2010 Open Sud de France; Preview of the evening clashes
The Croatian tennis ace, Ivan Ljubicic and Jarkko Nieminen of Finland will play the third match of the day at the 2010 Open Sud de France in Montpellier on Friday.
The twenty nine year old Nieminen who made his debut on the ATP World Tour back in 2000 is currently ranked number 44 in the South African Airways 2010 ATP list. The professional tennis player from Finland posted his season best
result by reaching the final of the PTT Thailand Open last month in Bangkok where Jarkko was given a beating by the eventual winner Garcia-Lopez.
He has also advanced into the semi final in Delray Beach, Stockholm and quarter final in Metz and Tokyo so far in 2010. The left hander who achieved his career highest ranking of number 13 back in 2006 enters with a match record
of 28-24 on the season and has so far won just a single title on the tour.
World number 17, Ivan on the other hand will try to surpass Jarkko on the second occasion in his career. The professional tennis player from Croatia who made his debut on the ATP Tour back in 1998 triumphed in their previous encounter
during the fourth round of Miami three years ago. Ivan also captured the crown when the competition was held in Lyon back in 2001 and then last season.
The 32 year old Croatian won the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Indian Wells earlier this season after brushing aside Andy Roddick of America in the title battle. He has also reached the semi final round in Beijing, Stockholm and
quarter final in Dubai and Umag so far in 2010.
The Monaco resident comes in with a win loss mark of 24-17 on the season and has so far won a total of seventeen single titles on the tour. He is the oldest contender in the main draw who has won thirteen of the previous sixteen
clashes since his first round defeat at the year’s final major, the United States Open in New York.
In the concluding match of the day, the top French player on the ATP Tour Jo-Wilfried Tsonga will play against Gilles Simon of France. Tsonga stands at 3-1 against the Frenchman and is playing in his eighth final eight round of
the year.
The 25 year old Tsonga who made his debut on the ATP World Tour back in 2004 has so far reached the semi final in Australian Open, Marseille and quarter final in ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Miami, Barcelona, ATP World Tour Masters
1000 Rome, Wimbledon and ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Shanghai in 2010.
He enters with a match record of 30-15 on the season and is coming off his quarter final appearance at the Shanghai Rolex Masters in China where Tsonga was bundled out by the number one Brit, Andy Murray in straight sets. He is
currently ranked number 13 in the South African Airways 2010 ATP list.
World number 48, Simon on the other hand won the Metz title earlier this season after overpowering Zverev in the finals. The 25 year old French player has also made his way into the quarter final in Eastbourne, Washington and Beijing
so far in 2010. Simon comes in with a win loss mark of 19-14 on the year and is playing in his fifth ATP World Tour quarter-final or better this season. The right hander achieved his career high ranking of world number six back in 2009.
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