Fabio Fognini vs Cedrik-Marcel Stebe – Second Round Preview: Mercedes Cup 2011
Thursday would see the clash of the rising titans here on TC Weissenhof Court, Stuttgart, Germany. The first round qualifiers Cedrik-Marcel Stebe from Germany and Fabio Fognini from Italy would be playing head-to-head for the first
time in their career.
The world no.197, Cedrik has been the upset for the tour beating pretty much every player that was the hot favourite while Fabio Fognini has made a stronger mark with his consistent performance on the tour.
Cedrik Marcel is currently 20-years-old. A splendid talent with a will to get up every time pulled down, Cedrik makes his opponent play every shot. The right hander is full of surprises, causing his rival to frustrate. Making use
of his jumping forehands, the German has made the toughest horses bend to their knees. His win over Nikolay Davydenko was an epic trailer of his capacity and toughness making his win a piece of cake.
Proving to be a top athlete, the Italian superstar has been in terrific form. His match against Robin Kern was somewhat a show-off of his talent. Formerly ranked as the world No.32, Fognini has been as strong as his weakest link.
Consistency has been his surprise for the opponent. Running like a wild stallion, the Italian amazingly covers the courts with ease giving his rival nothing but a bitter defeat.
Playing for the first time against each other, both players will be unpredictable against each other. It is hard to figure out who can be a stronger link between the two. Playing the match on clay court, Fognini has more chances
as he has played 394 matches on this surface with 251 wins while the German has played only 96 with 57 wins. The ratio of both players is almost the same but the Italian international has an overflowing pool of experience. Knowing how the court reacts in different
conditions and he has the edge to bombshell Cedrik in an instance.
However, the stats do not play the game. As experienced as the Italian may be, his statistical advantage does not guarantee victory. Although Fognini is clearly the hot favourite to win the match, he does have the disadvantage
of playing local. Backed by the local crowd, Stebe may just as well turn the table. Will the German give the locals a home grown champion or will he follow suit and exit the event?
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