Day Three Preview

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By Barry Newcombe

Alex Bogdanovic v Jamie Baker
Played--never previously met

These two British players took wild card entries into the draw, came through the initial test of the first round, and now find themselves taking part in a strictly domestic challenge to earn the right to play the second seeded American Andy Roddick, three times champion here, in the next round. Bogdanovic and Baker have been following similar paths during the summer having both been granted wild cards into The Championships at Wimbledon. Today, though, is all about winning this match and as Bogdanovic is ranked 117th in the world and Baker stands at 247th the form book suggests that Bogdanovic will be the winner. They know each other's playing style well enough because they have often practiced together and Baker, the 20-year-old from Glasgow, will be hoping that all the training he underwent in Florida recently will pay dividends at this critical time of the year. Baker, who writes notes on his hand for guidance and encouragement, had not beaten a top 100 player until he did so in the first round here against Alexander Peya of Austria. Bogdanovic defeated the 13th seeded former semi-finalist Hyung-Taik Lee of Korea in his first match.

Verdict-Bogdanovic to advance

Novak Djokovic v Robert Kendrick
Played-never previously met

The Belgrade born Djokovic has only to look back one year to realise that he is a serious contender on grass because it was only last summer that he had his best performance on grass with a fourth round place at Wimbledon. If you count that as an important step there is ample evidence since that Djokovic has come on fast to be ranked fourth in the world. In the French Open sixth seeded Djokovic advanced to the semi finals where Rafael Nadal, the world's best clay court player, was waiting and his interest ended there. Robert Kendrick, now ranked 86th, used Wimbledon last year to make his name known around the tennis world and beyond by leading Nadal by two sets to love in the second round on the Centre Court at Wimbledon. To reach that test Kendrick had come through the qualifying round, won a Grand Slam match for the first time, and then took a high octane route to lead Nadal. Only in the third set did Kendrick surrender his lead, in a tie break, but the performance was to mark him down as one of the players of 2006. But the strident message from Djokovic is that he is still advancing and, at 20, there is much more to come.

Verdict-Djokovic to take control

Rafael Nadal v Juan Martin del Potro
Played-Nadal leads 2-0

Just three days after winning the French Open for the third year in succession Rafael Nadal, the world No 2, is back on grass and planning to spend as much time on the surface as possible up to and including Wimbledon. That is exactly the same programme as he planned last year but he had to take an enforced break midway after being injured in the quarter final of the Artois and flying home to Spain for treatment and rest. Even so he still reached the Wimbledon final for the first time. There is no doubting the range of ambition of the 21-year-old Spaniard who opens up in singles in the Artois--he was beaten in the doubles yesterday--against the Argentine Juan Martin del Potro who was his first round opponent in the French Open and duly seen off in straight sets. Del Potro has played Nadal twice this year-their other match was in Miami--without winning a set--but began well here with a win over the former Australian champion Thomas Johannson. Nadal will just want to become used to the pace of one of the most famous grass courts in the world and establish whether he is going to become part of its considerable history.

Verdict-Nadal to start in style.

Lleyton Hewitt v Jo-Wilfried Tsonga
Played-never previously met

There is much beckoning Lleyton Hewitt in the Artois, principally the fact that he can create history by winning the title for a fifth time, something not even John McEnroe or Boris Becker could achieve in the days when they were winning here. The realist that is Hewitt accepts it would be "nice to win it for a fifth time. " But he adds:"That's a long way away. At the moment I'm trying to focus on getting off to a good start and I feel like I get better and better as the tournament goes on. " Hewitt was champion here for three years in a row from 2000 and returned to the champion's role last year when he beat the American James Blake in the final. Hewitt has teamed up with Tim Henman in the doubles here while his first singles match takes him up against the French qualifier Jo-Wilfried Tsonga who ranks 121st in the world. Tsonga stayed on the move last week, winning the Challenger tournament at Surbiton and qualifying for the Artois at the same time. He has won 29 of his last 30 matches and won two of the three tournaments he has played on grass. Tsonga, surely, will make the most of the moment today.

Verdict--Hewitt to begin in style

Marat Safin v Sebastien Grosjean
Played--Safin leads 6-2

Marat Safin started on the tour in 1996 looking every inch like a player who might be a genuine threat on grass. He came out of Russia seemingly well equipped to do some damage to his rivals and within five years had become world No 2, winning seven titles in 2000 including the US Open. On grass that summer he worked with former British No 1 Tony Pickard, who had taken Stefan Edberg to Wimbledon titles, and was a quarter finalist here at Queen's Club. In 2001 he had his best Wimbledon by reaching the last eight where he fell to eventual champion Goran Ivanisevic. Safin's first match today brings him up against Sebastien Grosjean of France whose liking for being in London at this time of the year extends beyond the pleasure which he obtains from playing in the Artois. Grosjean has twice been a finalist here in 2003 and 2004. He hs beaten Lleyton Hewitt and Tim Henman here in the past and against that has been beaten twice by Andy Roddick. Two semi-final appearances at Wimbledon mark Grosjean down as a man who can play on anything and he is more than capable of giving the eighth seeded Safin a run for his money.

Verdict-Safin under early pressure

Bob and Mike Bryan v Jamie Delgado and Ross Hutchins
Played--never previously met

The Bryan twins are top seeds for the Artois doubles championship which they have won three times already. They began this year by taking the Australian doubles, their sixth Grand Slam title, but were beaten in the quarter finals of the French Open last week. They open up against the British wild card pairing of Jamie Delgado and Ross Hutchins who will doubtless relish the challenge of taking on such a high reputation team as the Bryans. Delgado is a British Davis Cup player and both he and partner Hutchins can look at the current British Davis Cup squad and note that Jamie Murray is the first doubles selection at the moment. Britain's next tie is against Croatia at Wimbledon in September so captain John Lloyd will watch form closely during the summer.

Verdict--the Bryan twins to set the pace