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4/29/09 4:39 PM | Ricky Dimon
Richard Gasquet has already scored a win over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga today at the Masters Series Rome. Now he goes right back at it against Ernests Gulbis for a spot in the third round.
Richard Gasquet will contest his second match of the day later on Wednesday afternoon when he takes on Ernests Gulbis in the second round of the Masters Series Rome. Fortunately for Gasquet, he finished off his first one in straight sets, dispatching fellow Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 7-6(2), 6-4 in one hour and 49 minutes. Gasquet and Gulbis, who ousted Nicolas Almagro on Tuesday, will be doing battle for the first time in their careers when they square off for a spot in the third round.
Although both competitors have already pulled off nice wins in Rome, neither man is enjoying a memorable 2009 campaign. Gasquet started out the season in fine form, however, making it to the semifinals in Brisbane and Sydney prior to the Australian Open. Nonetheless, the oft-injured world No. 23 was unable to sustain any momentum. Gasquet has continued to struggle with physical problems and has had just one impressive result--a semifinal appearance in Dubai--since his two semifinal performances in January. He played just two tournaments in between Dubai and Rome, getting blown out by Fernando Verdasco in the Indian Wells second round and suffering a second-round upset loss to Christophe Rochus last week in Barcelona.
Gulbis, seemingly poised for a breakout year after reaching after displaying amazing talent not only en route to the 2008 French Open quarterfinals but also in several so-called "beautiful losses" (including to Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon and Andy Roddick at the U.S. Open), has gone in the other direction so far this season. Prior to his win over Almagro, Gulbis had not won a single match since a first-round victory at the Masters Series Indian Wells. The 20-year-old Latvian also dropped his first two clay-court matches of the year, in blowout fashion against Philipp Kohlschreiber in Monte-Carlo and more recently to Potito Starace in Barcelona to Potitio Starace. Gulbis owns an 8-11 record in 2009 and has not made it past the second round of any tournament.
He will have to engineer a minor upset of Gasquet in order to reach the third round of an ATP event for the first time since last July's Masters Series Cincinnati, where Gulbis reached the quarterfinals. Don't count on it happening. Gasquet did not have to spend too much time on the court against Tsonga earlier in the day and his one-handed backhand was clicking. Gulbis needs to make a high percentage of his big first serves and target his opponent's forehand at every opportunity to have any chance. The world No. 43 is capable of taking it right to Gasquet, but he has not won back-to-back matches this entire season and there's really no reason to think he will do it now. Gasquet in straight sets is the pick.
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Richard Gasquet
Ernests Gulbis
Internazionali BNL d'Italia
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My gut feel is gulbis with an upset.
danny , 4/29/09 8:41 PM