#SmashTalk: Dubai or Acapulco?

This week, the #SmashTalk team’s loyalties are divided between concurrent ATP 500 events in Dubai and Acapulco.

And that’s what makes this week so exciting – with the world’s best players divided almost exactly equally between the two tournament and intriguing storylines everywhere, it’s hard to know where to focus one’s attention.

As well as that, the panel gives their views on Stan Wawrinka’s perplexing loss in Dubai as well as new top 10 star Elina Svitolina’s decision to play a minor WTA event in Kuala Lumpur.

Agree or disagree with the views presented? Have your say on Facebook and Twitter using #SmashTalk.

Which ATP 500 event will you pay most attention to this week – Dubai or Acapulco?

VC: Plenty of reasons to keep an eye on Acapulco, including Novak Djokovic’s late entry, Rafael Nadal’s return and how Nick Kyrgios and Jordan Thompson will fly the Aussie flag. But I admit that my attention is more naturally drawn to Dubai, given seven-time champion Roger Federer is playing his first event since winning a fifth Australian Open. How world No.1 Andy Murray will fare adds more intrigue, and there’s also a Next Gen measure as the Dubai-based Lucas Pouille continues his push towards the world’s top 10.

PM: Dubai is where the real action is. Sure, we’re all intrigued to see which Djokovic turns up in Acapulco and how Nadal fares in his first tournament since the Australian Open. But in terms of determining the lay of the ATP land, a projected Murray v Federer semifinal will be a power struggle on so many levels, and I have a sneaky feeling that Gael Monfils is ready to put together a run in the coming weeks.

MT: I must confess it will be Acapulco. While Dubai feels the same as its ever been – Roger Federer and a relatively strong field around him – Acapulco has been bolstered by the late wildcard to Novak Djokovic and six of the world’s top 10 (which in the past few days has been reduced to four after Raonic’s withdrawal and Goffin’s demotion to No.11). But that aside, I can’t wait to see how Novak will fare after his lacklustre Australian Open. I’m looking forward to seeing if Rafa’s return to form will continue post January. I’m excited to see how del Potro and Kyrgios could act as foils to the top seeds. And will workhorse Thiem defend his title? So many interesting questions regarding the strongest edition of the tournament yet.

LR: Acapulco. If Andy Murray and Roger Federer meet in the Dubai semifinals, I’d be interested in how that plays out, but otherwise the draw in Acapulco is much more exciting. A Djokovic-Delpo second round match-up looms as a compelling test for both. Plus the draw also features in-form players Dominic Thiem, David Goffin and Jack Sock – and not forgetting Rafa. I have a feeling Borna Coric is ready to make a deep run too, so I’m watching how he goes.

Speaking of Dubai, Stan Wawrinka lost his opening match there to world No.77 Damir Dzumhur. What do you make of the Swiss star’s performances at non-major tournaments?

VC: The top Swiss – yep, he still is – has been diligently plying his craft for more than 10 years, so we know he’s not lazy. Yet you sense that having convinced himself that he sits outside the “Big Four” elite he simply doesn’t demand as much from himself when it comes to non-major events. Dzumhur is not even the lowest-ranked man to hand Stan a loss at recent events, with world No.91 Jan-Lennard Struff the winner of their first round at last October’s Paris Masters. It’s baffling that alongside those ignominious losses, Stan defeated world No.1 Novak Djokovic en route to each of his three major wins.

PM: Stan Wawrinka is the most frustrating tennis player in the world. Does he have the game to be No.1? Without a doubt. Does he have the head? Sort of. There is nobody that Wawrinka should fear on Tour… except Stan. Over and over again we’ve seen him demolish the ‘Big Four’ in the Majors. Then, inexplicably, he gets demolished by the world No.44 in a 250 or 500. For the love of the game just focus, Stan. Focus for nine sweet months of the year and take your rightful place at the top of the tree.

MT: I think if Stan wanted to under-perform anywhere, it would be outside the Slams rather than in them. There’s something to be said about his ability to raise his game on the biggest stages, but if you’re that talented you shouldn’t be losing to Damir Dzumhur in Dubai, especially as the defending champion. Granted, he was coming back from injury, but that, in a nutshell, is what separates Stan from the Big Four. All five can perform at a high level at the Grand Slams. It’s just that the Big Four replicate those performances week in, week out.

LR: On paper it is an upset, but with Stan you have to expect the unexpected. He is the type of player who needs time and matches to build his form, so after a few weeks off this match was always going to be a dangerous one. With the Big Four dominating men’s tennis for the past decade with their phenomenal consistency, perhaps the expectations on Stan to match them are too high? He’d agree with that – and whether that’s a cop out or not – it’s never going to change for the soon-to-be 32-year-old.

What do you think of Elina Svitolina’s decision to contest the minor event in Kuala Lumpur just days after hoisting the prestigious Dubai trophy?

VC: Mostly, I admire Svitolina for honouring her commitment in contesting a lower-level event so soon after claiming the Premier 5 title in Dubai. And while I agree it would be smarter to rest ahead of  Indian Wells and Miami, where she’s a legitimate threat, it’s also true that a second KL title would build on Svitolina’s 16-2 record this season. You can’t dispute the potential confidence boost for the newest member of the world’s top 10.

PM: This is a strange one. I respect the decision to honour her commitment to the tournament. However, I question why she made that commitment in the first place. Svitolina could be Top 5 by the end of the year and is good enough to be targeting silverware in Indian Wells and/or Miami. KL is a step (or two) down from those events and could simply fatigue the 22-year-old. She should be sitting this one out and targeting the big fish.

MT: It’s a good thing she wants to see her commitment to the tournament through and support it as defending champion. But in the long run, this is not a healthy strategy by someone who’s now a top player and who should be targeting the big events. Freshness is at a premium when you’re going deep at tournaments every week like Svitolina has been, and if she wants to produce her best at prestigious events like Indian Wells and Miami, minor events in Malaysia are the kind that have to be culled from her schedule.

LR: From a scheduling point of view it seems like she is at risk of overplaying, but I respect her decision to honour her commitment to Kuala Lumpur. She is the top seed and defending champion, so it would have been a massive blow to the tournament had she been a last-minute withdrawal. These smaller tournaments rely on their drawcards and too many players unfortunately forget this. While it is important for them to manage their schedules in their own best interests, it is remiss of them not to show greater respect to their tournaments that give them a platform to play – so kudos to Elina for not following that trend.