Andy Murray and Jurgen Melzer will contest a first-round match on Wednesday in Valencia. Meanwhile, 2013 champion Mikhail Youzhny is getting his title defense underway against Thomaz Bellucci.
(3) Andy Murray vs. Jurgen Melzer
The seventh career meeting between Murray and Melzer will come during first-round action at the Valencia Open on Wednesday. Murray is sweeping the head-to-head series 6-0, including 4-0 on hard courts. They most recently faced each other this spring on the clay of Rome, where the Scot prevailed 7-6(1), 6-4. Their most memorable showdown came in the third round of the 2008 U.S. Open, with Murray coming back from two sets down to survive 6-7(5), 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-1, 6-3.
Although Murray’s 2014 campaign has by no means been his best, to the extent that he has not yet clinched a World Tour Finals spot, he is heating up in the fall. The world No. 10 has captured titles in Shenzhen and Vienna, having previously won none between January and late September. Melzer, who has also struggled with physical problems, is just 15-18 for the season. The 121st-ranked Austrian has not defeated a top 100 opponent (retirements not included) since the ‘s-Hertogenbosch event in mid-June. Everything suggests Murray will enjoy a routine day at the office.
Pick: Murray in 2 with no tiebreakers
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(Q) Thomaz Bellucci vs. Mikhail Youzhny
The defending champion will be in action when Youzhny takes the court on Wednesday. The world No. 27 triumphed last year by upsetting David Ferrer in the final. This season has been far more disappointing for Youzhny, whose record stands at a mere 18-21. That being said, he seems to finding his form. He is coming off consecutive quarterfinal performances in Shanghai and Moscow, having previously reached only three quarterfinals during the first eight months of 2014.
Up first for Youzhny is Bellucci, against whom he is 3-1 lifetime. The two baseliners have not squared off since 2012, when they split a pair of clay-court encounters; Youzhny won 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 in Rome before Bellucci got the job done 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 in Gstaad. The Russian is 2-0 in the hard-court series, with one victory coming in thrilling 2-6, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4, 14-12 fashion during a 2012 Davis Cup World Group Playoffs tie between Russia and visiting Brazil. Like Youzhny, Bellucci is finally picking up some much-needed wins. The world No. 58 won two huge Davis Cup playoff rubbers against Spain, finished runner-up at the Orleans Challenger, and made it to last week’s Vienna quarterfinals. This should be a good one, with a slight edge going to Youzhny on an indoor hard court at a tournament he obviously enjoys.
Pick: Youzhny in 3
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who ya got?
I’ll go for Murray and Youzhny.
Bellucci on his way to the Final lol