Kevin Anderson will be competing in his fifth ATP final and Tommy Robredo in his 17th when the two players collide for the Casablanca title on Sunday. Robredo has won his last four finals.
Kevin Anderson and Tommy Robredo will be going head-to-head for the first time in their careers when they battle for the Grand Prix Hassan II title on Sunday afternoon.
A resurgent Robredo is back in the final for the first time since his only previous Casablanca appearance in 2001 (lost to Guillermo Canas). The 30-year-old Spaniard has been injured in recent seasons, but he is capitalizing on a clean bill of health in 2013. Robredo, who reached the semis in Buenos Aires, is 10-8 this year following victories over Guillaume Rufin, Tobias Kamke, Benoit Paire, and top-seeded Stanislas Wawrinka.
“I’m very happy to be in the final again here 12 years after my first appearance in Casablanca,” said the world No. 72. “I’m back on tour, in a final again and hopefully I can go one step further.”
In order to do that he will have to take down a red-hot Anderson. The 29th-ranked South African is 17-5 for the season, which includes a fourth-round showing at the Australian Open and a run to the quarterfinals in Indian Wells. So far in Casablanca, Anderson has taken care of Pablo Carreno-Busta, Grega Zemlja, and Martin Klizan.
The No. 2 seed has by far the biggest weapons in this matchup with both his serve and forehand. Robredo, however, has a considerable edge on a clay-court surface plus he has tons of experience in ATP finals (10-7 lifetime). Unless Anderson serves incredibly well, Robredo should be able to take advantage of a big opportunity on this court.
Pick: Robredo in 3
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