The main draw for the 2017 Cincinnati Masters (Western & Southern Open) was performed today.
Rafael Nadal, the No. 1 seed and current world No. 2, was the tournament winner in Cincinnati in 2013.
Following the first round bye, Rafa will open up against Richard Gasquet or a qualifier in the second round, with possible matchups against No. 16 seed Gilles Muller in the third round and No. 8 seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the quarterfinals.
Rafa’s potential route to the final:
- First round: Bye
- Second round: Richard Gasquet
- Third round: Gilles Muller
- Quarter-final: Jo-Wilfried Tsonga or David Goffin
- Semi-final: Dominic Thiem
- Final: Roger Federer
If the men play to seed the quarter-final line up will be:
- Rafael Nadal vs. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga
- Dominic Thiem vs. Kei Nishikori
- Alexander Zverev vs. Milos Raonic
- Roger Federer vs Grigor Dimitrov
Rafa and Roger Federer will bid to take over No. 1 in the ATP Rankings. If Roger wins the Rogers Cup title, he will become No. 1 on August 21 with an equal-or-better finish than Rafa in Cincinnati.
Good luck Rafa! VAMOS!!
All the best to you Rafa at Cincy.
RAFA ROCKS
Ranier: Replying here to your posts below
(btw do you know why some posts have reply buttons and others don’t? Makes replying very convoluted)
“Wow, it’s so nice to here about your music background,” sounds like you are really involved, composing for that many instruments! I love cello too, tried to play it, hopeless. Also tried tenor sax (I love jazz as well) also hopeless. I need keys!
Beethoven is one of my musical gods, the spirit in his music is unequalled, particularly late Beethoven. I struggled with the late piano sonatas forever, very hard to play well!
Yes to Prokofiev. Love the 5th piano concerto, all the piano music–he’s very sophisticated and highly original in his musical voice. Also love Ravel, Bach, Schumann, Chopin, Stravinsky, Debussy, Wagner and others as well.
I sometimes think there is a mysterious link between tennis and music–tennis is kind of musical in it’s sonic effects. Also, in my old tennis gang, quite a few of us played instruments. Hmmm, I know that’s not very scientific …
Re points, it’s weird sometimes they come off well in advance of a tournament, sometimes not. I can’t imagine Fed is going to play Cincy? If he does, then I will not beleive he is injured. He should rest for the USO and let Rafa go to #1. LOL. After what I just saw, I am not afraid of Fed for Rafa. I am afraid of Rafa for Rafa.
Do you ever post on any other tennis sites?
all the very best for this week,hope you can make it to number 1,will be watching you all the way vamos rafa,l had you on my bucket list and when l was able to take pictures of you in mallorca in june,it felt like all my birthdays had come at once,l have watch you since 2005 and l am a very big fan glennis.
It does look to me as if there’s something wrong with Fed, the last game he just gave up, wanted it over – reminded me of Kyrgios against Zverev earlier this week, and Kyrgios was injured. I hope whatever Fed’s issue is, it’s nothing too serious. But I have to save any worrying for Rafa, because that’s just how it is for me.
Congratulations to Sascha Zverev, his dedication is paying off now and I think he’s here to stay.
So Rafa, another week, another tournament, some more chances to enjoy and succeed. I know you will do your best to take them. Can’t wait to see you play again, vamos!
Ranier:
Replying here to your comment below to me about Shap losing to Zverev:
That’s what I wanted, so no need to say sorry. I wasn’t disappointed. I wanted Fed to face the bigger threat, whcih was Zverev. I didn’t expect Shap to win against Zverev. But he would have beaten Fed on the same night he beat Rafa, had the wildcards been placed differently.
Are Wildcards placed randomly? Proof? LOL
Ranier:\
Remember an exchange we had early on when the draw came out–you were worried about Fed, I–Zverev?
I write this right after AZ clobbers fed in MOntreal.
I don’t say this to gloat but to point out something I have been seeing since grass began–Fed is not that good. He had cupcakes through Wimb and AZ was lousy at Halle. Meanwhile all this glory and supposed GOatiness.
Shap was way more competitive against AZ than Fed was, and I have little doubt Shap would have beat Fed. So would Rafa, had have gotten through Shap and AZ.
What a missed opportunity this has been for Rafa, because had he found his best, it was all his for the taking.
But not easy off clay.
The good news is Fed is highly beatable, and AZ is in Fed’s half in Cincy.
Fed looked so lame today you could almost wonder if he was injured. But he has looked like this to me, only not so much, for awhile.
Rafalite, granted Montreal court is not Fed’s favourite and I don’t think he’s been playing “his best tennis” like many commies and media say. But there’s something wrong with Fed this week, most apparent in the final.
He seems to have some problem with his back, either soreness or injury or both. The 2nd set is one of the worst I’ve ever seen him play. He din’t even bend his back to return Zverev’s serve which was firing today. He only sliced his BH and tried to avoid twisting his torso as much as possible, if he twisted it at all in the 2nd set.
It’s sad to watch, really. I’m happy for Zverev, he very much deserves the title. But you had to admit Fed was gracious in defeat, injured or not. But all the commies were also saying he must be injured including McEnrore and I have to agree with them.
Yes, probably true re injured.
It seems to be the price for going on a tear.
But it must have been latent through the whole tournament, because he never looked good here, and just got away with it against weaker opponents.
Murray and Djok and Stan are all paying the price now for their dominance in 2016.
When do they take the Cincy points off? It would send Rafa to #1 once they do …
I want to see that!!
I don’t know because Rios last year disrupts the NA hard court swing. Assume they take the Cinci points off late, if Fed still plays Cinci and wins it, Rafa needs to get to the final and by then he will only have 10pts more than Fed. Fed can also take the No1 if he gets to the final and Rafa loses in R16 again. If Fed doesn’t play it, Rafa automatically becomes the new No1.
Congratulations to Alexander Zverev for taking the Roger’s Cup , wished it could have been Rafa but at least it wasn’t another win for Roger . Good luck in
Cincinnati this week Rafa.