Grigor Dimitrov and Richard Gasquet
clash in the second round of Internazionali BNL d'Italia Rome, Italy on
Tuesday, the 14th May. They have met three times in their career and
Dimitrov is yet to open his account. Their only meeting on clay was at Roland Garros last year
which was won in four sets by Gasquet. Dimitrov has performed
well against Rafael Nadal at Monte Carlo where he took a set in his three-set
defeat and against Novak Djokovic at Madrid last week when he stunned the world
number one in three sets. However, he failed to consolidate his upset
victory and lost in the very next round to Stanislas Wawrinka.
Gasquet takes more risks and plays
better in a three set format than in the five set format. He plays an aggressive game and thrives on
success in the initial stages of the match. Players who tend to expose backhand
weakness of the opponent have sometimes suffered against Gasquet who can play aggressive cross
court from the backhand side, sometimes more potent than the one from the forehand side. He
does not give up his aggression and goes in for shorter rallies. It is only when
he has to play a defensive game that his innovations disappear and he looks an
ordinary player making a lot of unforced errors.
Dimitrov has more variety in his
game. His backhand slice down the line is top class. He tends to fare better against
higher ranked opponents; and Gasquet is the ninth seed here. His fitness level
in the third hour of a match has however remained suspect. He has suffered
cramps on a few occasions, the latest being the match against Djokovic last
week.
Both the players have similar style
of play. In the normal circumstances, the experience of Gasquet should prevail.
However, if Dimitrov plays exceptionally well on the day, he can cause an
upset.
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