A trio of big hitters are on the Monday schedule in Madrid. Milos Raonic is kicking off his campaign against Nikolay Davydenko while Sam Querrey and Jerzy Janowicz are set for a showdown.
(12) Milos Raonic vs. Nikolay Davydenko
Davydenko and Raonic will be going head-to-head for the first time in their careers when they collide in round one of the Mutua Madrid Open on Monday. Raonic continues to play stellar tennis after emerging throughout 2011 and 2012 and his 17-6 record for the season has him up to a career-high ranking of No. 13 in the world. The 6’5” Canadian’s clay-court swing is off to a decent start. He lost to Jarkko Nieminen in a third-set tiebreaker in the Monte-Carlo second round before reaching the Barcelona semifinals.
Davydenko, on the other hand, is struggling at 31 years old. The Russian owns a modest 13-11 record for his 2013 campaign and he has won back-to-back matches at only a single tournament since kicking off the season with a runner-up finish in Doha. Davydenko is coming off a first-round Munich loss to Ivan Dodig. Clay will give the veteran a chance of handling his opponent’s power and playing his way into baseline rallies. Based on current form, however, Raonic should get the job done in straight sets if he has even a relatively strong day with his serve.
Pick: Raonic in 2
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Jerzy Janowicz vs. Sam Querrey
Janowicz and Querrey will also be squaring off for the first time in their careers on Monday. Querrey is a solid but unspectacular 14-8 for the season, including 11-7 in ATP tournaments (he is 3-1 in Davis Cup). The 6’6” American registers at No. 19 in the world–six spots off his career-high ranking–after advancing three rounds in both Indian Wells and Miami. This will be Querrey’s first clay-court match of the year following a minor shoulder injury early last month during Davis Cup action.
This is not exactly the favorite time of year for Janowicz, who prefers to play on faster surfaces. The 22-year-old Pole has struggled in 2013 after his breakout last fall at the Paris Maters. He has been especially poor since the third round in Indian Wells, currently mired in a stretch of four consecutive losses–including three tournament openers. Janowicz, ranked 24th, is looking for his first clay-court victory of the season. Based on current for and a slight surface advantage, Querrey has every reason to advance. But a slow start for the world No. 19 would not come as a surprise due to possible rust.
Pick: Querrey in 2
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Querry will be lucky to win this one. Janowicz has so much talent, even though clay not his favorite surface!