Tennis Atlantic

2013 ATP Metz, St. Petersburg Previews, Predictions
Steen Kirby, TennisEastCoast.com

Indoor hard courts take center stage now as the ATP world tour will hosts 250s in Metz and St. Petersburg.

ATP MetzMoselle Open
ATP World Tour 250
Metz, France

September 16-September 22, 2013

Prize Money: € 410,200

Top 4 seeds (Who all receive first round byes)

1: Jo-Wilfried Tsonga

2: Gilles Simon

3: Andreas Seppi

4: Phillip Kohlschreiber

First round matchups to watch:

Ivo Karlovic vs. (6)Sam Querrey

Querrey is 4-3 career against the big serving Croat and neither have played any tennis since the US Open. That being said, Querrey has not had a great year and seems to be slumping again while Karlovic has been on the rise since returning to tennis this summer. I think Ivo will even the head to head here but it could go either way. Tiebreaks will be in order.

Top Half:

Two times straight champion here, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga returns to tennis after a knee injury sidelined him from the US Open and a couple of other events. He will play Federico Delbonis or Edouard Roger-Vasselin, with Jeremy Chardy, Tobias Kamke or one of two qualifiers waiting in the quarterfinals. Even if Tsonga isn’t 100%, this seems like an easy start.

Phillip Kohlschreiber, who helped Germany win their Davis Cup tie this weekend on clay, will switch surfaces and face Carlos Berlocq or Jiri Vesely, who both played DC this weekend as well.

It will be Kohlschreiber in all likelihood vs. DC teammate Florian Mayer, if Mayer beats a qualifier and Andreas Haider-Maurer/Lukas Lacko. Lacko played DC while Haider-Maurer pulled out his DC tie.

Bottom Half:

Gilles Simon has struggled and he could get a tough test to open against Jesse Huta Galung or Kenny De Schepper. De Schepper is in poor form but is good indoors, while Huta Galung helped the Dutch clinch their weekend Davis Cup tie and has been in great form. Querrey/Karlovic or the slumping winner of Igor Sijsling/Paul-Henri Mathieu await in the quarters.

Andreas Seppi has finalist points to defend, opening against Nicolas Mahut/Leo Mayer with one of Benoit Paire/Benjamin Becker/Albano Olivetti/Qualifier awaiting in the quarters,

Dark Horse: Jiri Vesely

Vesely got some play time on Davis Cup played on indoor and if he can take care of Berlocq and upset Kohlschreiber (who can be beatable), he will be home free probably until the semis.

Predictions:

Semis:

Kohlschreiber d. Tsonga

Paire d. Karlovic

Thinking Kohli is in better form and healthier than Tsonga. Like Paire at home in France to make the final.

Final:

Kohlschreiber d. Paire

Would be a great match if it happens. Kohli a solid favorite, though Paire won their last meeting. They also met last year in Metz (Round 2) with Kohli coming out on top.

ATP St. Petersburg

St. Petersburg Open

ATP World Tour 250

St. Petersburg, Russia

September 16-September 22, 2013

Prize Money: $455,775

Top 4 seeds:

1: Fabio Fognini

2: Mikhail Youzhny

3: Janko Tipsarevic

4: Dmitry Tursunov

First round matchups to watch:

(3)Janko Tipsarevic vs. Roberto Bautista-Agut

Tipsy helped Serbia reach the Davis Cup final, and his game may well have finally turned the corner right here at the end of the season. He will have a rough start against Bautista-Agut, though, who is a dangerous player that can, on a good day, punch his shots with the best of them. This one could be quite entertaining. This is also a rematch of the Chennai final that Tipsy won in 3 sets.

(4)Dmitry Tursunov vs. Marcos Baghdatis

Baghdatis beat Tursunov twice last year but Tursunov has had a great year this year. Baghdatis has been slumping, though he seems to have found his form in recent weeks. Tursunov is playing at home in Russia and I think he will be the slight favorite here.

Top Half:

Fabio Fognini will play a qualifier and then Michal Przysiezny or Albert Ramos. If he gets past that, one of Victor Hanescu/Lukas Rosol/Ricardas Berankis/Karen Khachanov awaits in what is a very open section of a very open tournament.

The Tipsarevic/Bautista winner faces Adrian Mannarino or Evgeny Donskoy followed by most likely Ernests Gulbis, who helped Latvia in Davis Cup. Gulbis must beat Mikhail Elgin and then Daniel Gimeno-Traver/Jurgen Zopp to reach that point.

Bottom Half:

Mikhail Youzhny is primed and ready, opening with wild card Aslan Karatsev and then a qualifier or Guillermo Garcia-Lopez waiting in Round 2. In the quarters, Denis Istomin is his most likely opponent, with Istomin needing to beat a qualifier and JL Struff/Andrey Golubev.

Fernando Verdasco, who helped Spain remain in the World Group of the Davis Cup, opens with Sergiy Stakhovsky before doing business with Paolo Lorenzi/Joao Sousa. It should be Tursunov/Baghdatis in the quarters, though a qualifier or Horacio Zeballos are possible.

Dark Horse: Marcos Baghdatis

Baggy is streaky and though I don’t think he gets out of the first round, if he does he could make a deep run to at least the quarters and perhaps the semis or final in what is a veteran field. It may be a veteran field, but not a field that is the most talent-laden. His aggressive tennis could catch fire and he could tear his way through this shaky draw.

Predictions

Semis:

Tipsarevic d. Fognini

Youzhny d. Verdasco

I think Tipsarevic seizes on his Davis Cup revival and it takes him to the final in what is a weak top half. Youzhny, meanwhile, seems to be the favorite at home in Russia.

Final:

Youzhny d. Tipsarevic

A toss-up, but I think the Colonel will win this.