By Nick Georgandis
TennisNow.com
Photo Credit: Tony Chang
It's a tremendous Thursday ahead for fans of championship tennis at Monte-Carlo with two of the top three seeds in action, not to mention a match-up of two Top 12 players, one of whom has already proven himself one of the best players on clay court this season
Milos Raonic (CAN) vs. David Ferrer (ESP) – If Raonic is smart, he’ll ask his 20 best friends to each bring a screaming baby to the stadium, since that seems to bother Ferrer more than most opponents this year have. Ferrer derailed Raonic’s exciting run at the Australian open in January with a hard-fought, four-set victory in the fourth round, going on to upset Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinals. Raonic is largely untested on clay, but a win here will fire up the buzz about him once more.
Marin Cilic (CRO) vs. Roger Federer (SUI) – Despite being on tour since 2005, Cilic has amazingly only knocked heads with Federer once, and that three years ago. Federer is the quietest 23-4 player maybe ever, considering the only thing most are watching are his matches against Nadal and Novak Djokovic. Since peaking at No. 9 14 months ago, Cilic has slid back outside the Top 20. He’s just a little above .500 (32-26) on clay in his career.
Andy Murray (GBR) vs. Gilles Simon (FRA) – Another name lost in the Djokovic hysteria is that of Simon, an impressive 16-9 so far with a title under his belt, and the Top 20 in his sights once more after plummeting out of it early last spring. He’ll be the big crowd favorite here, just a 30-minute drive from his hometown of Nice, and wins well on clay. Murray comes into the match fresh off a frustration-venting rout of Radek Stepanek.
Jurgen Melzer (AUT) vs. Nicolas Almagro (ESP) – Since finally reaching the coveted Top 10 (and now No. 9) on January 31, Melzer has basically done nothing, with just an 8-6 record on the year. Meanwhile, Almagro has been outstanding, particularly on clay as evidenced by his dazzling run through the Latin America season – with wins at Costa Do Sauipe and Buenos Aires , and a final at Acapulco . At No. 12 in the world, Almagro wants what Melzer has, a spot in the Top 10 and the easier paths through tournaments that goes with it. He’s four years younger, vastly-more experienced on clay and primed to make fans worldwide realize that Spain has two dominant men on the red dirt courts.