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  • Monte Carlo 4th quarter: Second round preview

    4/23/08 11:20 AM | Cheryl Murray
    - Rafael Nadal's section of the draw takes the court on Wednesday. In action are Marat Safin, Janko Tipsarevic and Juan Carlos Ferrero.

    David Ferrer vs Marat Safin

    Marat Safin had an important win over Xavier Malisse on Tuesday - important because of late, Safin cannot seem to win even a single match, though he had a win over Juan Carlos Ferrero last week in Valencia. The big Russian has been struggling with consistency all year; after beating Ferrero, he promptly lost to Robin Haase of the Netherlands. He surprised everyone by pulling out a win over Tomas Berdych in Davis Cup two weeks ago. His opponent, Spain's David Ferrer, was also struggling in 2008 - up until last week. He won Valencia and looks to be in fighting form on the dirt. Safin moves pretty well for as big as he is, but Ferrer is simply the better clay-courter, and more consistent. Safin won the only match the two have ever played, but it was in Estoril in 2002; long before Ferrer became a real presence. Ferrer in two.

    Juan Carlos Ferrero vs. Jarkko Nieminen

    Until Tuesday, Finn Jarkko Nieminen had not won a single match in seven tries. His win over Marc Gicquel will have been important to the Finn's confidence. Juan Carlos Ferrero has not had an encouraging start to the clay season. His first tournament in Valencia featured a first round exit to Marat Safin. Still, considering the form which Nieminen has shown since the Australian Open, Ferrero would have to be considered the favorite. They have played three times in their careers; Ferrero leads the head-to-head 2-1, though Nieminen won their last encounter in 2006 on the clay of Bastad. Ferrero in three.

    Nicolas Lapentti vs. Janko Tipsarevic

    Nicolas Lapentti is, for sure, the more typical clay courter of the two players. He is a baseline grinder who relies on speed and consistency to win matches. Janko Tipsarevic, though not a garden variety clay court player, actually enjoys playing on the surface. Lapentti, from Ecuador, had a great result in Costa do Sauipe, where he reached the semi-finals losing to Carlos Moya. Since then, he has struggled, getting ousted in the first round of three tournaments in a row, including Valencia last week, where he lost to Fernando Verdasco in three. Tipsarevic's most recent result was a quarter-final showing in Miami, where he lost to eventual winner Nikolay Davydenko. Tipsarevic has had the better form coming into the tournament - he should have the slight edge. Tipsarevic in three.

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