Andreas Seppi will kick off his Metz campaign on Thursday against Nicolas Mahut. Philipp Kohlschreiber and Carlos Berlocq are also looking for a spot in the quarterfinals.
Nicolas Mahut vs. (3) Andreas Seppi
Mahut and Seppi will be going head-to-head for the first time in their careers when they clash in round two of the Moselle Open on Thursday. Seppi, ranked No. 22 in the world, earned an opening-round bye this week as the third seed. The Italian is coming off a third-round appearance at the U.S. Open, where he fell to Denis Istomin in five sets. Seppi is 27-23 for the season and he compiled a modest 3-4 record during the American summer hard-court swing.
This is Mahut’s second match in Metz, as he dismissed Leonardo Mayer 7-6(2), 6-4 in his opener. The 79th-ranked Frenchman is an outstanding 14-5 at the ATP level this year, which includes his first ATP title on the grass courts of ‘s-Hertogenbosch and another on the grass courts of Newport. He did not fare as well during the U.S. Open series and a tough draw in New York resulted in a first-round loss to eventual quarterfinalist Mikhail Youzhny. A fast indoor surface will only help Mahut against Seppi, who would rather contest this matchup amidst slower conditions.
Pick: Mahut in 3
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(4) Philipp Kohlschreiber vs. Carlos Berlocq
Berlocq and Kohlschreiber will be squaring off for the seventh time in their careers and for the third time this season when they meet on Thursday. Kohlschreiber leads the head-to-head series 4-2, including 3-0 on hard courts. Both of Berlocq’s wins came on the slow stuff–6-0, 6-2 at the 2006 Sopot event and by fifth-set retirement during Davis Cup action earlier this year in Argentina. Kohlschreiber avenged that result with a 6-3, 6-1 blowout this summer in the first round of the grass-court event in Halle.
Kohlschreiber recently advanced to the fourth round of the U.S. Open, where he beat John Isner then took eventual champion Rafael Nadal to four sets. The 25th-ranked German was slowed early in 2013 by the injury he sustained against Berlocq, but he now owns a solid 27-19 record. Berlocq booked his spot in the Metz second round by defeating Jiri Vesely 6-3, 6-4 on Wednesday. The 45th-ranked Argentine is 24-20 for the season, which is highlighted by his first career ATP title in Bastad. Based on Kohlschreiber’s form and especially the surface, this should be straightforward.
Pick: Kohlschreiber in 2
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