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1/15/08 5:26 PM | Ricky Dimon
The most enticing matchup in the second round of the third quarter of the Australian Open draw is right there on the top of the page: eighth-seeded Richard Gasquet vs. Feliciano Lopez. Gasquet is looking to keep up the momentum from a 2007 campaign in which he qualified for the year-end Masters Cup and finished at No. 8 in the world. Lopez could be equally talented, but he has not achieved quite as consistent results. If his big serve and forehand are working well against Gasquet, this should be a fiercely competitive match that features plenty of amazing shots.
Another intriguing matchup is between newcomers Sam Warburg and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. The Frenchman has been around for much longer than the American, but Warburg is having his coming out party in Australia. He won three matches in qualifying—including the last round 14-12 in the third set—to get into the main draw, where he promptly dispatched Juan Pablo Brzezicki in five sets. Tsonga’s huge serve and forehand will eventually take their tolls on the American, but Warburg is riding a hot streak and should be able to make this a close contest.
On paper Ivo Karlovic vs. Dudi Sela looks like an interesting match. It will look even more interesting in person, as Karlovic has more than a one-foot height advantage over Sela. However, that does not necessarily mean the 6’10’’ Croat will have an easy time with the 5’9’’ Israeli. Sela lost his in the first round of Adelaide and Sydney this season, but at the end of last year he enjoyed huge success in Challenger Series events and smaller ATP level tournaments. He could give the giant some trouble, but in the end Karlovic’s serve will overpower him.
Finally, two other matches in the third quarter of the draw could give seeded players more trouble than some fans would think: Stanislas Wawrinka vs. Marc Gicquel and Mikhail Youzhny vs. Andreas Seppi. Wawrinka will control the destiny of his match with Gicquel, as the Swiss is more powerful from the baseline and his one-handed backhand is a weapon that the Frenchman lacks. Gicquel, however, is an absolute grinder and he will make Wawrinka play long points and stay out on the court much longer than he would like. Youzhny is playing great tennis right now, having just won in Chennai where he destroyed Rafael Nadal in the final. Seppi is also on top of his game at the moment. The Italian upset Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in Sydney last week and erased Harel Levy in straight sets in the first round of the Australian.
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