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  • TMS Rome day 4: Gonzalez (12) vs Almagro

    5/8/08 1:51 AM | David Cox
    - There’s a lot at stake for Fernando Gonzalez in this tournament, defending a huge chunk of points after making last year’s final. He’s coped well with the pressure so far; patchy tennis, but good mental strength.

    Gonzalez barely held on against Janko Tipsarevic in the end and then had a more comfortable win over Evgeny Korolev yesterday.

    However, that rocket of a forehand the Chilean possesses will need to be fully firing if he’s to continue his past success against the stylish Almagro. Among the main clay-court baseline sluggers from Spain, Almagro is a rarity with his single-handed backhand and it’s been a much more solid shot in 2008

    Gonzalez leads 2-0 on the head-to-head but both matches have been very tight and featured lengthy tiebreaks - their Madrid encounter last autumn was 13-11 to Gonzo in the 1st-set 'breaker.

    Both of these players have racked up the clay titles this year; two apiece at the moment, with Gonzalez winning his home event in Vina del Mar and then triumphing again in Munich last week. Almagro should have a hat-trick but after his dual success in South America he fluffed the script when on course for yet another Valencia title, blowing a 5-2 final set lead against David Ferrer with the trophy just points away.

    Prediction: Almagro in 3

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