Zeballos Stuns Nadal, Cilic Regains Home Title

Even though Rafael Nadal hadn't played a tournament in 7 months, he was the favorite to win a small clay event in South America in his return.  If there was one player in the draw who I thought might have a chance against him, it was Jeremy Chardy, but desposed of him with the loss of 4 games.  Then from nowhere came unseeded world no. 73 Horacio Zeballos, upsetting the clay king to win his first career title in Viña del Mar.  Elsewhere home crowds were kept happy as 5 Frenchmen reached the quarters in Montpellier and Richard Gasquet became the first man to win 2 titles in this young season.  Marin Cilic ousted the defending champion Mikhail Youzhny in the semis to win his home event in Zagreb for the 3rd time.

Good Stories
-Even though he's not a youngster, 27-yr-old Horacio Zeballos (ARG) winning his first career title by upsetting Rafael Nadal.  He also beat seeded players Andujar, Ramos, and Berlocq.  He had made one previous final, '09 St Petersburg.  He rises to #43 in the world with the win.
-Carlos Berlocq (ARG) struggled last year after doing well in Latin America to open the year (he reached all 4 quarterfinals) but seemed to find his groove again in Viña del Mar with a SF result.
-Benoit Paire (FRA) reaching his 2nd ATP final at the age of 23 as he continues to rise.
-Lukas Rosol (CZE) showing up after his marathon Davis Cup weekend and reaching the QF in Zagreb.
-Robin Haase (NED) after having a very mediocre 2012, reaching the SF in Zagreb, and he's back in the top 50.

Bad Stories
-Juan Monaco (ARG), a top 10 player, having a horrible Australia but then dropping his opener in Viña del Mar to Rufin.
-No American players entering an ATP event this week.

ATP 250: Montpellier, France
3) Richard Gasquet (FRA) def. 8) Benoit Paire (FRA) 6-2 6-3
-Gasquet wins 9th career title, 2nd of 2013, last '13 Doha
-It is his 4th hard court title (3 clay, 2 grass)
Defending champion: Tomas Berdych (CZE) - did not play after marathon Davis Cup weekend
Quarterfinalists: 4) Gilles Simon (FRA), 6) Julien Benneteau (FRA), Jarkko Nieminen (FRA)-SF, Michael Llodra (FRA)-SF, Sergiy Stakhovsky (UKR), Jan Hajek (CZE)
Players reaching QF in '12 and '13: Gasquet, Nieminen, Simon

Locals performance: 15-11, as expected there were plenty of Frenchmen in the draw and 5 reached the quarters.  Besides those, Monfils was only one to reach R2 while de Schepper, Mannarino, Mathieu, Pouille, and Roger-Vasselin suffered R1 exits.

Americans performance: none
Other notable winners: 27-yr-old qualifier Brugues-Davi advancing to R2, ranked #198 entering the tournament.

Third set tiebreaks: Brugues-Davi def. Kukushkin (R1), Stakhovsky def. Ito (R2), Nieminen def. Stakhovsky (QF)

ATP 250: Zagreb, Croatia
1) Marin Cilic (CRO) def. 4) Jurgen Melzer (AUT) 6-1 6-4
-Cilic wins 9th career title, last '12 Umag
-It is her 3rd win in Zagreb and 4th on Croatian soil
Defending champion: Mikhail Youzhny (RUS) - SF l. to Cilic
Quarterfinalists: 3) Mikhail Youzhny (RUS)-SF, Blaz Kavcic (SLO), Ivan Dodig (CRO), Lukas Rosol (CZE), Robin Haase (NED)-SF, Q) Philipp Petzschner (GER)
Players reaching QF in '12 and '13: Youzhny, Melzer, Haase, Dodig
Locals performance: 7-7 win 4 wins for Cilic, 2 for Dodig, and 1 for Karlovic (l. to Dodig).  First round losers were several lower ranked Croats.
Americans performance: none
Third set tiebreaks: none

ATP 250: Viña del Mar, Chile
Horacio Zeballos (ARG) def. 1) Rafael Nadal (ESP) 6-7(2) 7-6(6) 6-4
-Zeballos win 1st career title!
Defending champion: Juan Monaco (ARG) - R2 l. to Rufin
Quarterfinalists: 3) Jeremy Chardy (FRA)-SF, 5) Albert Ramos (ESP), 6) Paolo Lorenzi (ITA), 7) Daniel Gimeno-Traver (ESP), 8) Carlos Berlocq (ARG)-SF, Guillarme Rufin (FRA)
Players reaching QF in '12 and '13: Berlocq, Chardy
Locals performance: 1-2, a loss for Massu, but a win for 16-yr-old Christian Garin, his first ATP tour win, over qualifier Lajovic
Americans performance: none
Third set tiebreaks: Delbonis def. Pella (R1), Zeballos def. Ramos (QF)

The women play their first Tier I event of the year this week in Doha, Qatar.  Azarenka is the defending champion, having beaten Samantha Stosur in the final.  Radwanska and Bartoli reached the semis with the losing quarterfinalists being an unlikely quartet of McHale, Niculescu, Safarova, and Wickmayer.  Something tells me the seeds will hold better this year, and no. 1 is again up for grabs with Azarenka, Sharapova, and Serena all in range.