Cruising through Qualifiers

Duckworth off to a nice start at home...

Well, two very nice qualifying wins indeed. Keep in mind that both of them were rather decent matchups; Schoolkate, an Aussie with a similar all-court playstyle to his, whom he could outmaneuver with his experience, and Atmane, whom he could bother with his disruptive playstyle and great slicing. We haven't seen a lot of Duckworth on the main tour in recent years, but there were some good signs already at the end of last year in his Almaty run. When the conditions are right (fast and low bouncing), he has the tools to bother quite a few players!

Michelsen should present a tougher test for him. He is someone who should also like the conditions here. Both players possess a good first serve and skilled hands at the net. Duckworth gets a lot out of his slice against weaker backhands/lefties, but now he will be facing someone with a great backhand... even if Michelsen is someone who can be bothered by disruptive players. What I do like about Duckworth is that he is coming in with two matches under his belt already, and that he is playing in conditions that he is really experienced/comfortable in - at home. I'm expecting a big fight in this one, with both players able to hold their own serve well, and with Michelsen perhaps needing some time to "get into it" against a player who is already warmed up...