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Tomas Berdych vs Gael Monfils Preview – ATP Rotterdam 2015 QF

Tomas Berdych vs Gael Monfils Preview – ATP Rotterdam 2015 QF

  • Posted: Feb 13, 2015

Berdych7 Tomas Berdych vs Gael Monfils Preview – ATP Rotterdam 2015 QF

 

Following an impressive start to his 2015 season – one that saw him end a 17-match losing sreak to Rafael Nadal en route to the semi-final round of the Australian Open – Tomas Berdych is looking to build on that momentum with strong showings in Rotterdam. His next match-up is against Gael Monfils, whom he holds a 3-1 lead in the head-to-head series.

Follow the match live here: Berdych v Monfils Live Stream

The third seed at the tournament took part in a surprisingly turbulent second round encounter against Andreas Seppi at the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament. He eventually downed his Italian adversary 6-0, 3-6, 6-3 to reach the quarter-final stage of the event. As the defending champion at the event, Berdych is satisfied with his performance – one that included 10 aces and four breaks of serve in 1 hour and 28 minutes.

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“I think it was a very solid game today,” said Berdych. “The opponent was not easy at all. I had my game plan, which worked perfectly from the beginning. He just started to play much better and took his chance, the only one he had in the second set. But in the third set, I was able to finish it, get my chances and execute.”

In typical swashbuckling fashion, Gael Monfils ousted seventh seed Roberto Bautista Agut in straight sets to move into his second quarter-final of the season following a strong showing in Montpellier last week. The Frenchman struck nine aces to close out the match 7-5, 7-6(5) in one-hour and 41-minute match.

This marks the fifth time that Berdych and Monfils will cross paths on the ATP World Tour, with Berdych leading the series 3-1. Monfils won their most recent encounter in the 2013 French Open, but remains 0-2 against the Czech No. 1 on hard courts. It will be interesting to see if he can overturn that record this time around in Rotterdam.

Prediction: Tomas Berdych in Three Sets

Andy Murray vs Gilles Simon Preview – ATP Rotterdam 2015 QF

Andy Murray vs Gilles Simon Preview – ATP Rotterdam 2015 QF

  • Posted: Feb 13, 2015

Murray15 Andy Murray vs Gilles Simon Preview – ATP Rotterdam 2015 QF

 

Following an entertaining contest in the second round of the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament, 2009 champion Andy Murray is through to the quarter-final stage of the tournament, where he will next meet France’s Gilles Simon to determine who will advance to the final eight on Friday. This marks the 14th time that Murray and Simon cross paths on the professional tour, with Murray leading the head to head series 12-1.

Follow the match live here: Murray v Simon Live Stream

British No. 1 Andy Murray earned his second straight set victory this week in Rotterdam, even though his contest against Vasek Pospisil was far more entertaining and competitive that the scoreline suggested. Murray struck 64% of his first service points and saved 5 of 7 break points to finish the match 6-3, 7-5. However, the second set was a turbulent affair, as Pospisil was on set point up 5-4 when he was handed a time violation that allowed Murray to break back, and eventually crushed his spirit.

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In a second round match that featured two Frenchmen, Gilles Simon overcame Jeremy Chardy with relative ease to close out the match 6-4, 6-3 in 1 hour and eight minutes of court time. Simon hit 1 ace, won 83% of his first service points and didn’t face a single break point en route to the victory.

“Today I played well from the beginning till the end,” said Simon. “That was a big improvement compared to my first-round match.”

Murray and Simon had met on 13 separate occasions on the ATP World Tour, with Murray leading the series 12-1, including an 12-match win streak dating back to 2007. He has defeated his French adversary on every surface and should have little trouble maintaining that streak come Friday.

Prediction: Andy Murray in Straight Sets