Benoit Paire carries some of the hopes of the host nation as he awaits second-round action against Feliciano Lopez on Thursday in Montpellier. Fernando Verdasco and Daniil Medvedev are also aiming for a place in the quarterfinals.
Benoit Paire vs. (5) Feliciano Lopez
Lopez and Paire will be going head-to-head for the second time in their careers when they battle for a quarterfinal spot at the Open Sud de France on Thursday. Their only previous encounter came seven years ago at the U.S. Open, where Lopez survived a 6-4, 6-7(4), 5-7, 7-6(3), 6-2 thriller. The Spaniard is still going strong at 35 years old and at No. 32 in the world he is in position–barely–to be seeded at upcoming Masters 1000 tournaments in Indian Wells and Miami. A modest 2-2 this season, Lopez lost in the Auckland second round and the Australian Open first round before beating Julien Benneteau 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(0) on Wednesday (saved one match point).
Paire punched his ticket to the last 16 in Montpellier with a 7-6(4), 6-4 victory over Karen Khachanov on Tuesday. The 43rd-ranked Frenchman is a respectable 6-3 for his 2017 campaign, with a semifinal showing in Chennai and a third-round performance at the Aussie Open. Lopez’s superior mental game and his backhand slice that will stay low against an opponent who likes hitting flat groundstrokes in his strike zone should make the difference in this one.
Pick: Lopez in 3
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(8) Fernando Verdasco vs. Daniil Medvedev
Had tennis fans been told Novak Djokovic would lose prior to the Australian Open third round, they may have assumed Verdasco would be the one to engineer the upset. After all, the 33-year-old Spaniard almost beat Djokovic in the opening week of 2017 before squandering multiple match points in a 4-6, 7-6(7), 6-3 Doha semifinal loss. Verdasco did not come as close Down Under, losing to Djokovic in straight sets before the second-ranked Serb was stunned by Denis Istomin. In Verdasco’s first appearance since Melbourne, he took care of lucky loser Gregoire Barrere 6-2, 6-1 in the Montpellier first round on Tuesday.
Up next for the eighth seed on Thursday is a first-ever meeting with Medvedev. It has already been a busy season for the 20-year-old Russian, who owns five of his 10 career ATP-level match victories in 2017. A runner-up in Chennai, Medvedev opened in Montpellier on Tuesday by defeating Tobias Kamke 6-2, 7-6(3). The world No. 63 is making a quick turnaround on the heels of Davis Cup duty, during which he led Djokovic by a set and a break only to retire in the fourth due to cramping. A more rested Verdasco should not have too much trouble earning a place in the quarters.
Pick: Verdasco in 2
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who ya got?
Nando in two and Paire in three
who knows which Paire will show up. Pretty good win over Khachanov.
Yeah that’s what I was thinking. I feel like Lopez isn’t playing that well right now and this is a match Paire is very capable of winning. Still like u said you never know which Paire will show up.
I had Karen beating both Paire and Lopez.I’ll go for Paire now since it’s France.
Verdasco in three