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10/30/09 10:40 PM | Ricky Dimon
Ivan Ljubicic and Arnaud Clement will square off in Lyon on Saturday afternoon. A spot in the title match is at stake.
It will be the 10th career meeting between Ivan Ljubicic and Arnaud Clement when the two veterans do battle in the semifinals of the Grand Prix de Tennis de Lyon on Saturday. Ljubicic leads the head-to-head series 7-2, including 2-0 on hard courts and 2-0 on indoor carpet. He most recently prevailed 7-6(6), 5-7, 6-4 earlier this year on the clay courts of Morocco.
Ljubicic is a considerable favorite to get the best of Clement yet again. Lyon's No. 3 seed is still going strong at 30 years old, having reached quarterfinals at four Masters Series events (including most recently in Shanghai) this season. He owns a solid 29-21 match record at the ATP level for his 2009 campaign. Ljubicic's impressive form has continued this week with victories over Martin Vassallo Arguello, Nicolas Kiefer, and Florent Serra.
Clement's run in Lyon is reversing a trend of recent poor play. The 31-year-old Frenchman is toiling down at No. 119 in the world and he is just 12-18 at the ATP level this season. He needed a wildcard just to get into the main draw this week, but it has paid off in a big way. After upending Oscar Hernandez and Benjamin Becker in straight sets, Clement saved one match point before stunning No. 1 seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 10-8 in a third-set tiebreaker on Thursday night.
Saturday's encounter could be equally tense. Ljubicic has the advantage with head-to-head history and current form, but Clement will have the French fans cheering him on every step of the way. The difference will most likely Clement's probable fatigue and Ljubicic's ability to win free points with his serve on a fast hard court. Ljubicic in three sets is the pick.
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Arnaud Clement
Ivan Ljubicic
Grand Prix de Tennis de Lyon
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