Quality Tennis Discussion / Pre-AO tournaments

**Posted by Forehand_lob** 1/05/2015 9:29 am

I find it interesting/strange that some of the top women are opting for the Hopman Cup instead of other tournaments. Does it really mean anything?

**Posted by Forehand_lob** 1/06/2015 12:42 pm

I have no idea whether Michael Berrer beating Nadal in 3 sets at Qatar means anything. Nadal is coming off an injury and got terribly beaten by Murray in an expo, but losing to a 34 year old player ranked outside of the top 125 (just barely, Berrer is 127th) is something that shouldn't be happening.

At this point, I'd probably go even odds on Nadal withdrawing from the Australian Open.

**Posted by funches** 1/13/2015 11:54 am

I think he will play. He had some awful losses late last year, too, but he did rebound to win the doubles event in Qatar. My guess is he will go out early at the Aussie Open, but if he gets through those early rounds, he can play his way into form. Or not. There's really no way to know what his level is.

**Posted by funches** 1/13/2015 11:57 am

The Hopman Cup attracts huge crowds. It's a fun way to guarantee yourself three singles matches without overplaying.

I see people are back to overrating Wozniacki again. Hey, she's proven me wrong by just getting to the point where she is one of the three best players in the world, something I never thought was possible again, but it's not like she suddenly found a way to hit through her forehand. She's an incredible athlete with incredible fitness and incredible mental toughness but just not enough game to win a slam without getting the draw of a lifetime.