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  • Blake-Beck and Kiefer-Llodra Previews

    6/13/08 9:29 AM | Jonathan Morgan
    - In addition to household names like Federer and Blake, Halle's Friday matches feature wild card Andreas Beck and the fun matchup of Kiefer-Llodra.

    Nicolas Kiefer vs. Michael Llodra

    Both men have played fine grass court tennis to get here. Llodra with an all-out attack game aimed at getting the points finished off as quickly as possible by rushing the net at every chance, while Kiefer prefers working the point from the baseline before moving forward to finish it off. Kiefer's variety might put him over the edge in this one as he can play not only from the back, but at net as well. Llodra will try to come in as much as possible. Not just because he is adept at net, but because Kiefer will eat him alive in the baseline rallies. They've played just once, on clay in 06, but it does not matter. Kiefer should be the favorite, but Llodra winning is certainly also possible.

    James Blake vs. Andreas Beck

    Every tournament has the one player in the quarterfinals that has been overlooked and underestimated. Beck is an example of such a player. Beck has struggled to beat both Gicquel and Zverev, so Blake should be able to pick him off easily. Then again, Blake is no beacon of consistency either, so it may be a little tough. A tough win over Becker in the previous round was just what the American needed to get himself together. Beck sill fight and maybe even take a set, but Blake should advance.

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