Silly season

Different meanings in different sports, but I think October describes it well. Why top seeds and key players who need points to get to Shanghai don’t perform? Really don’t understand…

Perhaps those who spent the first 8 months to relax have started to take advantage of tired higher ranked players… or is it this incredible depth in the ATP?

Ferrer is out, Robredo (2nd seed) is out, Roddick is out, Haas had stomach problems?… I don’t know if I have a valid point, but this time of season looks more shaky than any other.
And I cannot predict Roddick (top seed) as winner of Lyon when he gets beaten by a 35 year old local in 3 sets. Either impressive by Santoro or so much more dissapointing by Roddick. Not that Santoro isn’t a good player; he really is, but somehow people excpect Roddick to win most 1st rounds he plays.

No other upsets so in the other two tournaments I think my picks still go. For Lyon I want to say Gasquet. But first he has to overcome Tsonga… if Tsonga wins that one, he can go all the way. I don’t know, and I don’t feel like predicting cuz I’ll mess it up anyways.

Meanwhile, I am still waiting for Paris, Shanghai and the 2009 ATP calendar.

Tokyo with only two top 10 players

… and not even that is a safe fact. There’s still plenty of hours before they step on court, so who knows how many players are left for an early withdrawal. Just read that Federer has pulled out due to injury and fatigue prevention, which probably makes sense as we see him playing less tournaments a year to stay away from injuries. I understand it, but I don’t like it, and I am sure his fans don’t like it. The players say that the pro tour is brutal as they only have december and a good chunk of november off. But if we look at Federer’s calendar this year, I don’t see what so horrible:
0. Kooyong (not on ATP list) 2nd week January
1. Aussie Open, Jan 15
2. Dubai, Feb 26!
3. AMS Indian Wells, March 5th
4. AMS Miami, March 19th (played a total of 4 matches in March!)
5. AMS Monte-Carlo, April 15th
6. AMS Rome, May 7
7. AMS Hamburg, May 14
8. Roland Garros, May 28
9. Wimbledon, June 25
10. AMS Canada, August 5!!!
11. AMS Cincinnati, August 13
12. US Open, August 27
13. Davis Cup, September 22

Yes, it’s true that he plays all the way to the finals days of each tournament, but some of the breaks in between are longer than any vacation I’ve ever had. Just look at Davydenko who also goes far in each tournament and has already played 21 tournamnets since Jan 1!
If he was 30 and heading towards the end of his career, I would actually encourage him to play less, but he is 26 and seems to be just as fit as any other player. I mean, does he ever sweat?!?!
Anyway, I intended to inform that even though the ATP site could tell us that several top 10 players would attend Tokyo, the top seed is now David Ferrer. Berdych goes second. Both of these would get important points if they made the final, for the ATP race. Blake was on the list of players attending in Tokyo, is not anymore and now he has to work hard to keep these players behind him. Just don’t get it.