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4/6/10 6:29 AM | Ricky Dimon
Richard Gasquet and Olivier Rochus will do battle in the Casablanca first round on Tuesday. Jarkko Nieminen and Arnaud Clement are also in action.
(7) Olivier Rochus vs. Richard Gasquet
Rochus and Gasquet will be meeting in the first round of a second consecutive tournament when they square off at the Grand Prix Hassan II on Tuesday. At the Sony Ericsson Open, Rochus pulled out a 7-6(2), 1-6, 6-4 victory before stunning world No. 2 Novak Djokovic. Overall, the head-to-head series between Rochus and Gasquet is tied at two apiece. This marks their first clay-court encounter, and that should give the Frenchman a slight advantage. Gasquet still appears to be a bit rusty, but look for him to get revenge on the 5'6'' Belgian in another three-setter.
(Q) Jarkko Nieminen vs. (WC) Mehdi Ziadi
Nieminen had to go through qualifying just to get into the main draw, but he should not have a difficult time reaching the Casablanca second round on Tuesday. The 71st-ranked Finn faces a first-ever meeting with Ziadi, a 23-year-old Moroccan who is winless in five career matches at the ATP level. Ranked No. 908 in the world, Ziadi obviously needed a wild card for this tournament. Even though Nieminen has never been a standout on clay, Ziadi probably won't last long in his home country. Nieminen in straight sets is the pick.
Arnaud Clement vs. (Q) Ivan Navarro
Clement and Navarro will be going head-to-head for the second time in their careers as the two veterans meet in the Casablanca first round. Their only previous encounter came three years on the grass courts of Queen's Club, where Clement prevailed 7-6(2), 6-4. The 32-year-old Frenchman should be at a bigger advantage on clay, as Navarro is a rare Spaniard who plays serve-and-volley tennis while preferring faster surfaces over the slow stuff. Furthermore, the 28-year-old is coming off a qualifying marathon against Ivan Dodig that lasted three hours and 13 minutes. All of those signs point to a routine victory for Clement.
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Olivier Rochus
Richard Gasquet
Grand Prix Hassan II
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