A marquee quarterfinal matchup on Friday in Valencia pits David Ferrer against Jerzy Janowicz. Nicolas Almagro and Fabio Fognini are also in action.
(1) David Ferrer vs. (5) Jerzy Janowicz
Ferrer and Janowicz will be going head-to-head for the second time in their careers when they collide in the quarterfinals of the Valencia Open on Friday. Their only previous encounter came last fall in a surprise Paris final, with Ferrer triumphing 6-4, 6-3. Janowicz was a little-known qualifier at the time, but now he is an established force on tour. The 22-year-old Pole is up to No. 15 in the world and he owns 26 of his 46 lifetime ATP-level wins this season after dismissing both Pablo Carreno Busta and Joao Sousa in straight sets.
Ferrer’s passage into the last eight this week was similarly routine. The third-ranked Spaniard, coming off a runner-up finish in Stockholm on Sunday, lost a total of eight games in blowouts of Gael Monfils and Julien Benneteau. Still, Ferrer’s form since Wimbledon has been far less impressive than what it was during he first half of the year. Janowicz is much more experienced now than he was last time around, and he may be able to capitalize on an indoor hard court against an opponent who may be looking ahead to a Paris title defense and the World Tour Finals.
Pick: Janowicz in 3
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(3) Nicolas Almagro vs. (7) Fabio Fognini
Fognini and Almagro will be doing battle for the sixth time in their careers on Friday. Almagro leads the head-to-head series 3-2, including 1-0 on hard courts. Their only such meeting came at the 2009 Australian Open, where Almagro prevailed 6-2, 7-5, 6-0. They most recently faced each other this summer on the clay courts of Hamburg, where an on-fire Fognini advanced to the final courtesy of a 6-4, 7-6(1) victory.
That came during an incredible three-week stretch in which Fognini won his first two ATP titles and finished runner-up in Umag (all on clay). The 17th-ranked Italian is starting to show signs of progress on hard courts having now advanced two rounds at his last four events. He has taken out Martin Klizan and Marcel Granollers this week, while Almagro got past Pablo Andujar and Michal Przysiezny. This cannot often be said about Almagro, but he should be the more level-headed player in the matchup. The 13th-ranked Spaniard is an underrated hard-court player and his firepower on serve and off the backhand wing will frustrate Fognini on this surface.
Pick: Almagro in 2
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I am rooting for Ferrer, I voted for him.
I voted Almagro in 3.
Jerzy in 3
I’m always rooting for Ferrer but Ricky makes a good a point: he is not going to kill himself for this one.
Almagro in 3
‘More level headed’ – marginally, relative to Foggy 🙂
Ferrus’ friend Rafa has travelled to Paris
.
Rafael Nadal at the airport of Palma de Mallorca before his travel to Paris (25 -10 -2013)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWr-KKHS8xQ#t=13
News from the Paris Masters draw ceremony:
Rafa, Ferrer, Berdych, Gasquet, Tsonga – in the same half.
Possible QFs: Rafa vs Gasquet or Tsonga and Ferrer vs Berdych
Federer, Delpo, Wawrinka, Djoko – in the same half.
Possible QFs: Fed vs Delpo and Wawrinka vs Djoko
BNP PARIBAS MASTERS @bnppmasters 2m
Pour Federer, premier match contre Anderson ou Youzhny. #BNPPM
#Ouch
Ferrer up 2-0 in the third
Congrats to Rafa!
My guess is that he’ll have Raonic, JJ, Isner, Gulbis, and their ilk in his path on the fast, low bouncing sufrace, no?
#TooEarly
Janowicz R3 and Gulbis QF for Rafa
Raonic SF for Rafa, Isner final
Wow. Nole, Fed, Delpo, Stanford all in the same half. Ouch indeed.
Ferrer won 6-4, 4-6, 6-0 without killing himself.
Vamos Ferru!
The Paris Masters draw:
http://rafaelnadalfans.files.wordpress.com/2013/10/paris-masters-draw-2013-nadal-federer-djokovic.png?w=1000&h=&crop=1
rafa is just unlucky! one of the hardest draws he could possibly have!
don’t be ridiculous. VERY easy draw for Nadal.
Rafa is the top seed, deserves all the perks that go with such, including cup-cake draws……..
Ummm, no Fed has a tougher draw (for once). As does Nole.
Paris thread – https://tenngrand.com/2013/10/25/draw-revealed-for-paris-masters/
Getting goose-bumps seeing Rafa’s name at the top left corner of the draw sheet……
#TopSeed
#NormalServiceResumes
Phew… almost a break in the Fog.
(Instead a break FOR the Fog.)
2-0
Break in the Fog!!!
#ShouldveWaited