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3/6/09 7:08 AM | Ricky Dimon
Mario Ancic and Marin Cilic will be favored to lead Croatia to a 2-0 lead over Chile in Friday's Davis Cup singles rubbers. They will take on Nicolas Massu and Paul Capdeville, respectively.
Nicolas Massu vs. Mario Ancic
Massu and Ancic will be squaring off for the second time in their careers when they open the Chile vs. Croatia Davis Cup tie on Friday afternoon. Ancic defeated Massu in straight sets on clay at the World Team Championships back in 2006. While that was almost three full years ago, if Ancic beat the Chilean on clay, he should definitely be able to handle him on indoor hard courts. Furthermore, Ancic is healthy and in extremely impressive form at the moment. He reached the third round of the Australian Open, finished runner-up to Marin Cilic in Zagreb, and most recently made it to the Rotterdam semifinals. At 29 years old, Massu is down at 98th in the world rankings and mostly relegated to Challenger events aside from the Grand Slams. He could test Ancic on clay, but it should not be competitive on a fast surface in front of a pro-Croat crowd. Ancic in straight sets is the pick.
Paul Capdeville vs. Marin Cilic
It will be the first career head-to-head meeting between Capdeville and Cilic when they do battle in the second singles rubber on Friday. Cilic, of course, is a massive favorite to give the host Croats what should be a 2-0 lead. The 20-year-old has already won two ATP titles this season (in Chennai and Zagreb) and enters Davis Cup play with a remarkable 15-2 match record in 2009. Cilic also reached the fourth round of the Australian Open and the quarterfinals in Dubai. Capdeville is ranked 93rd in the world (his career-high) and has enjoyed a couple of decent performances this year. He reached the final of a clay-court Challenger event and made it to the quarterfinals of the ATP event in Vina Del Mar. Playing on hard courts in a hostile environment, however, should be a whole different story. It would be a shock if Cilic needs more than three sets to dispatch Capdeville.
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