Rotterdam QF previews and picks: Berdych vs. Monfils, Wawrinka vs. Muller

An enticing quarterfinal lineup in Rotterdam will pit Tomas Berdych against Gael Monfils on Friday. Stan Wawrinka and Gilles Muller are also part of the last eight.

(3) Tomas Berdych vs. Gael Monfils

Berdych and Monfils will be squaring off for just the fifth time in their careers when they clash in the quarterfinals of the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament on Friday. The head-to-head series stands at 3-1 in favor of Berdych, who is 2-0 against Monfils on hard courts. They most recently collided in round one of the 2013 French Open, with the Frenchman prevailing 7-6(8), 6-4, 6-7(3), 6-7(4), 7-5.

One of the best players on tour this season, Berdych finished runner-up in Doha and reached the semifinals of the Australian Open. The seventh-ranked Czech has taken out Tobias Kamke and Andreas Seppi so far in Rotterdam. Monfils booked his spot in the last eight with straight-set victories over Edouard Roger-Vasselin and Roberto Bautista Agut. The world No. 21 is coming off a semifinal appearance last week in Montpellier. As good as Monfils’ defense is, Berdych has the game to neutralize it–especially on an indoor hard court–with huge serving and flat, powerful hitting.

Pick: Berdych in 3

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Gilles Muller vs. (4) Stan Wawrinka

Wawrinka and Muller will be going head-to-head for the second time in their careers and for the second time this year when they meet again on Friday. Their only previous encounter came last month in Chennai, where Wawrinka scored a 6-2, 7-6(4) quarterfinal victory en route to the title. The eighth-ranked Swiss then advanced to the semifinals of the Aussie Open and so far in Rotterdam he has fought past Jesse Huta Galung and Guillermo Garcia-Lopez in three sets.

Like Wawrinka’s second-round opponent, Muller has been one of the veteran stars in 2015. In addition to his Chennai performance, the 31-year-old Luxembourgian turned in a semifinal showing in Sydney and a fourth-round finish in Melbourne. Muller earned his place in the Rotterdam quarters by ousting David Goffin and Grigor Dimitrov. Playing indoors at an event Wawrinka does not dominate like Chennai, this one is likely to be more competitive. Still, the favorite should benefit from having gotten a recent look at the Muller serve.

Pick: Wawrinka in 3

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