Seeded players David Goffin and Gael Monfils will kick off their Rotterdam campaigns on Tuesday. They are set for intriguing showdowns against Marcos Baghdatis and Ernests Gulbis, respectively.
(4) David Goffin vs. Marcos Baghdatis
Goffin and Baghdatis will be squaring off for the fifth time in their careers when they clash in round one of the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament on Tuesday. Baghdatis leads the head-to-head series 3-1, including 3-0 on hard courts. The veteran Cypriot prevailed twice during the early stages of last season; 6-1, 6-4, 4-6, 6-0 at the Australian Open and 6-2, 7-5 in Dubai. Goffin, however, emphatically turned the tide with a 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 victory at Wimbledon.
At 30 years old and 61st in the world, Baghdatis is in decent enough form to begin the 2016 campaign. He is coming off a quarterfinal performance last week in Montpellier, where he lost to eventual champion Richard Gasquet 6-4, 6-4 in the quarterfinals. Goffin fared much better at the Aussie Open this time around, getting the best of a high-quality battle with Dominic Thiem before succumbing to Roger Federer in the fourth round. Although history would suggest otherwise, this is not a favorable matchup for Baghdatis at this point in time. The two players showcase very similar styles, but Goffin is a younger, faster version of Baghdatis who can strike the ball just as well.
Pick: Goffin in 2
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(5) Gael Monfils vs. (Q) Ernests Gulbis
By recent Gulbis standards, this has already been a relatively successful tournament. The 80th-ranked Latvian qualified for the main draw by outlasting Edouard Roger-Vasselin in a third-set tiebreaker and destroying Evgeny Donskoy 6-1, 6-2. After a disastrous first two tournaments of 2016, Gubis has played better of late. He lost to Jeremy Chardy 13-11 in the fifth set in Melbourne before advancing one round in Montpellier and falling to Gasquet.
Monfils also recently faced Roger-Vasselin and it did not end well. The all-French affair saw the underdog prevail 6-4, 7-6(5) in the Montpellier opening round. Monfils looked mentally and physically out of sorts, which was somewhat surprising given his run to the Australian Open quarterfinals. Both Monfils and Gulbis, of course, are huge talents who can also go off the rails at any moment. This is likely to be an intriguing, head-scratching contest with plenty of momentum swings, but Monfils–who took their only previous meeting at the 2013 French Open–should have a slight edge as long as he is at least close to 100 percent in terms of health.
Pick: Monfils in 3
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who ya got?
La Monf in 2 tight entertaining sets and Goffin in straights relatively comfortably.
LaMonf in 3. This one is a tough pick. Gulbis’ effort getting through qualifying was impressive and depends on Monfils’ mood.
Goffin in 3. I expect Baghdaddy to get a set.
Goffin,probably, but I’ve always liked Bagdhatis. It would be nice in this one for an upset.
Monfils & Gulbis-? With all their antics on court it’ll be highly entertaining!
Think monfils will bounce back after last week’s shocker. Goffin to make the H2H 3-2 🙂
if healthy he should
4-4 in the 3rd
Phew…tough hold. I’m loving this!
Damm it… gorgeous ball striking from David finally and what a turnaround from the first set – but I dunno if it’s enough…maybe, maybe not 😀
Yes! way to go Bagdhatis!
so david fights all the way back and is up 5-2 in the tiebreak and serving but losses 5-7… wow
horrifying
Rotterdam draw is in shambles
unreal choke by Goffin
I’m okay with that! haha!
V Hensley, the problem is that Ricky picked Goffin to win Rotterdam; Benny and I were on the bandwagon and picked Goffin as the RU! It doesn’t take much for me to get on the Goffin bandwagon, though, because I love his tennis. Them’s the breaks today 🙂
Very happy for Baghdatis – congrats!
so do we now think Bags is going to the final?
Not me. I’m still with Marilic.
I said at the beginning that I think this is a chance for Cilic to do something.
Now the tennis channel is showing a match from Buenos Aires. Cuevas against Ramos Vinolas, whoever. At least they are covering this tournament. Good news!
Chardy, that is. Cilic v Chardy.
but yes, in general this is awful for Krajicek. Looking at the draw, Baghdatis is almost the BEST possible option for the tournament to have in the final. That’s how depleted it is!!
No way.
Must be a nightmare for Richard Krajicek
that was in response to Ricky’s question…………
Baggy in the final wouldn’t be
Haha no.
Actually I picked him in semis but still yeah it’s a big surprise for me.
think I copied you, Benny, lol…
oy yes. Cilic over Chardy is my final pick.
That’s why I love tennis! You never know what is going to happen. I’m a bigger fan of Bagdhatis than Goffin, so happy with the win!
Do you guys have a pool going? I read the reviews, but go a lot by gut instinct. That’s why my picks are always weird. Record is not so hot though sometimes!
No. No pool going. Not officially but for me, trying to pick these 250’s and 500’s is about getting to know the players. So I try it. But 250’s and 500’s are very hard, I’m finding out!
Very hard predicting how motivated many of these players are going show up. At least in a GS or a masters 1000 the players are more likely to give their best, imo.
Ricky picking Goffin is not unlike Charlie Brown trying to kick the football.
#GoffinIsTheNewPopsicle
Crazy. What is this Montpellier again?
So Baggy beat Goffin! I checked the score online! Unreal! I have always liked Baggy, so this is a nice win for him. I definitely would have picked Goffin to win this, though.
Chung over GGL? Didn’t see that one coming either.
I don’t see Baggy in the final.
Tsame
Goffin just hired Thomas “Proof of a Weak Era” Johansson as a consultant.
This is not your father’s Weak Era.
before or after he lost to Bagnis?
Before.
le Monf is back on track. Gulbis is far from his best. This is going to be over in double quick time methings.
btw. I thought Gulbis had parted company with Breznick but he is courtside so I must have been mistaken.
ed (AT 7:31 PM),
I replied to you a week ago.
augusta08 FEBRUARY 2, 2016 AT 8:42 AM
https://tenngrand.com/2016/02/01/montpellier-r1-previews-and-picks-gulbis-vs-halys-darcis-vs-brown/#comment-84201
Oh, I missed that titbit. Where would I be without you Guaaie?
The obligatory racquet smash from Gulbis
Entertaining this match is not.
In fact it is a damp squid.
wasn’t bad. Gulbis was awful until the last 2 games, but Monf was solid.
le Monf was not his usual exhuberant self but played a canny match. He faces Coric which should be an interesting match
rare no-nonsense performance for the Monf. Probably knew that is all it would take to beat Gulbis.