Vacherot in his cradle

Initially scheduled to face Majchrzak, Val will finally play the qualifier JM Cerundolo! Good news for him?

Hmm, not so simple. Why? Because JM is going to push Val to create play. But that sentence worked back then. Today JM sends it to the corners on serve and forehand, and Val is much more than just a big counterpuncher. The Monegasque has really stepped up, and he almost always beats players ranked below him. Against a JM Cerundolo who’s coming back from injury and who I didn’t find particularly sharp in his match against Hugo Nys, you’d think there’s little hope for the Argentinian. Even if he went back to hitting moonballs! And above all, Val is not the kind of guy to crap his pants in front of his home crowd. They’re playing in the last slot on center court, maybe on slightly more humid clay if the previous matches run late. JM Cerundolo is dangerous and has nothing to lose, but Val at home might be even stronger…