF, a set off Nadal in Miami & a set off Isner in Winston Salem.

Also, he had the same wins on tour this year as in 2011, 55.

Let’s see how he fares vs Top-10 players on 2013, he has got a coach after nearly two years without one ( he hired Roger Rasheed, former coach of Hewitt & Monfils), I think we all wish the frenchman gets back to his best level, in which he was a real trouble for the Top-4’s.

Del Potro vs Federer: An Atypical Rivalry

– After their epic match at Olympic SF this week ( 19:17 for Roger in the 3rd after more than 4 hours), we can say that the rivalry between the pair is, at least interesting. Even though Federer leads easily the head to head by 13-2 the Tandil native usually makes Roger work hard. The Swiss has been preventing Juan Martin from getting better this year, as he has won 6 times vs him, all the clashes coming on the latest stages of the bigger tournaments ( Australia, Rotterdam, Dubai, Indian Wells, Roland Garros and now the Olympics).

A look at Edouard Roger-Vasselin

– The son of Christophe Roger-Vasselin, former Roland Garros semifinalist beating Connors is perhaps the best active player without an ATP SF. Despite being a pretty complete player ( he doesn’t have a real weakness in his game), having a good ranking (#74) and having beaten players like Del Potro, Melzer, Stepanek, Chela or Roddick his first ATP SF is still to come.