{"id":2217,"date":"2016-04-14T14:22:51","date_gmt":"2016-04-14T14:22:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.mariabueno.org\/indextemp.php\/?p=2217"},"modified":"2016-04-29T07:29:12","modified_gmt":"2016-04-29T07:29:12","slug":"building-up-for-the-summer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.mariabueno.org\/indextemp.php\/building-up-for-the-summer\/","title":{"rendered":"Building up for the summer"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Maria<\/a>

Maria Esther Bueno, Bradesco Ambassador<\/p><\/div>\n

Maria Esther Bueno heads for the commentary box as the 1000 Masters Series tournament in Monte Carlo draws towards its conclusion this coming weekend and the Rio Olympics start building up for the summer.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt has kicked off with the biggest upset imaginable – defending champion and world number one Novak Djokovic suffering his earliest tournament defeat for three years on a day that also saw Tomas Berdych go out!\u201d Maria Esther said after 55th-ranked Czech Jiri Vesely beat him in the second round of the Masters tournament on Wednesday, 6-4 2-6 6-4, in what was the pair’s first ever match.<\/p>\n

\u201cDjokovic has been tightening his grip in recent months, winning nine of his last 10 tournaments, and the only blip in that run came when he retired against [Feliciano] Lopez in Dubai because of an eye problem.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Novak<\/a>

Novak Djokovic suffered a rare defeat in Monte Carlo<\/p><\/div>\n

Wednesday’s defeat was Djokovic\u2019s earliest on the tour since he lost in the second round of the Madrid Open in 2013, and is a significant blemish in his preparations for May’s French Open, the only Grand Slam to have eluded the 11 times major winner.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is always great when the men get back onto the red clay,\u201d Maria continued. \u201cThe game becomes very tactical and physical and so it gets even more interesting to see who has the mental strength and conditioning to win through.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith Djokovic out this week and Rafa [Nadal] seemingly regaining his feel for winning matches, it is getting all the more interesting.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey don\u2019t call Rafa the King of Clay for nothing and I think we will see him getting more comfortable playing on the run up to Roland Garros.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe made the semis in Buenos Aires and Rio but lost in both, not looking like he really knew what he was doing, but he seems to have overcome that now, although the draws are getting tougher for him, especially as players are beginning to think he can be beaten.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Rafael<\/a>

Rafael Nadal is finding his clay court form again<\/p><\/div>\n

Nadal started the year winning Mubadala Title defeating Milos Raonic and reached the final in Doha, Qatar, where he lost to Djokovic in straight sets in their 47th match. He lost to him again in the semi-finals of Indian Wells taking his loss tally to the Serb to 25.<\/p>\n

At the Australian Open, Nadal was defeated in five sets by compatriot Fernando Verdasco in the first round, in a match that echoed memories of their marathon five-set semi-final from 2009. That defeat marked just his second first round exit from a Grand Slam tournament, and his first at the Australian Open.<\/p>\n

In Miami Nadal retired in the third set of his second round match, citing dizziness due to the extreme heat at the end of the first set.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe seems to have recovered well and was lucky to be in Andy Murray\u2019s half of the draw rather than in Dojovic\u2019s, until now! Especially since Murray seems to be struggling with the clay a bit.<\/p>\n

\"Roger<\/a>

Roger Federer first match since January<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cRoger [Federer] is back playing his first tournament since having surgery on his left knee. It was keyhole surgery but it has kept him out for two-and-a-half months after he failed to play in Miami because of illness.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe didn\u2019t look at all rusty in his first match in Monte Carlo and he was playing really well to reach the final of the Australian Open in January, so he must still be considered a contender on the clay.\u201d<\/p>\n

Federer is a four-time finalist in Monte Carlo and it is a title he would dearly love to add to his resume.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith Murray looking to find form on the clay it is down to these three, I think, now that Djokovic is out of the running, at least for this week.\u201d<\/p>\n

A Kids Clinic at Harmonia<\/b><\/h1>\n

Maria Esther Bueno loves to spend time with the coaches and the kids they are teaching at her home club of Sociedade Harmonia de T\u00eanis in Sao Paulo.<\/p>\n