2010 BNP Paribas Masters: Preview of Thursday's opening clash
Today’s schedule of play at the 2010 BNP Paribas Masters Men’s singles tournament looms as an important day in the race for the last three singles places at the elite eight man field in London. In case both Jurgen Melzer and Fernando Verdasco lose their
respective matches then the battle is over and Andy Roddick, David Ferrer and Tomas Berdych will qualify.
In the opening match of the day on Court Central, Andy Roddick from United States of America will take on Ernests Gulbis. Roddick enjoys a lifetime mark of 11-6 in Bercy and preciously reached the semi final rounds here back in 2003 and 2005. He was also
a quarter finalist here back in 2002 before losing to Srichaphan.
The Texas resident, who made his debut on the ATP World Tour in 2001, is coming off his seventh semi-final or better in 2010 at the Swiss Indoors Basel last week where he was eventually defeated by the ultimate winner Roger Federer. Roddick is attempting
to qualify for the year-ending elite eight man field in London on the eighth occasion in a row.
The American is currently ranked number eight in the South African Airways ATP list and enters with a match record of 46-14 on the year. This is Roddick’s second competition since last month when he retired due to injury while playing against Garcia Lopez
in the third round of Shanghai Rolex Masters. In the previous week, he made his way into the quarter final round at Tokyo.
The right hander started off his 2010 campaign with his first crown Down Under in Brisbane, defeating Stepanek. A few months later, Roddick lifted his fifth career ATP World Tour Masters 1000 trophy in Miami after getting the better of Tomas Berdych. The
American was also a finalist in San Jose and Indian Wells earlier this season.
His twenty nine trophies are the third most among active contenders on the tour behind Nadal and Federer.
The 22-year-old Gulbis of Latvia, on the other hand, is making his debut in Paris. He opened his account with a two setter victory over Juan Ignacio Chela of Argentina on Sunday.
The young Latvian enjoys a match record of 30-19 on the season and has reached the quarter final or better on seven occasions in 2010. His thirty match victories so far this year are his career-high, surpassing his past total of twenty four back in 2008.
Gulbis did not drop a single set on his way to his first ATP World Tour crown in Delray Beach back in February where he brushed aside Karlovic in the title battle. His other notable performances in 2010 include two semi final appearances in Memphis and ATP
World Tour Masters 1000 Rome.
Last year, the right hander finished in the top hundred on the third occasion in a row at number ninety with a win loss mark of 20-26. His best results were final eight showings in Tokyo and St. Petersburg, the only championships he triumphed in back-to-back
clashes.
He started off his 2010 campaign with a quarter final showing in Doha before losing to world number two Roger Federer. In February, the professional tennis ace from Latvia made his way into the semi final round in Memphis where he was toppled by the ultimate
winner Sam Querrey from United States of America.
As far as this match is concerned, the American Roddick is likely to win as he has hit some better form of late.
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