Taro and his destiny

Daniel is gaining momentum and has just come off a great first round, notably saving two set points before cruising.

Daniel has done pretty well in Challenger tournaments this season and wants to try to follow through with a good Asian swing. His first-round win goes in that direction, even if the draw was kind to him and he got away with it quite well after taking the first set. The level was good, it was solid, but he’ll need a bit more before thinking about facing someone like Marozsan.

Marozsan’s profile is something that really bothers him. Daniel likes to be solid on the baseline and take control of the game when necessary. He has good stats against big servers, but also against good baseliners, because his solidity helps him gain the upper hand. On the other hand, as soon as he faces players who are too aggressive or able to come forward and finish at the net, his stats drop sharply.

Marozsan, for his part, was reassuring after a fairly long trip due to the Davis Cup. He dispatched Bolt, who had no answers and couldn’t impose his style. And when that’s the case, Marozsan is a master at punishing that kind of player. The Hungarian is excellent in offensive phases and I was a bit afraid the Hangzhou courts would be too fast for him, especially against a player who needs time like Bolt. In the end, not at all. I find the courts fine, or at least not ultra-fast, which is great for Marozsan. As I said, Daniel’s profile should suit him very well.