2011 Movistar Open: Top seeds Juan Monaco-David Nalbandian begin title run
Currently in its 18th edition, 2011 Movistar Open, is being played in Santiago, Chile. Entering its second day on Tuesday, an ATP 250 level event it is the first red clay tournament of the season.
Former top twenty player Juan Monaco returns to the event for the sixth time. Ranked 27th in the world, Monaco is the second seed at the event. A veteran here, Monaco is a two time finalist here. His first unsuccessful final run at the event came
in 2008 when he had to retire from the match on account of a left ankle injury. His second run to the final came last year when he lost to Brazilian, Thomaz Bellucci.
They say third time is the charm. Maybe Monaco might enjoy a title win at the event this time though he’ll have to go through a few rungs of the title ladder before that. First of which is his compatriot, Maximo Gonzalez.
Though not a rivalry, Monaco meets Gonzalez for the third time on the tour at Cancha Central. Their previous two meetings came in 2009 in both of which Monaco emerged victorious to lead the head to head score 2-0. His recent win against Gonzalez however;
turned out to be a three set affair with Gonzalez pushing the first set into a tiebreaker and clinching a win in the second set.
Ranked about one hundred and twenty places above his compatriot coupled with the statistical edge in the head to head, Monaco will probably be the victor in their first round match.
Following Monaco on Cancha Central will be top seed, compatriot and friend, David Nalbandian. Ranked 19th in the world, Nalbandian is coming from a final run in his season opening tournament at Auckland, the 2011 Heineken Open and a second round
exit in the Australian Open.
After a being defaulted in his second round match at the event in 2002, Nalbandian returns to Santiago after nine years with the hopes of securing a title win here.
Like his compatriot Monaco, Nalbandian also opens his run at the event playing a fellow countryman. Playing Carlos Berlocq for the second time on the tour, Nalbandian currently leads the head to head score 1-0. The pair’s last meeting had come in 2008 when
they met for the first round match of Roland Garros.
Like Monaco, Nalbandian not only enjoys a higher ranking but also a statistical edge which probably makes him the favourite to win the match.
Also taking to Cancha Central will be a doubles match between the fourth seeded Argentine Mexican duo of Juan Ignacio Chela and Santiago Gonzalez and the Chilean team of Jorge Aguilar and Paul Capdeville. Although the Chileans have exited the singles draw,
the home court advantage might play to their advantage in the doubles match.
Wrapping up play for the day will be Brazilian qualifier Caio Zampieri as he plays local wildcard entrant, Nicolas Massu. Though the pair has never played each other on the tour, their Challenger head to head rests at 1-0 in Massu’s favour.
Given the fact that he has beaten Zampieri coupled with the crowd support, Massu might just edge past Zampieri into the next round. The winner of this match will play fourth seeded Chela in the second round.
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