Predictions and Happenings

Juan Martin del Potro shock loss has opened up the draw in the Japan open. I redid my bracket, and actually came up with 8th seed Lleyton Hewitt winning. Hewitt beat his wild card opponent (Japan's Ito) in straight sets 6-1 7-5. His draw is actually pretty amazing with delPo gone (Not that he couldn't have challenged del Potro. They've met 2 times this year. One Hewitt won in straights, the other he lost in a 3rd set tiebreak) His next match, vs. Fabrice Santoro, is probably his most dangerous (They are 2-2 against each other, though they haven't played in a while and Santoro has gotten older than Hewitt, who has aged fairly well, though not to Federer or Gonzalez amounts, better than Safin and Roddick, who peaked very early and as well as Haas [Who withdrew] and Ferrero) until the semis, when he could face either Berdych, the defending champ, or Gilles Simon, a top 10 player who broke a losing streak last week. Wow, that was incoherent and blatently pro-Hewitt. In the other half, Monfils and Tsonga are favorites, though Stepanek could contend also.

My semis: Hewitt def Berdych Monfils def Tsonga
My final: Hewitt def Monfils

Roddick out, Djokovic could have trouble

Andy Roddick continues his display of inconsistency and excuses with a first round loss of almost as big a loss as delPo's and bigger than Hewitt's last week. He isn't keeping up with the game and Wimbledon still haunts him (Though Hewitt should've won that quarter) I think he's probably done as a Top 5 player forever, barring injury from delPo, Djokovic. Speaking of Djokovic (Who, along with Davydenko, is my fave Top 10 player) has a tough match next against his countryman Viktor Troicki, who is on a good run at the moment. They are 1-1 head to head and Djokovic isn't playing that well. On the other hand, with Roddick gone, Djokovic is now a favorite to win the tournament (Though Verdasco could be challenging). Rafael Nadal is also playing rather poorly, winning the same number of points as his first round opponent, a former top 10 player, in a 6-4 3-6 6-4 win. Nadal's next opponent is Blake, who has a winning record against Rafa, but has had an awful year.
I have Gonzalez beating Nadal..... But Davydenko frustrates him and Gonzo has frustration issues. Not sure if I'd bet on Gonzalez (I'd say 50-50 with out-of-form Nadal, had 2 tiebreaks in a row at USO, just needs to actually win them), Nadal (If he survives Blake, he will have to fight vs. Gonzo, who I think would win, but then again, I'm not a big Nadal fan and Gonzalez my favorite player), or Davydenko, who is 5-0 against Gonzalez and 2-4 vs. Nadal, which could improve with Rafa's injurt, but has to get through Cilic first.



My semis:
Davydenko def. Gonzalez
Djokovic def. Soderling

My final:
Djokovic def. Davydenko