PTT Thailand Open: Saturday’s Preview
World number one Rafael Nadal was joined by three unseeded contenders in the final four of the PTT Thailand Open in Bangkok on Friday. Compatriot Guillermo Garcia Lopez, Benjamin Becker and Jarkko Nieminen joined the Spaniard in a bid to clinch the title.
Rafael is a 6 time champion on the ATP World Tour this season whereas others are attempting to win their first ATP World Tour crown in 2010.
In the first semi-final on Saturday, Jarkko and Benjamin will meet on the fourth occasion and fifth overall in Bangkok. The head-to-head encounters are tied at 2-2. Jarkko has triumphed in two of three clashes this year and he is playing in the semi finals
on the third occasion in Bangkok. The 29-year-old Fin is hoping to advance to his 10th career ATP World Tour title battle and the first since January back in 2009. In February, Jarkko made his way into the semis in Delray Beach where he was eventually
defeated by Gulbis. He leads the championship in break points, after he prevented 16 out of the 18 and won 64% of his service points. Nieminen enjoys a match record of 20-22 for this year, out of which he has a 14-11 record on hard surfaces. Last week, he
also made his way into the quarters in Open De Moselle in Metz.
Benjamin, on the other hand, who reached his first ATP World Tour final 3 years ago, is hoping to progress into his third career final. The 29-year-old Becker is making his third appearance in an ATP World Tour semi-final in 2010, the first since June, when
he made his way into the semi final rounds in back-to-back weeks in ‘s-Hertogenbosch and Halle. This is the German’s fifth appearance at the Thailand Open. Becker enjoys a match record of 25-26, including 15-18 on hard surfaces.
In the second semi-final match on Saturday, Rafael will take on Garcia-Lopez. Both players have played each other in the final at the Spain Futures #16 back in 2002 where the then 16-year-old Rafa triumphed in straight sets. The Spaniard leads the ATP World
Tour with a total of six trophies and a match record of 61-7 in 2010. He is hoping to win his second career indoor ATP World Tour crown. After capturing his first United States Open title, the Spaniard clinched the season end number one ranking on the second
occasion in three years. The 24-year-old Rafa has reached the quarters or better in all 14 championships he has contested in 2010. Nadal is 7-3 in semi-final clashes and is attempting to progress into his eighth title battle of the season and 55 overall. This
week, the Spaniard leads the competition in opening serve points with 92%, 64% second serve points along with 68% second serve return points in Bangkok.
He finished the spring clay court year with a mark of 22-0, registering his name as the first contender to grab a “Clay Slam” in a season, winning the three ATP Masters 1000 crowns along with the French Open on the fifth occasion in 6 years. The Spaniard
returned to the top spot back in June.
Garcia-Lopez on the other hand is attempting to reach his third career final and the first one on hard surface. He was also a finalist in Eastbourne earlier this season in June. The 27-year-old Lopez is making his third appearance in an ATP World Tour semi-final
in 2010. He leads the championship this week with a total of 32 aces and he has defeated 8th seed Michael Berrer in the opening round, Florent Serra in the next and number four Ernests Gulbis in the quarters. Lopez won his first ATP World Tour trophy
in Kitzbuehel back in 2000. He enjoys a career record of 5-20 versus the top 10 players in 2010 and this is the third occasion that he is facing a top ranked player in the world.
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