2014 Vancouver, Cortina, Segovia and Liberec ATP Challenger Previews
Chris De Waard, Tennis East Coast
From the editor: Flying dutchman writer Chris De Waard, a future journalism student at university, who covered the Sport1 Open Challenger for us a couple of weeks ago, is joining our team here at Tennis East Coast as our ATP challenger Tour correspondent.
Please give Chris a warm welcome by taking a look at his first batch of ATP Challenger Tour Previews for the events this week. Chris will be providing his insight on the ATP Challenger Tour with weekly previews and recaps and the occasional special coverage. He may also be joining me for ATP World Tour bracketology in the future.
Apologies on the late posting. Our editors keep a busy schedule these days-Steen Kirby.
2014 Vancouver, Cortina, Segovia and Liberec Challengers Previews
Four Challenger events are on the schedule for this week, equally divided between clay and hardcourt. The Odlum Brown Vancouver Open in Canada will be played on hardcourt, as well as the Open Castilla y Leon-Villa de El Espinar in Spain. The Svijany Open and International Tennis Tournament of Cortina are both on clay and will be played in the Czech Republic (Liberec) and Italy, respectively.
Odlum Brown Vancouver Open
ATP Challenger Tour
Vancouver, Canada
July 28 – August 3
Prize Money: $100,000
Seeds (ATP ranking in parentheses)
1: Marcos Baghdatis (104)
2: Jimmy Wang (126)
3: Ante Pavic (140)
4: Farrukh Dustov (144)
5: Daniel Evans (147)
6: James Ward (150)
7: Hiroki Moriya (151)
8: Alex Bogomolov Jr. (165)
The last direct acceptance is Yoshihito Nishioka, ranked 252nd. A special mention goes out to South African wild card Rik de Voest, who will be playing his final tournament here. In his career, which stretched sixteen years, he reached the 110th ranking spot in singles and managed to win two ATP titles in doubles.
First round match-ups to watch
Taro Daniel – (WC) Jordan Thompson
21 year old Daniel plays the big majority of his tournaments on clay, so it will be interesting to see how his game will hold up on a hard court. He faces 20 year old Australian Thompson, who had a good showing at the Lexington Challenger last week, where he reached the second round in qualifying, falling to the eventual winner James Duckworth in a relatively tight match. Earlier this year, he made a name for himself on the biggest stage, when he won the first two sets against Jerzy Janowicz in the first round of the Australian Open, but eventually fell in five sets.
(2) Jimmy Wang – (SE) Thanasi Kokkinakis
18 year old Kokkinakis is steadily climbing the rankings, going from his starting position outside of the top 600 to his current ranking of #216. His semi-final at the Lexington Challenger last week was another boost for the young Australian, who just as Thompson fell to Duckworth. He made his Grand Slam debut at the Australian Open this year, beating Sijsling and falling to Nadal in the next round, which must have been a major experience for him. He has an unfortunate draw this week against second seed Jimmy Wang, who comes of a third round at Wimbledon and an ATP 250 QF in Bogota. Nevertheless, Kokkinakis might well pull off the upset here.
Top Half
Despite his obvious decline, it’s hard to look past top seed Baghdatis here. I can’t see anyone threatening him. His road to the semi-final will likely consist of John-Patrick Smith, Chase Buchanan and fifth seed Daniel Evans. Evans disappointed last week with a straight set loss to Vincent Millot in the first round of the Lexington Challenger, so he might well fall again against Thompson or Daniel.
The second quarter contains seeds Ante Pavic and Alex Bogomolov Jr. Bogomolov has been struggling with injury for a while now, so it’s difficult to predict where he is at. The best pick to make the SF here therefore is Pavic, since I can’t see any of the non-seeds make an impact here either. Pavic did his ranking a big favor by reaching second rounds at Wimbledon and Newport after qualifying. He now finds himself at a career high ranking of #138.
Bottom Half
Seventh seed Moriya must be happy to be back in Canada, where he won a Challenger title two weeks ago in Granby. He now finds himself in the top 150 for the first time in his career. The other seed in this quarter is Dustov, who I predict to come through to the semi-final after facing Williams, Collarini and Moriya.
The fourth quarter is the most difficult to predict in my eyes, because second seed Wang might well lose to Kokkinakis in the first round. Sixth seed Ward made the final of the Lexington Challenger last week, where he beat Odesnik comfortably in the semi-final. They are projected to meet again in the second round here and I can’t imagine a different outcome. I think the first round match between Wang and Kokkinakis will determine who makes the semi-final here.
Predictions
Semis:
Baghdatis def. Pavic
Wang def. Dustov
I had to pick someone here, so I went with the very slight favorite of the Wang – Kokkinakis match to come through to the semi-final. But don’t be surprised if Kokkinakis ends up at this spot.
Final:
Baghdatis def. Wang
Just like the Kokkinakis – Wang match, this is basically anyone’s call. Expect it to go to three sets. They have played each other once, an astonishing eight years ago at the ATP tournament of Beijing, with Baghdatis coming through in straight sets.
Open Castilla y Leon-Villa de El Espinar
ATP Challenger Tour
Segovia, Spain
July 28 – August 3
Prize Money: €42,500
Seeds (ATP ranking in parentheses)
1: Adrian Mannarino (101)
2: Alexander Kudryavtsev (149)
3: Marsel Ilhan (152)
4: Gregoire Burquier (169)
5: Marco Chiudinelli (173)
6: Konstantin Kravchuk (177)
7: Ilija Bozoljac (179)
8: Adrian Menendez-Meceiras (195)
The last direct acceptance is David Rice, ranked 323rd. Don’t be fooled by the fact that this tournament is played in Spain. It will be played on hardcourt. Former top 40 player Florent Serra, who is now ranked well outside of the top 300, managed to qualify. 18 year old Chilean Christian Garin received a wild card and is surely a player to keep an eye on for the coming years. He also might create some waves in this tournament in the present day.
First round match-ups to watch
(7) Ilija Bozoljac – Daniel Munoz-De La Nava
I personally love matches between two erratic players and this will certainly deliver in that department. Two weeks ago Bozoljac reached the final of an Italian Challenger, only to lose 6-1 6-0 to Ilhan in his next tournament, which tells you all you should know. Munoz-De La Nava is cut out of the same wood. He can clean up everyone on the Challenger circuit on a good day, but is just as likely to lose against seemingly-worse opponents.
Top Half
Top seed Adrian Mannarino is the obvious pick to go through to the semi-final. The former top 50 player has slipped a bit in the rankings, but is on the verge of entering the top 100 again, which might well happen after this tournament. To reach the semi-final he’ll have to go through Angelinos, Obry and seventh seed Bozoljac, which seems easily doable for Mannarino.
In the second quarter, two veterans will probably fight for a spot in the semi-final, with 30 year old fourth seed Burquier projected to play 32 year old fifth seed Marco Chiudinelli. I think Chiudinelli is the better hardcourt of the two and will advance. Nevertheless, a quarter final would be enough for Burquier to reach a career high ranking, despite his advanced age.
Bottom Half
In the bottom half, Marsel Ilhan will be the player to beat. Ilhan just reached a Challenger final last week in Astana and will be looking to continue this run. The main threat in this section will probably come from 19 year old Kyle Edmund, who has it in him to upset Ilhan. Edmund reached the semi-final of the Astana Challenger last week, losing to eventual winner Berankis.
In the final quarter, it’s hard to look past second seed Kudryavtsev, unless Garin gets inspired and decides it’s time to notch up an important hardcourt victory. I see Garin as a bigger threat than sixth seed Kravchuk, so it will probably be between him and Kudryavtsev for a place in the semi-final.
Predictions
Semis:
Mannarino def. Chiudinelli
Ilhan def. Kudryavtsev
Mannarino and Ilhan are clearly ahead of the pack for me in this tournament. The only variation I can see in this line-up is Garin instead of Kudryavtsev, but that won’t change the outcome of the semi-final.
Final:
Mannarino def. Ilhan
Tough for Ilhan to come up second twice in a row, but Mannarino is simply the better player and will be very motivated to return into the top 100 once again.
Svijany Open
ATP Challenger Tour
Liberec, Czech Republic
July 28 – August 3
Prize Money: €35,000
Seeds (ATP ranking in parentheses)
1: Pablo Cuevas (60)
2: Blaz Rola (80)
3: Facundo Bagnis (107)
4: Horacio Zeballos (117)
5: Facundo Arguello (121)
6: Norbert Gombos (131)
7: Michal Przysiezny (146)
8: Miroslav Mecir (175)
The last direct acceptance is Elias Ymer, ranked 310th. Well known Belgian Steve Darcis has received a wild card and will play third seed Bagnis in the first round. At the time I wrote this piece, there was no confirmation of Cuevas withdrawing, but I’m going to assume he will, since I can’t imagine him playing a Challenger right after winning his first two ATP titles.
First round match-ups to watch
(3) Facundo Bagnis – (WC) Steve Darcis
This might turn out to be a really unlucky draw for Bagnis, who faces former top 40 player Darcis, who is on the comeback trail after a long period of injury troubles. This all started during his Wimbledon victory over Nadal, in which he attracted an shoulder injury which forced him to withdraw from the next round. In his previous tournament, a Futures event, he reached the final, and prior to that he fell in a close three set match to Zeballos at a Challenger, so he is ready for the challenge.
(7) Michal Przysiezny – Mohamed Safwat
Przysiezny has been on a freefall through the rankings because of his spectacular losing streak at the ATP level. He started the year in the top 70 and has now dropped to the 145th spot. For now, going a step lower hasn’t helped, since he lost to world number 831 Gibril Diarra in the second round of the Oberstaufen Challenger last week. Safwat might well be able to take out the seeded player here.
Top Half
With Cuevas presumably out, this is a perfect opportunity for sixth seed Gombos to advance to the semi-final, which he will probably manage. In the second quarter, Zeballos might be eliminated by his countryman Arguello. Zeballos has been looking very shaky in his last couple of tournaments and seems to be lacking fitness and confidence, which Arguello is well capable of taking advantage.
Bottom Half
This looks to be much more open than the top half, with unseeded Martin being a good bet to reach the semi-final. He will probably be battling it out with the winner of Darcis – Bagnis for that spot. For now. I’m going to say that Darcis has shaken off the rust and is ready to make a big run here.
In the final quarter, second seed Blaz Rola seems a solid bet. Perhaps 18 year old Elias Ymer can trouble him, who recently has been making some steps in the rankings and recently notched up his first ATP victory at Bastad. It’s currently not wise to expect anything from the other seed in this section, Przysiezny.
Predictions
Semis:
Gombos def. Arguello
Rola def. Darcis
Gombos defeated Arguello in straight sets a couple of tournaments ago and I can’t see that being any different this time around. Darcis will have a great confidence boost here, but Rola is a top 100 opponent, which is just a bit too much at the moment.
Final:
Rola def. Gombos
Rola will finally notch up a Challenger win on clay after missing out in three prior finals this year. This result will also give both players a career high ranking.
International Tennis Tournament of Cortina
ATP Challenger Tour
Cortina, Italy
July 28 – August 3
Prize Money: €42,500
Seeds (ATP ranking in parentheses)
1: Daniel Gimeno-Traver (89)
2: Simone Bolelli (108)
3: Peter Gojowczyk (116)
4: Andreas Beck (118)
5: Filippo Volandri (119)
6: Victor Hanescu (129)
7: Filip Krajinovic (134)
8: Adrian Ungur (159)
The last direct acceptance is Alessandro Giannessi, ranked 296th. Second seed Simone Bolelli withdrew after winning the Oberstaufen Challenger. Qualifier Virgili takes his spot in the draw. Victor Troicki qualified and plays the unlucky sixth seed Hanescu in the first round. Third seed Gojowczyk also withdrew, with LL Trusendi taking his spot.
First round match-ups to watch
(1) Daniel Gimeno-Traver – Borna Coric
Talk about unlucky, the #1 seed must hate this draw. 17 year old Coric just had his breakthrough tournament at ATP 250 Umag, where he reached the QF and lost in three sets to Fognini. While Coric is coming in on a high, Gimeno-Traver had a painful loss against world number 212 Yann Marti in the first round of Gstaad. It’s a very rare scenario to see in a first round, but I think the #1 seed is actually the slight underdog here.
(6) Victor Hanescu – (Q) Viktor Troicki
A battle between the former world number 26, Hanescu and 12, Troicki, a rare sight on the Challenger tour. The reason for Troicki’s ranking drop is well known, a highly controversial doping ban. Hanescu’s drop can be simply explained by the fact that he’s 33 and declining. Their last match on clay in 2009 ended in an easy 6-3 6-3 victory for Troicki and I expect a similar score line here.
Potito Starace – Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo
This one is for the real purists, a battle between two veteran grinders with vintage clay court games. Starace at 33 is a youngster compared to RRH, who at 36 is still defending his title as the most aesthetically pleasing moonballer of all time. Recently, RRH notched up his 350th win on the Challenger circuit, making him the player with the most all time wins by a large margin. #2 Lu is trailing him by a little over sixty wins. Their head to head is 5-2 in RRH’s favor and I expect this match to go his way as well.
Top Half
Like I said, I expect Coric to triumph over the #1 seed Gimeno-Traver in the first round, after which he will most likely have a really interesting meeting with Troicki in the quarter final. That match will be a coin flip. In the second quarter, I expect Krajinovic to exceed his ranking and reach the semi-final after upsetting Beck in the quarter final. I can’t see any of the non-seeds changing this outcome.
Bottom Half
This half is wide open after Bolelli and Gojowczyk withdrew and is pretty much impossible to call. The other two seeds, Volandri and Ungur, aren’t reliable enough to make this a clear cut case in their favor. Ungur has only reached one QF in his previous six Challengers and Volandri followed a similar path this year, racking up an awful 1-16 record on the main tour. I’m inclined to predict some surprises here. This is a big opportunity for a lot of guys.
19 year old wild card Stefano Napolitano might be the man to do it and give his career an enormous boost. In the final quarter, despite everything, I still favor Ungur to come through, but like I said, anything can happen and not a single scenario would surprise me.
Predictions
Semis:
Coric def. Krajinovic
Ungur def. Napolitano
I let Coric get through against Troicki because I feel like he is extremely confident at the moment and has the attacking game to break through Troicki’s defense. I actually believe that their match is the real final, if Troicki wins he will win the tournament as well.
Ungur gets a really lucky break and after a minor slump suddenly finds himself in a final without having faced high ranked opponents. In the final, he will be outclassed in straight sets by a superior opponent. So, naturally:
Final:
Coric def. Ungur
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