PTT Thailand Open: Wednesday's Preview
Third seed Jurgen Melzer from Austria, number four Ernests Gulbis from Latvia and number six Thiemo de Bakker from the Netherlands headline today’s second round action at the PTT Thailand Open.
In the opening match on Wednesday, Frenchman Florent Serra will be hoping for his second victory this season against Spain’s Guillermo Garcia-Lopez. Florent triumphed in straight sets in the quarters in Casablanca earlier this year in April on his way into the semis. Guillermo on the other hand is attempting to make his fourth ATP World Tour or better in 2010.
Today’s schedule includes Melzer who enjoys a 2-0 advantage against top Israeli tennis ace, Dudi Sela. The Austrian, who made his way into the semi-final round at the PTT Thailand Open 2009, triumphed in both his clashes this season versus Dudi. His first victory against the Israeli came during the opening round of the French Open at Roland Garros and a more recent one at the Davis Cup. Melzer is going through the best years of his professional life with a match record of 41-21. He is currently ranked number 13 in the world by the Association of Tennis Professionals. The Austrian is hoping to reach his 10th quarter or better this season. Dudi, on the other hand, made his way into the semi-finals in Chennai in January and the quarters at the Queen’s Club in June early this year.
In the third singles match on Wednesday, German tennis ace Benjamin Becker will take on his compatriot tennis fellow Mischa Zverev in the last opening round clash of the competition. Both the Germans are aiming to advance into their fourth ATP World Tour quarter or better this season.
Benjamin, who was a runner’s up to Tursunov back in 2007, did well to knock Zverev in the quarters at Halle back in June. Zverev got a special exemption in the competition after reaching his first ATP World Tour final in the Open de Moselle in France on Sunday where he was defeated by eventual champion, Gilles Simon in straight sets. He improved his ATP rankings from number 155 to number 115 in the world.
In the opening clash of the evening session, Ernests Gulbis will face veteran tennis player Dudi Sela for the first time in his career. Gulbis is without any measure of speculations, one of the most improved tennis contenders on the ATP World Tour this season, jumping from number 90 in 2009 to number 25.
He won his very first ATP World Tour trophy in Delray Beach in February this season and he has made it to the quarters or better in five other championships since then. Rainer Schuettler on the other hand, was a semi-finalist at Queen’s as well as a quarter-finalist in Los Angeles.
In the last match of the PTT Thailand Open on Wednesday, the 22-year-old de Bakker, will play Daniel Brands from Germany. De Bakker is another rising tennis player who has jumped from number 96 back in 2009 to number 47 in the world. He is attempting to make his way into his fourth ATP World Tour quarters or better this season whereas Daniel on the other hand is hoping to reach his first quarter this year.
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