2012 Hamburg finalists Juan Monaco and Tommy Haas will be back in action on Thursday. They are set for respective third-round showdowns with Benoit Paire and Carlos Berlocq. Chris Skelton previews the action.
(5) Juan Monaco vs. (9) Benoit Paire
Monaco, the defending champion of the German Tennis Championships, faces a nemesis on clay from earlier this spring. At the Masters 1000 tournament in Rome, Paire won a three-set thriller en route to the semifinals. That result marks the strongest of the Frenchman’s career, although the best is probably yet to come. At a lanky 6’5”, Paire wields an imposing first serve and that critical asset in the ATP: a two-handed backhand as lethal as a forehand. In fact, he sometimes runs around his forehand to hit the backhand, more secure in technique and more precise in accuracy. Tall players generally do not fare well on clay, but Paire has learned how to succeed on it despite his reliance on offense and preference for playing inside the baseline. As it did with Robin Soderling, the surface gives him extra time to set his feet and lean into groundstrokes.
Monaco represents the more conventional type of dirt-devil with his compact size, tireless stamina, and high-percentage tactics. The Argentine enjoyed the best season of his career in 2012, only to have fallen well short of that level so far in 2013. After he barely won a match in the first few months, Monaco did regain some form on his favorite surface by winning a small title in Dusseldorf. He also impressed by straight-setting a resurgent Gael Monfils to start his week in Hamburg. Paire, though, notched a solid win of his own over a classic clay grinder in Albert Montanes. The second meeting between these Top 30 opponents could pulsate with as much tension as the first. With his title defense at stake, Monaco should stay just steady enough to earn his revenge.
Skelton pick: Monaco in 3
Dimon pick: Monaco in 3
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Carlos Berlocq vs. (2) Tommy Haas
Two or three weeks ago, this match would have looked thoroughly uninspiring. Much the superior talent, Haas has marched back to the brink of the Top 10 at age 35. Many have considered Berlocq’s serve among the worst in the Top 100, by contrast, and he never has defeated an elite opponent. Things changed somewhat last week when Berlocq won his first career title in Bastad, defeating Fernando Verdasco in the final. Meanwhile, Haas fell early on home soil in Stuttgart in one of his most disappointing results this year. It looked less disappointing in retrospect when the man who defeated him, Fabio Fognini, went on to win the title. However, Haas again looked shaky to start this week when he needed three sets to beat Blaz Kavcic in his opener.
The runner-up in Hamburg last year, Haas will hope that Berlocq suffers a hangover from his breakthrough in Bastad. Even a mature competitor usually follows that sort of result with an early exit at his next tournament as his competitive appetite recedes. The Argentine’s accomplishment last week also looks stronger at first glance than it does on closer inspection. Berlocq benefited from upsets earlier in the draw, such as Thiemo de Bakker over Tomas Berdych and Verdasco over Nicolas Almagro. In this battle of one-handed backhands, Haas will look to dictate most rallies and move Berlocq out of his baseline comfort zone. In six European clay tournaments before Bastad, Berlocq did not advance past the third round. Nor will he here.
Skelton pick: Haas in 2
Dimon pick: Haas in 2
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