Basel previews and picks: Nadal vs. Herbert, Federer vs. Muller

Rafael Nadal is back in Basel action on Wednesday as he faces Pierre-Hugues Herbert in round two. Meanwhile, Roger Federer will begin his quest to go one step further than he did last year when he kicks off his campaign against Gilles Muller.

(Q) Pierre-Hugues Herbert vs. (2) Rafael Nadal

In the wake of a wrist injury and appendicitis, Nadal is unquestionably well shy of 100 percent. That being said, the world No. 3 finally has some semblance of momentum heading into the Swiss Indoors Basel second round on Wednesday. Nadal, who fell in the Beijing quarterfinals to Martin Klizan and in the Shanghai second round to Feliciano Lopez, kicked off his week on Monday with a 6-2, 6-2 rout of Simone Bolelli. It was the Spaniard’s first career match victory in his third appearance at this tournament.

Up next for Nadal is Herbert, whom he has never faced. The in-form Frenchman is four for four in ATP qualifying attempts this fall, having played his way into the main draws of Metz, Tokyo, Stockholm, and now Basel. Herbert advanced to the last 16 on Monday by edging compatriot Edouard Roger-Vasselin 6-3, 6-7(5), 7-6(3). The 23-year-old got a taste of the big stage around this time last season when he met Djokovic in the Paris second round, and he accounted himself well in a 7-6(3), 6-3 loss. An unfamiliar opponent may be tough for Nadal, but it will even more problematic for Herbert having never gotten a first-hand look at the former world No. 1’s game.

Pick: Nadal in 2 losing 8-10 games

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(1) Roger Federer vs. Gilles Muller

Federer and Muller will be squaring off for the fifth time in their careers and for the second time this season on Wednesday. The head-to-head series stands at a perfect 4-0 in favor of Federer, who has prevailed over the Luxembourgian three times on hard courts. They have not faced each other on hards since the quarterfinals of the 2008 U.S. Open, a match won by Federer 7-6(5), 6-4, 7-6(5). Their most recent encounter came this summer at Wimbledon, where the Swiss scored a 6-3, 7-5, 6-3 victory.

Looking for his first Basel title since 2011 following consecutive runner-up finishes to Juan Martin Del Potro, Federer is 51-9 lifetime at this event with five career winner’s trophies. The world No. 2 is in good shape to bag another one, as he is coming off a title-winning run in Shanghai that included a semifinal scalp of Novak Djokovic. Extensive and productive work on the Challenger circuit has Muller back up to 51st in the rankings. The 31-year-old is now in ATP-level mode and recently reached three straight second rounds in Metz, Shenzhen, and Tokyo. He has not faced a top-10 opponent other than Federer since February of 2013. This is a steep climb up in competition for Muller, and home-court advantage for the crowd favorite will only further hurt the underdog’s cause.

Pick: Federer in 2 with no tiebreakers

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