If Stockholm Open Men’s singles competition; Thursday’s Preview
Two of the top five contenders on the ATP world tour will be in action on Thursday at the If Stockholm Open Men’s singles competition, in the second round, highlighted by Roger Federer who will also begin his tournament’s campaign
later in the evening.
In the opening match of the day, former world number four James Blake from the United States of America will play against Matthias Bachinger, a qualifier from Germany on the centre court.
The American is currently ranked number 135 in the world and came into the tournament as a wild card entrant. He enjoys a good record in Stockholm as it is one of the three places along with New Heaven and Sydney where Blake has
so far won a total of two trophies back in 2005 and the following year. He enters with a career mark of 14-1 in Stockholm. The American has so far advanced into the quarter final rounds in Brisbane, Delray Beach and Los Angeles this year.
World number 275, Matthias on the other hand stands at a 1-0 win loss record in 2010. The twenty three year old German has not won a single title so far in his career and is contesting in his first ATP World Tour main draw in 2010.
Second up on the centre court is the fourth seed Ivan Ljubicic versus Arnaud Clement. Both of them have so far faced each other on eleven occasions in their career with Ivan leading the head to head at 9-2, in fact triumphing in
the past nine in a row. He lost just a single set in his previous seven clashes. World number seventeen has so far made his way into the semi final in Beijing, quarter final in Dubai as well as Umag in 2010. He has also won a title in Indian Wells earlier
this year. He enters with a win loss record of 21-16 on the season.
Clement, on the other hand who is currently ranked number sixty in the world by the Association of tennis professionals has reached the finals in Auckland and quarter final in Estoril, losing to Isner and Federer respectively this
season.
In the third clash of the day, the German tennis ace Tobias Kamke will face Ivan Dodig from Croatia. Kamke is currently ranked number seventy two in the world and enters with a win loss record of 5-5 on the season. World number
132, Ivan has made his way into the second round in Sweden after upsetting the eighth seeded Tommy Robredo in the opening match. He enjoys a match record of 7-6 in 2010.
The top seed and world number two Roger Federer is the fourth one on the centre court versus Taylor Dent from the United States of America. The Swiss tennis maestro beat Dent in their past encounter in Miami back in 2009, in just
two sets. The final match score was 6-3, 6-2. This will be Roger’s 900th lifetime ATP clash. The right hander is appearing in Stockholm ofor the first time in ten years and is coming off his runner up appearance at Shanghai Rolex Masters in China
where he was defeated in the title battle at the hands of Andy Murray. Federer enters with a match record of 49-12 on the season.
Dent on the other hand; who is currently ranked number 101 in the world has reached the quarter final round in Atlanta as his best result in 2010 where he was eventually taken down at the hands of Mardy Fish.
In the final match of the day, the second seed and world number five, Robin Soderling of Sweden will meet Benjamin Becker of Germany. The top Swede has triumphed in both of their past clashes in straight sets; including an opening
round match here back in 2008. In spite of the fact that Soderling has never captured a crown in Stockholm, but he has played well at his home tournament, enjoying a lifetime mark of 16-6 here, highlighted by his finalist run back in 2003 as well as 2008.
He also reached the semi final round in Sweden back in 2006 and last year.
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