2016 Open Sud de France- Richard Gasquet vs Paul-Henri Mathieu

The crowd in Montpellier have an all French final to look forward to as top seed and defending champion Richard Gasquet faces the unseeded Paul-Henri Mathieu in the first final for both of them this year. This match takes place at 15:00 Montpellier Time (14:00 UK Time).

Gasquet and Mathieu have both had some tricky matches on their way to the final, though it hasn’t always been easy. The top seed received a bye in the opening round and showed no signs of his back injury as he beat Ernests Gulbis and 8th seed Marcos Baghdatis in straight sets, though had to come from a set and a break down in the semi-final against Dustin Brown; he may need to play better than that to win the final. Mathieu has had to play an extra match than Gasquet though recorded comfortable straight sets wins over Elias Ymer and 4th seed (and fellow Frenchman) Benoit Paire, though then edged John Millman in three tough sets and beat Alexander Zverev in two tight sets in the semi-final; he too may need to improve for this final.

Both men are experienced so neither of the two will be nervous coming into this clash. Top seed Gasquet is the favourite for this match and he does have the biggest weapon on court; his backhand. If he is playing that shot well and the rest of his game is good he will be very hard to beat, though he doesn’t neccesarily have the power of his opponent and that could be a disadvantage. One disadvantage that Mathieu has is that he is not as consistent as Gasquet, though is very good when he’s at his best and could overpower the top seed if he plays well.

Gasquet leads the head to head 5-2 and won their last meeting, at this tournament two years ago, in straight sets. The top seed is the favourite here and should be able to win this, though Mathieu has an opportunity and will not make it easy.

Prediction: Gasquet in 3

2016 Open Sud de France- Richard Gasquet vs Marcos Baghdatis

One of the most interesting quarter-final clashes at the 2016 Open Sud de France sees top seed and home favourite Richard Gasquet take on 8th seed and wildcard Marcos Baghdatis on Centre Court. This match takes place at any time after 19:00 Montpellier Time (18:00 UK Time) and the winner will face qualifier Dustin Brown or Ruben Bemelmans in the semi-finals.

It was disappointing to see Gasquet withdraw from the Australian Open following a back injury but it was clearly the right decision as after receiving a bye in the first round, he started his campaign with a solid straight sets win over the tricky Ernests Gulbis; he will be feeling confident after that win. Baghdatis also has not dropped a set so far, though he has had to play an extra match. He started with a tight straight sets win over Lukas Lacko in the first round and was slightly more comfortable in the second round as he beat Taro Daniel; the Cypriot has played well so far and will be difficult to beat.

The Frenchman has the biggest weapon court- his one-handed backhand- and if that is firing it will be extremely difficult for Baghdatis to beat him. Gasquet is not neccesarily the most powerful player on tour so will need to defend well, and will also have to serve well against Baghdatis who is a pretty good returner. Gasquet will also need to have a solid game overall. Baghdatis can be erratic and will certainly need to be solid against a confident Gasquet, though has slightly more power than the Frenchman and that could be an advantage. However he will need to serve well and having to play an extra match could be a slight disadvantage.

Baghdatis leads the head to head 3-0 and has never dropped a set to the Frenchman, though it has been almost three years since they last played. Baghdatis certainly has an opportunity here, though Gasquet’s consistency should help him edge this.

Prediction: Gasquet in 3

Gasquet withdraws from Australian Open

French star Richard Gasquet has withdrawn from the Australian Open due to a back injury.

The Frenchman is believed to have aggravated the injury playing in the IPTL and a car crash is also thought to have worsened the injury.

Gasquet’s withdrawal now mean that Kyle Edmund has automatically qualified for the tournament, which starts on the 18th January

2015 BNP Paribas Masters- Richard Gasquet vs Andy Murray

Two men who have played well so far face off in an interesting quarter-final match, as 10th seed Richard Gasquet faces 2nd seed Andy Murray. This match is the first action on Court Central on Friday, taking place at 14:00 Paris Time (13:00 UK Time).

Gasquet will have the crowd behind him and he has justified that support with some good tennis so far. After receiving a bye in the first round, he started well with a 6-2 7-5 win over Leonardo Mayer. He played well again in the 3rd round, and was leading 7-6 4-1 when 6th seed Kei Nishikori had to retire. However whilst Gasquet has played well, Murray has been even better so far. Also receiving a bye in the first round, he eased past Borna Coric 6-1 6-2 in a very comfortable performance. However things got even better in the 3rd round, as he lost just one game as stormed past 16th seed David Goffin in 51 minutes. He’s been very comfortable so far, though he should have a bigger test on Friday.

Murray leads the head to head 6-3, though only their first meeting (a 6-2 7-5 win for Gasquet back in 2006) was completed in straight sets, strongly suggesting that it will be a three set match on Friday. Murray won their last meeting 4-6 6-1 6-4 in Cincinnati this year and will certainly have a good opportunity if he plays as well as he has so far, though Gasquet has played well so far and could up his level.

This match should be tight, and it won’t be easy for Murray with the crowd against him. However he should win this considering his form, though Gasquet could make it tough.

Prediction: Murray in 3

2015 BNP Paribas Masters- Kei Nishikori vs Richard Gasquet

The home crowd will have a treat tomorrow as 10th seed Richard Gasquet will be looking to take out 6th seed Kei Nishikori in front of his home crowd. This is the second match on Court Central, and will probably be on court at around 12:30 Paris Time (11:30 UK Time).

Nishikori received a bye in the first round, though may be getting a sense of Deja Vu here as he faces a Frenchman on Court Central for the second day in a row. It wasn’t easy on Wednesday, though he eventually edged Jeremy Chardy 7-6 6-7 6-1 in a tight match; he’ll need to improve coming into today. Gasquet also received a bye in the first round, though was much more comfortable in the second round as he eased past Leonardo Mayer 6-2 7-5 in a good performance.

Whilst Nishikori is higher ranked, Gasquet may be the favourite due to the fact that he has won all of the five previous meetings between the two- he’s only dropped one set in that time as well. The Frenchman will probably need to play as well as he did on Wednesday as he’ll give himself a good opportunity if he does. Nishikori will probably have to improve a bit if he wants to have a good chance of winning though having already played a Frenchman, he won’t be affected by the crowd.

This match should be tight and it seems the crowd will get a treat if they both play well. Gasquet has the advantages of having the crowd behind him and having never lost to Nishikori, and considering he is in better form it seems he will edge this. Nishikori can win this, though he’ll need to play much better than he did against Chardy.

Prediction: Gasquet in 3

2015 US Open- Day 10: Quarter-Finals

With two semi-finalists in both the singles draws decided, there will be pressure on the players in action today to join them. With many big names in action, it should be an exciting day- here are my predictions!

Petra Kvitova vs Flavia Pennetta

Petra Kvitova hasn’t played this well at Flushing Meadows before and faces someone who has put in many good performance here before in Flavia Pennetta. 5th seed Kvitova has struggled in the past here, due to the heat and her asthma, but has not lost a set so far and has been fairly impressive in reaching what is incredibly her first US Open quarter-final. It hasn’t been as easy for 26th seed Pennetta, conceding two sets, but she has reached 6th US Open quarter-final and considering how well she plays here, she could be a threat to Kvitova if the Czech isn’t at her best. They’ve split their six previous meetings equally, though Kvitova has won their last three meetings and conceded just 3 games to the Italian the last time they played- at the Olympics in 2012. Whilst Pennetta does play well her, Kvitova has arguably a stronger game and should have enough to win this one. Pennetta does have an opportunity if Kvitova is playing badly, but on current form it seems unlikely that will happen.

Prediction: Kvitova in 3

Stan Wawrinka vs Kevin Anderson

5th seed Stan Wawrinka will be hoping to reverse a four match losing streak to 15th seed Kevin Anderson today. Despite winning the first three meetings, Wawrinka has really struggled against Anderson lately and it doesn’t help Wawrinka that Anderson will be extremely confident, winning Winston Salem and beating 3rd seed Andy Murray on. Anderson is in his first quarter-final however, and may be nervous going into this match. Wawrinka hasn’t been in amazing this tournament but does seem to play better in the latter stages of tournaments (If he gets there) and though the past few meetings haven’t gone his way, I think he should edge this in an extremely tight match.

Prediction: Wawrinka in 5

Victoria Azarenka vs Simona Halep

The most interesting match of the day sees 20th seed and two-time finalist Victoria Azarenka face 2nd seed Simona Halep. What makes this match so interesting is that the two haven’t played since Halep emerged as a top player in 2013 (Azarenka won both times before then), so we have no real indicator on how this match will. There is a slight concern for Halep though, as she was visibly injured as she battled past 24th seed Sabine Lisicki- however she had looked good up until that match. Azarenka hasn’t had easy matches so far and may not be at her best after struggling with constant injuries over the past 20 months, but always raises her level for big matches (her 3rd round win over Angelique Kerber shows that) and that makes her dangerous in the latter stages of tournaments. It could be very tight, but I think the power of Azarenka will just edge this.

Prediction: Azarenka in 3

Richard Gasquet vs Roger Federer

Roger Federer continues his search for an 18th grand slam singles title against 12th seed Richard Gasquet this evening. Federer has cruised so far, not dropping a set, and is certainly playing like he did when he won the title in Cincinnati a few weeks ago. It has been less comfortable for Gasquet, though he was able to see off Bernard Tomic convincingly in the 3rd round and beat 6th seed Tomas Berdych in 4 sets on sunday. Gasquet has been playing well of late, though has only beaten Federer twice in sixteen previous meetings- and they were both on clay. Considering the form Federer is in, he should be very comfortable today.

Prediction: Federer in 3

2015 US Open- Day 8 Picks

There is another great day of action in New York, with 16 players aiming to reach the quarter-finals. With several big names in action and many interesting matches taking place, it should be an exciting day- here are three of my predictions!

John Isner vs Roger Federer

The crowd on Arthur Ashe Stadium will get really involved in this match as American No.1 and 13th seed John Isner faces 2nd seed and 5 time champion Roger Federer. Neither man has lost a set so far, and with both men serving well it could be a tight battle- expect tiebreaks! Federer has been in vintage form of late and is he plays like he did in Cincinnati, he will be attacking Isner’s big serve early to try and rush the points. Federer leads the head to head 4-1, winning their last meeting at the Olympics in 2012, though Isner’s sole win over Federer came earlier that year in the Davis Cup. Isner certainly can win this match if he serves well, though Federer also serves well and is more comfortable at the net than the big American. Isner could nick a set, though Federer should go through to the quarter-finals.

Prediction: Federer in 4

Sabine Lisicki vs Simona Halep

Simona Halep is looking to make the US Open quarter-finals for the first time as she takes on 24th seed Sabine Lisicki today on Louis Armstrong Stadium. Halep has eased to the 4th round so far, and has won her past three meetings against Lisicki- including a crushing victory over the German last year at Wimbledon. Lisicki is a very good player when she’s at her best and that was evident until the 3rd round, where she had to come from 1-5 down in the decider to beat Barbora Strycova. Lisicki does have the firepower to beat someone with a diminutive frame like Halep, but is consistently inconsistent and can be prone to too many errors. Halep could be tested today, but should get through to the last 8 comfortably.

Prediction: Halep in 2

Tomas Berdych vs Richard Gasquet

There could be an interesting match here as 6th seed Tomas Berdych faces 12th seed Richard Gasquet on Louis Armstrong Stadium. The head to head is evenly poised at 6-6, and considering that both men have been in decent form so far this year it could be a close match. Berdych has won the last three meetings between the two, and has been slightly more comfortable so far-dropping just one set. Gasquet has had a more difficult road, dropping 3 sets, but saved his most impressive performance for a 6-4 6-3 6-1 win over Bernard Tomic on saturday. Both men are consistent, though Gasquet has the bigger weapon in his backhand and Berdych didn’t have the greatest build up to the tournament. It should be tight, and I think Gasquet will edge this.

Prediction: Gasquet in 5

Sam Stosur vs Flavia Pennetta

2011 Champion and 22nd Sam Stosur will have to overturn a 0-6 head to head against 26th seed Flavia Pennetta if she wants to reach the quarter-finals. Stosur has only dropped one set, against 16th seed Sara Errani, so far in this tournament and was comfortable before then, suggesting she could be a threat for the remainder of the tournament. Pennetta often plays well at the US Open, and considering how she’s never lost to Stosur she’ll be confident today. Pennetta has been tested more than Stosur but based on how well she plays here and how well she’s managed against Stosur in the past, she should come through this one.

Prediction: Pennetta in 3

Also in action

On the men’s side 5th seed Stan Wawrinka looks to end the run of Donald Young, whilst 3rd seed Andy Murray faces 15th seed Kevin Anderson. On the women’s side 20th seed and two-time finalist Victoria Azarenka faces Vavara Lepchenko, whilst 5th seed Petra Kvitova aims to end the run of qualifier Johanna Konta.

2015 US Open- Day 6 Men’s Picks

The third round is completed today, with many seeds facing each other and there are some very interesting matches taking place- here are three of my predictions.

Bernard Tomic vs Richard Gasquet

A very interesting match opens action on Grandstand today as the 24th seed Bernard Tomic faces 12th seed Richard Gasquet. Both men have had tough roads to get to this stage, with Tomic beating Damir Dzumhur in 4 sets before beating Lleyton Hewitt in 5, whilst Gasquet benefited from the 5th set retirement of Thanasi Kokkinakis before beating Robin Haase in 4 sets. The head to head is extremely one sided, with Gasquet leading 5-1, and the Frenchman is certainly more consistent than the young Australian. Gasquet should be able to win and dictate lots of points on his backhand, though Tomic has had a very good year and will be extremely difficult to beat. Tomic is probably more powerful than Gasquet and could win this match, though the consistency of Gasquet should just edge this one.

Prediction: Gasquet in 5

Kevin Anderson vs Dominic Thiem

Another interesting match ends the action on Court 17 as rising star and 20th seed Dominic Thiem faces 15th seed Kevin Anderson. Both have eased into this round, with Anderson beating Andrey Rublev and Austin Krajicek whilst Thiem has beaten Daniel Gimeno-Traver and Denis Istomin (via retirement), but Anderson comes off the back of a title in Winston-Salem and will be very confident after that win and the fact that he has been serving very well at Flushing Meadows so far. Thiem hasn’t played well since he had a strong post-Wimbledon clay court season and at this early stage of his career he may not have enough not to see off Anderson. However the Austrian could make it tough for Anderson.

Prediction: Anderson in 4

Philipp Kohlschreiber vs Roger Federer

Two veterans face off on Ashe in the New York afternoon as 2nd seed Roger Federer faces the 29th seed Phillipp Kohlschreiber. Federer has cruised so far, conceding just 9 games to Leonardo Mayer and Steve Darcis whilst Kohlschreiber was pushed to 5 sets by Sascha Zverev, before easing past Lukas Rosol in 3 sets. The German nearly beat Federer at Halle in June, but the world No.2 leads the head to head 9-0 and it seems unlikely, based on Federer’s current form, that Kohlschreiber will pick up his first win. Federer will most likely win, though I have a feeling Kohlschreiber could nick a set.

Prediction: Federer in 4

Also in action

3rd seed Andy Murray plays against 30th seed Thomaz Bellucci on Ashe tonight, whilst 5th seed Stan Wawrinka faces Ruben Bemelmans and 6th seed Tomas Berdych plays 31st seed Guillermo Garcia-Lopez. Also 13th seed John Isner faces Jiri Vesely whilst 22nd seed Viktor Troicki faces Donald Young.

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W&S Open- Men’s Quarter-Finals

Only eight men are left standing in Cincinnati, with many of the big names in action but also some surprise quarter-finalists- it should be exciting! Here are my predictions!

Novak Djokovic vs Stan Wawrinka

We have an epic quarter-final here, as top seed Novak Djokovic faces 5th seed Stan Wawrinka for the first time since the French Open final in June. Djokovic eased past Benoit Paire in an entertaining match in the second round, but had to battle from a double break down in the final set before eventually seeing off David Goffin in three sets. Wawrinka has been pushed to three sets in both his matches, coming from a set down to beat both Borna Coric and Ivo Karlovic. Wawrinka is not playing his best tennis, which may be due to the events of last week, but is usually able to raise his level against the the world No. 1. Djokovic also may not be in his best form, and Wawrinka is one of the few people who can bully Djokovic off the court. It should be close, but on current form it seems Djokovic will have the edge.

Prediction: Djokovic in 3

Alexandr Dolgopolov vs Tomas Berdych

Tomas Berdych has a great opportunity to reach the semi-finals as he faces Qualifier Alexandr Dolgopolov in the quarter-finals. After an early loss in Montreal, Berdych has bounced back well this week, easing past Tomaz Bellucci before crushing Tommy Robredo for the loss of just one game in the third round. Dolgopolov was fortunate enough to get a bye in the 1st round following the withdrawal of Kei Nishikori, and battled past Jerzy Janowicz in the third round after easing past Bernard Tomic in his first match. Dolgopolov is certainly talented, but has lost all four of his previous meetings against Berdych. Whilst he hasn’t won a title yet this year, Berdych has had a pretty consistent year and should come through this one.

Prediction: Berdych in 2

Richard Gasquet vs Andy Murray

Andy Murray will have a difficult match against Richard Gasquet, and he’ll be hoping it’s a bit more comfortable than his match early this morning. After seeing off Mardy Fish in straight sets, he saved two match points and came from behind several times to eventually see off Grigor Dimitrov. 12th seed Gasquet has been comfortable so far, seeing off Nick Kyrgios, Thanasi Kokkinakis and 7th seed Marin Cilic all in straight sets. Murray leads the head to head 5-3 and if Gasquet wants to get his fourth victory he will need to hope his one-handed backhand is firing. Also he will need to hope for Murray to be slightly below his normal level, but Murray is the stronger of the two and should edge this one.

Prediction; Murray in 3

Feliciano Lopez vs Roger Federer

There could be a lot of aces in this quarter-final, as both Feliciano Lopez and Roger Federer are good servers. Lopez has been in pretty poor form recently, but saw off 9th seed Milos Raonic and Andreas Seppi in straight sets before edging past 8th seed Rafa Nadal in a final set tie break. Federer has been in imperious form so far, easing past Roberto Bautista Agut in the second round before demolishing 15th seed Kevin Anderson for the loss of just two games. Considering the form Lopez has been in it seems unlikely he’ll beat Federer, and with the world No. 2 already having faced a big server he should be ready for the Spaniard.

Prediction: Federer in 2

W&S Open- Thursday Men’s Predictions

Many of the big names are in action and most of big names are still in the tournament as the men play their third round matches today- Here are three of my predictions!

Marin Cilic vs Richard Gasquet

An extremely interesting match takes place third on Grandstand, as the defending US Open champion Marin Cilic faces the resurgent Richard Gasquet. Cilic will be desperately looking for some wins going into his Flushing Meadows title defence, and his preparation has been mixed so far; he reached the semi-finals in Washington, but then lost early in Montreal. However he was impressive against Joao Sousa in the second round here, winning 6-4 6-2. Gasquet lost early in Washington and pulled out of Montreal, but reached the semi-finals at Wimbledon and is back in the top 15. He seems to be back near his best and with Cilic having not played well since his US Open triumph, this certainly a good opportunity for Gasquet to reach the quarter-finals. Cilic can win this match, but he would have to bring his best tennis to do so.

Prediction: Gasquet in 3

Grigor Dimitrov vs Andy Murray

The Stadium 3 crowd could have a treat this evening as 16th seed Grigor Dimitrov faces 3rd seed and Rogers Cup champion Andy Murray. Dimitrov hasn’t been in great form this year, and so far has toughed out a 3 set win against Lukas Rosol and two tiebreak sets against Vasek Pospisil. Murray, coming off his victory in Montreal, toughed out a tight victory against Mardy Fish this morning and had the advantage of a bye in the first round. Murray certainly didn’t play his best match against Fish, but is in much better form than last year- when he lost to Dimitrov the only time in their six previous meetings. Dimitrov is clearly talented and would be able to push the big names if he was on form, but it seems likely that Murray will come through this one.

Prediction: Murray in 2

Kevin Anderson vs Roger Federer

2nd seed Roger Federer faces the big serving 15th seed Kevin Anderson last on Centre today. This is Federer’s first tournament since Wimbledon, and he eased past Roberto Bautista Agut in the second round. Anderson has a more difficult path, having to battle past Leonardo Mayer in three sets before edging past Jack Sock in two tight sets. It doesn’t look good for Anderson- he hasn’t won a set in three previous meetings against Federer- and if he wants to have any chance of beating Federer it is imperative that he serves well, as this is the only part of his game that is stronger than that of Federer. However, even if he does serve well, it seems unlikely that he will be able to come through against Federer.

Prediction: Federer in 2

Also in action

Top seed Novak Djokovic faces the 13th seed David Goffin, whilst 5th seed Stan Wawrinka faces the big serving Ivo Karlovic. Rafa Nadal faces fellow Spaniard Feliciano Lopez whilst another Spaniard, Tommy Robredo, faces Tomas Berdych. Alexandr Dolgopolov faces Jerzy Janowicz.