A new epic duel?

Can the French team do it again?

3h28 of match, a 12/10 win in the tie-break of the 3rd set for the Frenchman after saving 2 match points—that’s what happened right here last year when they faced each other. A kind of turning-point match for the French player, who then went on to win his first tournament. What’s happened since?

The Frenchman has more or less backed it up, notably with a final at the ATP 500 in Rio and then a generally solid season, though still marked by a few physical and mental slumps, especially in the post–US Open period. He’s a player without a truly big weapon, and as soon as he’s short on energy it shows very quickly in his results. First tournament of the year, defending champion—I’m expecting to see the good version of Muller, hoping he doesn’t put too much pressure on himself to defend his title, which is a first for him.

On Kecmanovic’s side, a typical season with a few flashes, including a nice title in Delray (hi ADF!), but mostly a lot of disappointments and more losses than wins, which is becoming a habit for him. I’m still left wanting more with this player; the potential is there, but his attitude is sometimes questionable and I don’t feel like he embraces the fight as much as he should.