Fran' for the third time?

Cerundolo leads 2/0, but it's the first time they've played each other off clay!

You can reasonably say that Cerundolo has the edge on clay. Kecmanovic is no slouch on it, but he doesn’t necessarily have the power to take time away, and his movement isn’t as good either. The surface change is supposed to suit Kecma on paper; he’s more comfortable on a slow hard court when he can hold the baseline and dictate from the back. The problem is that Cerundolo loves those conditions too—the Argentine is incredibly good at taking control with his forehand, one of the best on tour. Against Dzumhur he hit 17 winners off that side and gave me the impression of effortlessly hitting through a Dzumhur who’s very mobile and comfortable counterpunching. Still some concentration issues at times, but he’s motivated at this stage of the season and he likes the conditions; he often plays well in Paris, and the fact the courts are even slower is great for him. Kecmanovic had a much tougher time winning his first match, but his level was better than in the last few tournaments—he was moving a bit better, and that kind of gut-it-out win usually points to a more relaxed, much better second round. The matchup really isn’t great for him, though. As I said, he doesn’t necessarily have the baseline power to put Cerundolo under constant pressure, and conversely Cerundolo can have him reaching a meter from the ball on every forehand—the Argentine should often have the rallies on his racquet. You can still expect a few dips in intensity from him; I wouldn’t be surprised if he gives up a break or even a set, but over the distance I think he has everything he needs to get the win.