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  • Forehand fight on tap for Gonzalez vs. Gulbis

    10/7/08 8:41 PM | Ricky Dimon
    - New records could be set in both winners and unforced errors when Fernando Gonazalez takes on Ernests Gulbis for a spot in the quarterfinals of the Bank Austria Tennis Trophy.

    Statisticians and fans better be on alert when Fernando Gonzalez and Ernests Gulbis meet head-to-head for the first time on Wednesday afternoon. Winners and unforced errors will be flying all over the place as fast as these two players' stunning forehands. The problem for both the competitors and the spectators is that you never know where those forehands are going to go. When they are on, they are two of the most dangerous shots in the game; when they are off, they sometimes miss by a matter of feet and even yards.

    Gonzalez's forehand and all-around game have been--for the most part--clicking of late. The No. 2 seed is not on fire like he was en route to the 2007 Australian Open final, but he won the silver medal at the Olympics and reached the fourth round of the U.S. Open. Gonzalez is once again in need of late-season success to qualify for the Masters Cup in Shanghai. He imploded under that pressure last year and he almost folded again in round one on Tuesday against Simone Bolelli. The Chilean, however, forced a third set by winning a tiebreaker and he steamrolled from there.

    Gulbis is almost like a new version of Gonzalez. His serve is bigger and his backhand his far more solid, while his forehand is just as massive but even more erratic. The 20-year-old's mental game is also even weaker than that of Gonzalez, and that is saying a lot. Nonetheless, when Gulbis puts it all together he is lethal, and he showed that potential by reaching the quarterfinals of the French Open and the quarterfinals at the Masters Series Cincinnati. His talent was also on display briefly in taking sets of Rafael Nadal in the second round of Wimbledon an Andy Roddick in the second round of the U.S. Open. On Tuesday Gulbis took care of hard-court novice Filippo Volandri in straight sets.

    It's anyone's guess as to the outcome of a match in which either of these two men are involved. When they are both involved, well, all bets are absolutely off. Gulbis has the talent to control the destiny of this contest, and if he serves well and controls his forehand he could easily come away with an upset. Getting off to a good start will be key, as whichever player falls behind could decide to pack his bags early for the next tournament. Considering the fight Gonzalez showed against Bolelli and Gulbis' woeful service percentage against Volandri, Gonzalez in a three-set slugfest is the pick.

Check out Ernests Gulbis and Fernando Gonzalez head-to-head statistics
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