Watch out for Collignon

Watch out for his level of course when he’s on form, but also be careful about a body that’s a bit fragile right now...

Raphael Collignon had already made less of an impression on me at IW against Fonseca, even though it was clearly a match-up in which he could express himself. The Belgian was, once again, a bit too passive, and maybe something is bothering him. His two MTOs in Cap Cana for a right foot injury are not reassuring, especially when you see the score of the second set against Bellucci (unfortunately I didn’t see the match, if someone can give me some feedback).

So, in a match where he faces a Dimitrov who is just starting to trend upwards and is arriving at a tournament where he quite simply made a final and a semifinal in the last two years, it’s fair to have doubts.

And yet, I really liked the match-up for the Belgian, even on slightly fast outdoor hard courts. I think he has the perfect game to make the Bulgarian work and counter him. Especially a Bulgarian who is clearly not yet back to his best level. But in what shape will Collignon show up?