Help
4/12/10 3:59 AM | Kelli DeMario
Tenth seed Tomas Berdych begins his run at the 2010 Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters on Monday. The Czech takes on first-round opponent Feliciano Lopez in a sixth career meeting.
(10) Tomas Berdych vs. Feliciano Lopez
Tomas Berdych looks to level the head-to-head with Feliciano Lopez on Monday, trailing 2-3 heading into the pair’s first-round match in Monte-Carlo. The two last met at the 2008 event in Dubai, where a round of 16 clash went the Spaniard’s way in straight sets. The players have split two previous encounters on clay.
Berdych returns to action following his runner-up finish to Andy Roddick in Miami. The 24-year-old is a solid 17-7 this season, having earned a lone clay-court win in Davis Cup over Belgium’s Olivier Rochus. Berdych, a Monte-Carlo semifinalist in 2007 (lost to Nadal), fell to Fabio Fognini in the opening round last year.
The 35th-ranked Lopez is set to contest his seventh Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters. The Spaniard has not played well in Monaco, having suffered three first-round losses since his 2003 debut. Lopez has built a 9-6 record in 2010, helped by a run to the Johannesburg championship in early February (def. Robert). Monday’s match signals the 28-year-old’s first clay-court encounter of the season.
Prediction: Berdych in three sets.
(WC) Richard Gasquet vs. (Q) Daniel Gimeno-Traver
Wildcard entrant Richard Gasquet faces qualifier Daniel Gimeno-Traver for the first time at Tour-level Monday afternoon. The two met on clay twice as juniors, with both matches won by the Frenchman in straight sets.
Gasquet contested two events during the South American clay-court swing this year, without much success. After the 23-year-old crashed out early in Indian Wells and Miami, he rebounded with a quarterfinal berth in Morocco (lost to Hanescu). The 2005 Monte-Carlo semifinalist revisits the tournament for the first time since 2008, when he made the round of 16 (lost to Querrey). Gasquet is 9-7 in 2010.
Gimeno-Traver, ranked World No. 92, makes his Monte-Carlos debut on Monday. The 24-year-old Spaniard is 3-8 this season, having won two of three matches on clay. He returns to competition after a second-round loss to Ivo Karlovic at the Sony Ericsson Open.
Prediction: Gasquet in straight sets.
Tell a friend »
Scan QR code to access Unibet mobile.
Bet on Sports wherever you are and whenever you like, with Unibet's quick and simple mobile client you can place bets, check results and see live odds.
For more info about QR codes & scanners click here.
Contact us
/ About us
/ Cookies
/ Recommended links
/ Advertise
/ Sitemap
Tennistalk v1.5.0
Disclaimer © 2001-2012, Moneytainment Media Ltd - All rights reserved
