Top two seeds David Ferrer and Stanislas Wawrinka will contest their ‘s-Hertogenbosch openers on Tuesday. They are set for respective encounters with Xavier Malisse and Igor Sijsling.
(1) David Ferrer vs. Xavier Malisse
Ferrer and Malisse will be squaring off for the fifth time in their careers when they collide in round one of the Topshelf Open on Tuesday afternoon. The head-to-head series is tied up at two wins apiece and they have never met on grass. They most recently faced each other three years ago at the French Open, where Ferrer was leading by two sets and a break before Malisse retired.
Grass should at least give the underdog Belgian a realistic chance. Malisse, ranked 60th in the world at 32 years old, is a former Wimbledon semifinalist (2002) and he has reached the fourth round each of the last two seasons. He also advanced one round last week at Queen’s Club before losing to Juan Martin Del Potro 7-6(5), 1-6, 7-5. Ferrer may be at his best on clay, but he is a two-time champion of this ‘s-Hertogenbosch event–including last year. The French Open runner-up should be playing with a ton of confidence and he has always made a smooth transition between surfaces.
Pick: Ferrer in 2
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Igor Sijsling vs. (2) Stanislas Wawrinka
Sijsling and Wawrinka will be going head-to-head for the first time in their careers on Tuesday. Wawrinka is an outstanding 30-10 for his 2013 campaign and he already has to be thinking about World Tour Finals contention. The 10th-ranked Swiss finished runner-up to Rafael Nadal in Madrid and he reached the quarterfinals at Roland Garros before once again succumbing to the eventual Spanish champion.
This should be a high-quality affair, because both men are in stellar form. Sijsling owns 13 of his 26 lifetime ATP-level match victories this season and he is up to a career-high ranking of 59th in the world. The Dutchman, who will enjoy home-court advantage in this one, made it to the third round at Queen’s Club before falling to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 7-5, 5-7, 6-3. Sijsling is a tough opponent, but he is not Nadal–and Wawrinka has not lost to anyone other than Nadal since Monte-Carlo in early April.
Pick: Wawrinka in 2
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I’ve got a feeling about the Xman today. He’s playing well and Ferrer is due for a let down. I like Wawrinka as well.