e defencemen Andrew Ference and Jeff Petry and | Forum
miaowang123
Jan 24 '18
Andy Murray will be aiming to put a disappointing Indian Wells campaign behind him as he prepares for the Miami Open. Branden Oliver Jersey . The conditions will suit the British No 1 who has used Miami as a warm-weather training camp for years. But with Novak Djokovic in his usual fine form and Roger Federer back in the fold, what should we expect at the Miami Open?Sky Sports expert Mark Petchey has assessed five major players... Andy MurraySeeded in the opposite half of the draw to Djokovic, Murray will aim to bounce back from an early Indian Wells exit with an early tie against Borna Coric. He could then face his Indian Wells conqueror Federico Delbonis before either Kei Nishikori or Jo-Wilfried Tsonga await. If he progresses to the semi-finals, familiar faces in Federer and Djokovic lie in wait. Murray could rematch Federico Delbonis who eliminated him at Indian Wells Petchey said: Murray had a great run to the final last year and I think hes in a good place this year. The difference in conditions between Indian Wells and Miami is probably one of the greatest we have on the tour, apart from literally changing surfaces.He has got to play up-and-coming players with Coric possibly in the second round, or Grigor Dimitrov. Rafa Nadal is also in his half. John Isner is there, who has been playing well recently. Murray lost the 2015 Miami Open final to Novak Djokovic Its not an easy section. Coric is coming through and, if he gets through his first match, will be really up for playing Murray. So hell have to be ready to go from the very first match.His focus, after last week, will be on getting his campaign off to a positive note. Most of the top guys mentalities is that they would like to prove losses are a fluke but, having said that, it will be tough to play Delbonis again when hes feeling good about his tennis.If you watch Murray and Djokovics matches in Miami over the years, theyre very physical and its difficult to hit winners. Its punishing tennis they play against each other in Miami.Novak DjokovicThe 2015 champion is coming off an Indian Wells success and a 28th Masters win next week would be a record. He could play Britains Kyle Edmund followed by Dominic Thiem. In the quarter-finals, Richard Gasquet or Tomas Berdych look likely, while Federer may await in the semi-final. Highlights of the final at Indian Wells between Novak Djokovic and Milos Raonic Petchey said: From the Brit perspective, Edmund potentially taking on Novak in the second round is something to look forward to. It will be a great opportunity for Kyle to test himself against the very best player in the world.Its not possible to identify a weakness in his game with the confidence and health that he has. Trying to hit him hard and fast in rallies is not the way to go - up the middle is the place to go at him. Djokovic celebrates last years Miami win His continued dominance is testament to the fact that there arent any holes in his game, because if there were, the guys are ruthless enough to exploit them. The reality of the situation is that he has to have an off-day for somebody to get past him.He finished Indian Wells immaculately against Milos Raonic so, after a few days rest, hell be back to his invincible best from the first round onwards. Its hard to look past him.Rafael NadalThe Spaniard is in Murrays quarter of the draw, but a daunting tie against Indian Wells runner-up Milos Raonic awaits in the fourth round. Stan Wawrinka is a likely quarter-final opponent while Nadal could meet Murray to contest a place in the final. Highlights of the semi-final clash at Indian Wells between Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal Petchey said: He had set point against Djokovic at Indian Wells which is encouraging because he hasnt been particularly close in their last few matches. For Rafa, that will be a consolation.It underlines that Nadal is hitting the ball better than he was, and he looked like he was moving well in Indian Wells too. I think the signs are all good in terms of the next few weeks until he gets back onto his beloved clay where he shines.In Miami, he can show the continuing improvements from his perspective. Its an important tournament to keep building his momentum.Roger FedererA swift recovery from a knee injury poses interesting questions of the Swiss legend, who may face a fascinating second-round tie against Juan Martin Del Potro. Jeremy Chardy or David Goffin may then await Federer, followed by Marin Cilic or David Ferrer in the last eight. He is in the same half of the draw as Djokovic meaning they would meet in the semi-final. Roger Federer hasnt played since January Petchey said: For Roger, this is about getting matches under his belt because he hasnt played since the Australian Open. He needs to get back playing on the clay towards the French Open, thats the stage of his career that hes at.He would love to do well in Miami, he would love to win it, but ultimately he will want to get matches ahead of the clay court season.Roger has a tough draw but there will be a lot of interest in the Del Potro match. Roger will be excited to play him again due to his love of the game. He wont look at that as a negative, hell see a positive in that he gets to play Del Potro.Juan Martin Del PotroThe last two years have been wrecked by a wrist injury but Del Potro, whose ranking has plummeted to No 366, returns in Miami with an early clash against Federer looming. But can we ever expect to see Del Potro reach the heights of his heyday? Juan Martin Del Potro will be a popular addition to this years Miami Open Petchey said: If his wrist is 100 per cent, its not impossible to get back to his best.What were seeing at the moment is Del Potro slicing his two-handers and not driving with the same venom as he did during his pomp. Until hes confident in his own mind, I cant imagine he will challenge the guys who are fully fit.But service-wise and movement-wise there dont seem to be any issues there. I just think if you have a small weakness in your game, which he does, it will be interesting to see how he masks that. Its a tough draw if he gets past Guido Pella in the first round, to be honest.Watch the Miami Open live on Sky Sports between March 23 - April 3. Also See: ATP schedule Tennis on Sky Get a NOW TV pass Video Dexter McCoil Jersey .J. Mayo made seven three-pointers and scored 25 points, Ersan Ilyasova added 20, and the Milwaukee Bucks placed seven players in double figures in a 130-110 rout of the Philadelphia 76ers, who lost their 11th straight game on Monday night. Joey Bosa Jersey .S. Basketball Writers Association. McDermott, who finished his career at Creighton as college basketballs fifth-leading scorer, accepted the honour from Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson at AT&T Stadium, site of the Final Four.TSNs Jack Armstrong offers his thoughts on Doc Rivers, the Raptors making the playoffs, Andre Iguodala, Canadians in the NBA Draft and Raptors head coach Dwane Casey. 1. DOC RIVERS (Clippers): Great move for the Clips. Gives them a terrific shot at retaining Chris Paul and they get a top-notch coach who will handle the pressure of a big market like L.A. quite easily. The Celtics get a first round pick in 2015, and more importantly begin the process of dismantling their team to acquire assets for a rebuild/restructure. It will be interesting to see how things are handled right now with Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce & Rajon Rondo as well as the hiring of a new coach. GM Danny Ainge is a bold/progressive thinker and will try to be active if/when possible. Right move for both teams. 2. TORONTO RAPTORS - PLAYOFFS?: Think about it for a second. Miami, Indiana, Chicago, Brooklyn and New York - Put those five in the Top 5 in whatever order youd like for next season. After that, its a crap shoot for the bottom three spots of the Eastern Conference playoffs. Milwaukee, Atlanta and Boston (the other three playoff teams from this past season) are all going to have a different and possibly weaker look next season. The six, seven and eight spots are up for grabs. Im as curious as all of you what the Raps decide to do in the coming months with their team building plan. Do they try to develop a winning/playoff environment during the 2013-14 season or go the developmental route and try to acquire assets for down the line? Your guess is as good as mine. This Thursday nights NBA Draft will be our first look at what the direction will be. 3. ANDRE IGUODALA (Nuggets): Opting out of his contract and will be a free agent. The trade to Denver was a great opportunity to showcase his game in an up tempo style that suited his game. Hes a verssatile athlete who plays both ways well and hard for you. Junior Seau Jersey. Hes got lots of fans round the league and hes proven to be a valuable member of both the 76ers and the Nuggets and has the Olympics experience under his belt. Hes polished and hell be a target for teams with cap space if he keeps his salary/term demands at a fair/reasonable level. 4. CANADIANS IN THE NBA DRAFT (Anthony Bennett-UNLV / Kelly Olynyk-Gonzaga / Myck Kabongo-Texas): If you get a chance, check out Mondays USA Today. Theres a neat article on the growth of basketball in Canada. Well likely see three more Canadians drafted on Thursday night. Bennett and Olynyk are first rounders and Kabongo is all over the board in the 2nd round, depending on who you talk with. Im excited to see how it unfolds and more importantly for the future of Canadian hoops. The best is yet to come! 5. DWANE CASEY (Toronto Raptors): Announced last week that hell be back as the head coach. Beyond staff decisions, player development and putting together the roster with GM Masai Ujiri, a huge component of improving the team in 2013-14 will be how they perform/execute in the fourth quarter of games. Situational basketball performance is the make/break aspect of teams and coaches. Im sure Casey and his new staff will take significant time between now and the start of evaluating each and every fourth quarter this past season where the Raptors let a lead slip away that resulted in a loss. Way too many times this took place and it will be the defining judgment piece for this upcoming season. How you perform under the pressure of the fourth quarter spotlight in the NBA is usually the make/break aspect of a team, season and coaching staff. Control to the best of your ability what you can control and move those chess pieces in an appropriate/timely manner and the narrative of a season becomes more fun to watch. Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap Jerseys ' ' '
Share:
