What hopes are there for the country's star?

Faria is the country's rising star. He's young and plays increasingly promising matches. With Nuno Borges, the Portuguese can have high expectations. And they will! I was on court for Rocha / Martinez yesterday, and the Portuguese are passionate spectators. Scheduled as the last match of the day, the atmosphere could be at its peak!

Our Swedish analyst David noted that Faria didn’t like it when he was being rushed, and preferred playing against heavy topspin games. And VDZ falls into the wrong category for him. I saw the Dutchman in practice yesterday against Blockx, and of course, as usual, at times he was absolutely rock solid. Especially since VDZ is the type of player who likes playing against ‘stars’, even more so in their home country. I think it relaxes him.

So I’m extremely wary here because despite a not-so-great match-up for the Portuguese, he’s playing at home and every point will feel like a match point. And even if he can shake in important moments, he’s still a solid guy, and VDZ isn’t exactly a sure bet either, and the clay in the evening at 15 degrees will allow him to feel less rushed.