Mutua Madrilena Masters Madrid preview

Mutua Madrilena Masters Madrid
Location: Madrid, Spain
Dates: October 12-19, 2008
Draw Size: 48
Surface: Hard
Prize Money: $2,270,000 (Euro); men’s singles champion: $360,000
2007 Singles Final: David Nalbandian, ARG, def. Roger Federer, SUI, 1-6, 6-3, 6-3
Official Web site: http://www.mutuamad-mastersmadrid.com/

Top story lines:
1. Can David Nalbandian find his 2007 Masters Madrid magic and win the title again in 2008?
2. Will 2005 Madrid champion Rafael Nadal’s layoff since the US Open effect his results in his home countries tournament?
3. Can former champion Roger Federer get back on track and win a Masters Series shield in Madrid?

Justin’s notable first round match-ups:
1. Tomas Berdych vs. Rainer Schuettler (Berdych leads 1-0; winning 7-6(4), 6-1 on clay in Stuttgart in 2005; Berdych was the champion in Tokyo, finalist in Bastad and semifinalist Bangkok and at the Masters Series Miami; Berdych is currently ranked No. 21; Schuettler was a semifinalist at Wimbledon and in Beijing; Schuettler is currently ranked No. 34)
2. Mikhail Youzhny vs. Jarkko Nieminen (Youzhny leads 3-0, with a 1-0 edge in hard court matches; Youzhny was the champion in Chennai and a quarterfinalist in Gstaad, Marseille and at the Australian Open; Youzhny reached a career high No. 8 in January, but is currently ranked No. 22; Nieminen was a finalist in Adelaide and a quarterfinalist in Bastad and at the Australian Open; Nieminen is currently ranked No. 33)

Potential notable late round match:
No. 2 Roger Federer vs. No. 16 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Third Round
· Federer won three titles this year including the US Open and the Estoril and Halle tournament
· Tsonga recently beat Novak Djokovic to win the Thailand Open, while reaching the finals earlier this year at the Australian Open

No. 3 Novak Djokovic vs. No. 14 Ivo Karlovic, Third Round
· Djokovic leads 1-0; winning 7-6(3), 6-3 on clay at Masters Series Hamburg earlier this year
· Djokovic has won three titles this year including the Australian Open
· Karlovic won Nottingham earlier this year and is currently ranked at a career best ranking of No. 14

No. 7 David Nalbandian vs. No. 9 Juan Martin Del Potro, Third Round
· Nalbandian leads 1-0; winning 6-2, 6-4 last year in Madrid in the third round
· Nalbandian has won two titles this year at events in Buenos Aires and last week in Stockholm
· Del Potro has won four titles this year at events in Stuttgart, Kitzbuhel, Los Angeles and Washington
· Del Potro is currently ranked at a career best No. 9

Watch out for…
1. No. 4 Andy Murray (Winner at Masters Series Cincinnati and in Doha and Marseille; Finalist at the US Open; has victories this year over Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Nikolay Davydenko and Juan Martin Del Potro; currently ranked at a career best No. 4)
2. No. 8 Andy Roddick (Winner in San Jose, Dubai and Beijing; quarterfinalist at US Open; defeated Roger Federer at Masters Series Miami and Novak Djokovic at Dubai tournament; currently ranked No. 8)

Champion prediction:
Justin: No. 2 Roger Federer