Pavel Grotov
With his abdominal bulge, a novice would not have given much of his skin under the harsh sun of Marrakech. And yet, beware of the Russian!
His somewhat atypical game can surprise more than one person on clay. He picks up quite early, doesn't lift much and makes the ball travel. I think the hot conditions in Marrakech favored his game by increasing the speed of the ball on dry ground and at a slight altitude. This will not be the case at all in Barcelona, and he will have another piece in the person of Sebastian Ofner. The Austrian finally returns to his favorite surface and has just performed well against Zverev in Monte-Carlo. He is looking for confidence following his confusing Golden Swing, but it has been much better in recent weeks. Little by little, I feel that he is gaining strength and can give us a big blow in a 250 at altitude. He will play for the first time in Barcelona where the high bounce could well favor his topspin hitting game. I give him more credit than Pavel and go see if the odds are good...
