David Ferrer and Gael Monfils will headline the second day of Doha action. They will go up against Dustin Brown and Mousa Shanan Zayed, respectively.
(1) David Ferrer vs. (Q) Dustin Brown
What will Ferrer do for an encore in 2013 after compiling an awesome 76-15 record last season? We won’t find out for a while, because the competition isn’t strong enough to accurately gauge the Spaniard’s form. You can bet on more scintillating tennis, and some of it should be on display in round one of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open.
Ferrer’s Tuesday opponent is by no means a pushover, as Brown has already done well to qualify for the main draw. The faced each other once previously in the Wimbledon first round last summer, with Ferrer prevailing 7-6(5), 6-4, 6-4.
Brown could be similarly competitive if he serves out of his mind, but a surface that is slower and not as slick as that of the All-England Club won’t do him any favors. The 167th-ranked German likes to keep points short with aggressive tactics, but you have to be near perfect in order to get anything past Ferrer. By no stretch of the imagination is this a good matchup for the underdog.
Odds: Ferrer -2500, Brown +850
Pick: Ferrer 6-2, 6-3
Gael Monfils vs. (WC) Mousa Shanan Zayed
Arguably the biggest story of this week is the return of Monfils, whose knee issues went from bad to worse in 2012. The Frenchman did not play a match from late May until late September and he finds himself down at No. 77 in the world. Rumors as dire as potential retirement swirled, but Monfils is apparently ready to take the court right away in 2013.
Even the hardest of hardcore tennis fans cannot be familiar with the man who is up first for Monfils in 2013. Zayed is an 18-year-old wild card from Qatar who registers at No. 1,851 in the rankings and owns $560 in career prize money. Monfils may be shaking off some serious rust, but he should waltz into the second round without breaking a sweat. Count on plenty of theatrics from Monfils, which may result in the loss of a couple games.
Odds: Monfils -5000, Zayed +1000
Pick: Monfils 6-1, 6-1
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