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10/21/08 5:29 AM | Ricky Dimon
Mario Ancic could have his hands full with Jeremy Chardy on Tuesday at the St. Petersburg Open. Both men have enjoyed some good results this season, but have also been inconsistent.
It will be the first ever head-to-head encounter between Mario Ancic and Jeremy Chardy when the two players square off in the St. Petersburg first round on Tuesday afternoon.
If Ancic wants to get the best of his first-time opponent, he needs to feeling well. That, however, has been a significant problem for Ancic throughout his career and this year has been no different. The 6'5'' Croat posted some solid results when healthy, but once again he has missed valuable amounts of playing time. Ancic was unable to make an appearance at the Australian Open, but during the following indoor swing he reached the final in Marseille and the semis in Zagreb. This season he also made it to the fourth round at the Masters Series Miami and the quarterfinals of Wimbledon. Sickness forced him out of most of the U.S. Open Series--including the Open itself--and Ancic also pulled out of the Stockholm Open two weeks ago after winning two matches.
Chardy's excuse for inconsistency is not physical issues, but experience issues. This is the 21-year-old Frenchman's first full season at the ATP level and he has done quite well for himself. He played in three of the four Grand Slams (missed the Australian) and won at least one round at all three. Chardy's breakout came at the French Open, where he stunned David Nalbandian and Dmitry Tursunov en route to the fourth round. He has mostly slumped since then (other than a Challenger title in Austria and winning one round at both Wimbledon and the U.S. Open), but he seemed to get back on track with a quarterfinal appearance in Moscow two weeks ago.
Ancic is a proven indoor threat and that comes as no surprise since his game is based on a massive serve and big forehand. He moves well for a big man but he still prefers to play short points. At 6'2'', Chardy is not quite as tall and lanky, but he is also of a powerful style. The keys for Chardy are to serve well and get off to a quick start; Ancic is the favorite so Chardy could lose belief if his opponent overwhelms him with huge serves and effective chips and charges. Expect a tiebreaker or two, but Ancic in straight sets is the pick.
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Mario Ancic 
St. Petersburg Open