In the midst of a breakout 2016 campaign, qualifier Lucas Pouille will look to maintain momentum during second-round action in Madrid on Wednesday. Next up for Pouille is Sam Querrey. Adam Leigh previews the match.
Up-and-coming Frenchman Lucas Pouille will be taking on American Sam Querrey for the first time in their careers during second-round action at the Mutua Madrid Open on Wednesday. Querrey is putting together a solid first half of 2016–with a February title in Delray Beach already to his name to go along with a semifinal appearance in Acapulco. The talented Pouille is also constructing a robust start to the year, with two wins over top 10 players and a runner-up showing in Bucharest.
Pouille is starting to bring together his game at the highest level in 2016. He had previously lacked the consistent ball-striking to string together wins on the main tour, but this season has seen a more patient approach translate to a career-high ranking of 56th in the world. His footwork and ability to generate winners has helped him to put together some success on hard courts, but clay is where he is most at home.
Querrey can still earn cheap points behind his big service game on clay, which he did while getting past another Frenchman–Pierre-Hugues Herbert–in the first round on the back winning 88 percent of his service points. The San Francisco, Calif. native will have to do more than that against the in-form and developing Pouille, however. Querrey’s mechanical movement behind the baseline will be exposed when Pouille puts too many balls in play for him to deal with.
Pick: Pouille in 2
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Pouille in three