Valencia Open 2011: Preview Day 3 – Part One
Currently underway at the Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències in Valencia, Spain is the 2011 Valencia Open 500. An ATP 500 event, the event is the only hard court event held in Spain showcasing most of the local talent. Highlighting
the afternoon session on Wednesday, 2nd November – Day 3 of the event are two singles and two doubles matches.
Kicking off play for the day at the Agora is the top ranked Croat Marin Cilic as he takes on the rising Canadian sensation, Milos Raonic. This will be the pair’s first meeting ever on the courts. Ranked inside the top 30, the pair
stands only seven places apart predicting a close, enthralling battle between the two which could very well go into three sets.
Cilic, ranked 20th in the world, comes into the match fresh from a title win at St. Petersburg. Sporting a 8-2 win loss mark in his last ten matches, Cilic made it all the way to final at Beijing falling to Tomas Berdych
before enjoying a successful final run at St. Petersburg defeating Serbian number two, Janko Tipsarevic in the title match. Raonic, on the other hand, returned to the tour after being sidelined for three months due to a knee surgery. However, the Canadian’s
return hasn’t been as fruitful as he would have willed. Losing in the second rounds of Tokyo and Shanghai to Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer respectively, Raonic spiked a little on tour with a final four showing at the If Stockholm Open losing to Gael Monfils.
With a recent title win, Cilic is perhaps the better player amongst the two. However, Raonic has produced great upsets during the year defeating the likes of Mikhail Youzhny and Andy Roddick. Should he bring that form to his match,
the Canadian will be able to move past the Croat with much ease.
Following Raonic and Cilic on the court is the top seed here, local David Ferrer. The reigning world number five continues his title defence here as he plays his second round match against Vasek Pospisil. The Spaniard had earlier
defeated compatriot Fernando Verdasco in straight sets in the opening round while Pospisil had pulled an upset victory over John Isner.
However, defeating Isner was one thing but ousting Ferrer on home ground is a truly a Sisyphean task. Not only is Ferrer one of the top five, he also holds only two losses in his last ten matches with a semi-final showing at Tokyo
and a last two appearance at Shanghai. In their first meeting ever, Ferrer is expected to destroy the Canadian in simple straight sets.
While the singles action continues on the Agora, doubles take to the Pista. Kicking off is the Czech Slovak duo of Frantisek Cermak and Filip Polasek as they take on the team of Olivier Marach and David Marrero. Following these
two on the courts will be the second seeded team of Poles, Mariusz Fyrstenberg and Marcin Matkowski, as they play the tandem of Eric Butorac and Jean-Julien Rojer.
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