Aaaah, my little Safiou!

Always pleasant to watch play, the Russian still lacks the consistency to break his glass ceiling.

Often excellent in indoor conditions (when he is in good spirits), Safiullin still has a lot of progress to make outdoors and in a 3-set format. He likes it when nothing moves and he can swing his concrete blocks with his perfect timing. He disappointed me a little against Rune in the Brisbane half but still had a good week. Rest a week for the OA, and here is a well-crafted calendar. In Brisbane, I found him very motivated. I had never heard him say "come on let's go" before this tournament. He arrives here with the desire to do well in the Grand Slam this year. Another slight progression and he will be seeded. Griekspoor doesn't have that many Grand Slam references. Unlike Safiou, he made a good impression last year here, and we remember his marathon at the US Open against Arthur Fils. He is a very often solid guy with good service. Compact. I think we can see a great battle.