Jean who laughs, Jean who cries

Dutch is impossible to follow… generally speaking!

Disastrous match in Munich, then a very good match here against Muller, then a disastrous first set against Kovacevic. What on earth is going on in VDZ’s head? Did playing a lucky loser put huge pressure on him? I think that’s part of it, because he’s the guy who beats big names like Nadal in Davis Cup, Alcaraz in Grand Slams… He just needs to be freed from all pressure, it seems. Will that be the case here? Third round in a Masters 1000, world No. 15 on the other side of the net. Everything points to yes. Plus, I like that he’s coming off an “ugly win” right before…

On Khacha’s side, we know he likes the atmosphere here. When he loses, it’s at least a real battle. The slowness of the courts doesn’t help him much with his slight lack of power from the baseline, but with his heavy topspin forehand, he can grind. And that, I think like Marcos, can really bother VDZ. The Dutchman isn’t built like an Argentinian to withstand a big topspin war for 2 hours. He’s going to be, I think, pushed to take the initiative a bit more. He’s got the physique, but not the resilience of a clay-court Argentinian. The pressure is on the Russian side then, but so is the match-up...