2010 St. Petersburg Open: Preview of Thursday's two
opening clashes
A total of six second round clashes are included in Thursday’s schedule of play at 2010 St. Petersburg Open Men’s singles competition led by the top seed and 2004 winner Mikhail Youzhny, fourth seed Chinese Yen Hsun Lu and Victor Hanescu, an eighth seed
player from Romania. Moreover, a wild card entrant from Russia, Dmitry Tursunov and Konstantin Kravchuk, a local qualifier, are also attempting to make their way into the final eight in Russia.
In the day's opening match, Illya Marchenko from Ukraine will take on Konstantin Kravchuk on the first occasion in his career.
The twenty three year old Marchenko, who turned professional back in 2005, enters with a win loss mark of 16-19 on the season. He posted his season best result by reaching the quarter final rounds in Zagreb, Marseille and later on in Eastbourne. The professional
tennis player from Ukraine is currently ranked number ninety nine in the South African Airways 2010 ATP list. The Donetsk resident is still looking for his first singles ATP World tour title.
World number one hundred and thirty three Kravchuk, on the other hand, stands at a match record of 1-1 on the season. The professional tennis player from Russia, who turned pro back in 2004, achieved his career high ranking of number 133 during the start
of this month. The right hander is also looking for a breakthrough on the ATP tour.
Both of them have faced each other on four occasions in the Challenger events but this would be their first meeting on the tour. Marchenko is attempting to advance into his fourth ATP World Tour final eight of the year while Kravchuk in his first overall.
Ukrain's number two, Alexandr Dolgopolov will meet Rainer Schuettler in the second match on Thursday. The twenty one year old Alexandr has so far reached the semi final round in Eastbourne and quarter final rounds in Umag and Moscow this season.
The world number forty nine, who made his debut on the ATP tour back in 2006, enters with a match record of 20-21 on the season. The right hander achieved his career high ranking of world number thirty nine back in July this year.
The Ukrainian tennis ace recorded the biggest victory of his career at the French Open in Roland Garros where he upset the twelfth seed, Fernando Gonzales in the second round in straight sets, only to lose at the hands of Nicolas Almagro in the next round
in three sets. The final match score was 6-3, 6-3, and 6-4.
The thirty four year old German Schuettler stands at a win loss mark of 12-16 on the season and has previously reached the semi final round in Queen's Club and quarter final round in Los Angeles in 2010. The right handed Schuettler, who made his debut on
the ATP World tour back in 1995, has so far won a total of four singles titles in his career. The former world number five is currently ranked number 103 in the world.
In their only past encounter at the Aachen Challenger back in 2006, Rainer triumphed in three sets. He has a lifetime mark of 12-7 at St. Petersburg and is looking for his third quarter final or better in 2010.
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