Reigning Open 13 Champ Gulbis Takes On Chardy

Jeremy Chardy will face off against Ernests Gulbis in the second round of the Open 13 in Marseille tomorrow morning (8:00). Latvian Gulbis is the current reigning champion after having seen off Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 7-6, 6-4 in last year`s final. Tsonga`s fellow Frenchman Chardy failed to compete in the 2014 renewal of this tournament.

Despite being the competition title holder, Gulbis is a massive 18/1 (betfair Exchange) to scoop back-to-back Open 13 victories. Twenty-five-to-one, again with the betfair Exchange, says Pau-born star Chardy can win his second ATP career competition on his home turf.

This will be 28-year-old Chardy`s second match this year, however, having already faced compatriot David Guez in the opening round. Chardy had to come from behind after losing 6-4 in the opening set to secure the second 6-3 and the final set 6-2. ladbrokes and william hill both have 11/2 on Chardy progressing through to the third round after losing in the opening set.

As the reigning champ, the Latvian received a bye into the second stage of the Open with his match tomorrow being his first of the competition.

Consequentially, paddy Power has installed the world number 13 as the 10/11 favourite to beat Chardy, who is two years his senior. In what is expected to be a close run thing, his opponent can be backed at evens with most bookmakers to make sure Gulbis` tournament reappearance is a short one.

These close odds are in spite of the favourite having a vastly superior head-to-head record against his rival. Indeed, the 6`3" right-hander has defeated the 35 ranked player on three occasions and has lost only once. The pair`s head-to-head record on hard reads 2-1 in Gulbis` favour. The players` last meeting was in the 2013 Stockholm Open though stretches right back to 2009.

Chardy`s only victory over the six-time title winner came in the 2010 US Open, a straight sets win seeing him record a victory against his opponent in their third ever meeting. The Frenchmen only dropped two games in the first set at Flushing Meadows before needing a tie-break to go two to the good. The third and final set also went to Chardy, the score reading 6-4. Both boylesports and william hill have Chardy down at 5/2 to grab the win without dropping a set.

Conversely those expecting the favourite to triumph in straight sets can receive odds of 9/4 at ladbrokes. The pair`s first two matches ended without Gulbis dropping a set, the first in St. Petersburg concluding 7-6, 7-3 and the second in Barcelona, on clay, coming to a close 6-3, 6-2. Chardy managed to win the second set in the pair`s last tie in Stockholm (6-3) but eventually fell to a 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 defeat. Seventeen-to-five with 888sport and unibet says that Gulbis will put Chardy to the sword with a 2-1 victory for the second successive time.

The men have played out three tie-breaks in the 10 sets that they have fought. The betfair Exchange have put odds of 1/50 on there both being a tie-break in the match and there not being one at any time tomorrow. Coral`s 9/4 says a tie-break will occur in the initial set with the same odds available with the same bookmaker should you think one will appear in the second.

Gulbis has only once failed to take the first set against his opponent and is 20/23 (Betvictor) to continue this streak of good form. Furthermore, two of his three first set wins have been claimed with a score of 6-3 and he is 6/1 with a number of bookmakers (betfred, Betvictor, boylesports, paddy Power) to record this score in the opener tomorrow.

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18/02/2015     © Frixo 2026