2010 Open Sud de France: Wednesday preview opening matches
A total of two opening round clashes and three second round matches will be contested in today’s schedule of the play at the 2010 Open Sud de France in Montpellier.
In the opening match on Wednesday, Florent Serra from France will take on Jarkko Nieminen on the Centre Court.
The 29-year-old Florent who turned professional back in 2000 enters with a match record of 18-25 on the season. The Swiss resident has so far won a total of two single titles in his career.
The right hander posted his season best run at the Casablanca event where he successfully made his way into the semi-final rounds before losing at the hands of Hanescu in straight sets. The French man who achieved his career high ranking of world number
thirty six is currently ranked number sixty five on the ATP tour.
The Masku resident Nieminen, on the other hand has so far reached the finals at the PTT Thailand Open in Bangkok, semi-finals in Delray Beach, Stockholm and quarter finals in Metz and Tokyo this season. The professional tennis player from Finland stands
at a match record of 26-24 on the year and won just a single title in his career. The 29-year-old Nieminen who turned professional back in 2000 is ranked number forty four in the world. He achieved his career high ranking of number thirteen back in 2006.
Both of them faced each other earlier in 2010 at the year’s opening Grand Slam, the Australian Open in Melbourne where Florent won in a five-setter battle. Jarkko was 15-21 after an opening round defeat at the United States Open in New York, however, since
last month he has triumphed in eleven of the past fourteen clashes on the tour.
Second up on the Centre Court will be the third highest ranked player from the United States of America, John Isner who will meet Adrian Mannarino, a qualifier from France on the first occasion in his career.
The 25-year-old Isner who turned professional back in 2007 enjoys a win loss mark of 36-21 in 2010. He won the Auckland title earlier this season after getting the better of Clement in the finals. The American also reached the finals in Memphis, Belgrade,
Atlanta and semi-finals at the China Open in Beijing where the Florida resident was given a beating by the world number three Novak Djokovic of Serbia.
The right handed American is coming off his appearance at the Shanghai Rolex Masters in China where he was an unseeded player. He got the better of Lukasz Kubot in three sets, preventing seven match points in the third set tie break. In the next round, Isner
however was toppled by world number two and reigning Australian Open winner Roger Federer in straight sets in their career first meeting since the United States Open back in 2007. He is attempting to make his way into his sixth ATP World Tour quarter final
or better of the year.
The French tennis sensation, Mannarino is currently ranked number 108 in the world and stands at 2-3 win loss record on the season. The left hander after making his debut on the ATP tour achieved his career high ranking of number eighty eight back in 2009.
His best result in a Grand Slam tournament so far is a second round appearance at the United States Open in New York this year. The left hander is still looking for his first ATP World tour singles title on the tour and is attempting to make his way into
his first quarter final or better in 2010.
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