Stella Artois Championships: Thursday Preview

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By Barry Newcombe


Andy Roddick v Mario Ancic: First meeting

Andy Roddick still heads the field as the Stella Artois comes down to the last sixteen players with just five seeds still in contention,three of them in Roddick's half of the draw.Roddick,as defending champion,has just one match under his belt and now moves on to an opponent who already has a couple of wins.Mario Ancic is 20 and Roddick is 21 and in terms of achievement Roddick,of course,is some way out in front having won his first Grand Slam last September in the US Open and gaining world No 1 status last year as well.Ancic comes from the Croatian tennis school headed by the former Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic,with whom he has been working since hewas ten,and has few concerns about playing in big arenas and against big players. Which makes today's contest more than intriguing.

Verdict--Roddick to keep his title bid on track

Antony Dupuis v Paradorn Srichaphan: Srichaphan leads 3-0

The answer to the question of which French player did well at the Stella Artois last year is Sebastien Grosjean. But Antony Dupuis,now 31,had his share of the French action as well and it was the quarter final stage before his interest ended at the hands of Tim Henman. Dupuis's dream,they say,is to test drive a Formula One car but for the moment this 83rd ranked player has to concentrate on tackling the seventh seeded Srichaphan, Thailand's best player. The previous evidence is all in Srichaphan's favour with wins in Singapore,Brest, and Uzbekistan between 1999 and 2002.This,therefore,is their first meeting on grass,a surface which Srichaphan enjoys as he proved when he had his best Wimbledon last year,reaching the fourth round.

Verdict: Srichaphan to reach the quarter finals for a second time

Jonathan Marray v Lleyton Hewitt: First meeting

This is a perfect tournament for the younger and lesser known British players to seize their chance and showcase their abilities and for Jonathan Marray ranked 277th in the world at the age of 23 he has done just that after gaining a wild card into the Stella Artois and winning two matches to earn a contest against the former Wimbledon champion and world No 1 Lleyton Hewitt. There is no question that Hewitt will be ready for him in his usual single minded way and the fact that he has already won the Stella Artois three times makes him a particularly daunting opponent. Marray insists that he will maintain his attacking stance and it is true to say that he has nothing to lose in taking on one of the more formidable forces in the world game. Hewitt will not have enjoyed losing in the Stella Artois last year and will certainly try to demonstrate that today.

Verdict:Hewitt to keep command

Sjeng Schalken v Hyung-Taik Lee: Schalken leads 2-0

This match brings together the Netherlands and Korea and Sjeng Schalken ensures that the Dutch cause has the upper hand having beaten Hyung-Taik Lee twice already. Schalken was the winner in Monte Carlo and Cincinatti last year,the first match on clay and the second on a hard court.Schalken has a strong record on grass with back to back quarter finals in the past two years.There are many who remember the way he competed in his five hour five minute five set defeat to Mark Philippoussis at Wimbledon four years ago with great admiration and respect.Today's match is between the eighth seed and a qualifier and Lee,of course,began the tournament by defeating Greg Rusedski in three sets and then took out the 12th seed Robby Ginepri.

Verdict--Schalken to take command

Ivo Karlovic v Karol Beck: First meeting

Karol Beck, the champion of Surbiton and more lately the conqueror of Tim Henman in his first match since reaching the semi-finals of the French Open, has had a great deal of exposure in the past 24 hours and with one of those curious twists comes up against a man who had even more attention paid to him almost a year ago. Ivo Karlovic was the qualifier who came into Wimbledon and beat the defending champion Lleyton Hewitt in the first round, a stunning result, the like of which had not been achieved since 1967.So now we have the 14th seeded Karlovic taking on the 79th ranked Beck,Croatia v Skovakia,for a place in the last eight. Karlovic has won two lengthy matches against good opposition and Beck will have revelled in defeating such a big player as Henman.

Verdict: Karlovic to justify his ranking

Sebastien Grosjean v Ian Flanagan: First meeting

Ian Flanagan has won many friends this week in his defiant and opportunist run to the last 16. He has enjoyed himself as he has moved on from the qualifying competition to the last 16,taking out one of the biggest names on grass, Mark Philippoussis,as he progressed towards today's meeting with one of the successes of last summer, Sebastien Grosjean of France, runner-up in the Stella Artois. Flanagan is ridiculously lowly ranked at 866th in the world but that has been his base as he came into the tournament and it looks as if he has left that big number behind for ever. He is now in a strong position because he is playing the 13th best player in the world and can come out swinging in the hope of doing some damage to a great and well earned reputation.

Verdict: Grosjean to show who is boss

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