Analysis for Nalbandian-Gasquet (Paris)

Head-to-head record 4:0

We have been praising Bandy a lot lately as his recent performances were really stellar. As we said, Nalbandian disposes of a very aggressive baseline game, although he is capable of playing an all-court style. His main strengths are his groundstrokes and return game, and are complemented by his deft accuracy and incredible foot speed. His groundstrokes are technically sound and solid from both wings, and because of their depth, pace, and consistency, opponents often have difficulty breaking down one particular side. Nalbandian's trademark shot is his two-handed backhand down the line, which he often uses to set up point, by either hitting a clean winner, or forcing a weak return from the opponent. Nalbandian is also a sound volleyer, and if a situation calls for more aggressive play, he is often willing to finish points at the net. Nalbandian's weakness is his serve and while Nalbandian has proven his mental fortitude in countless matches, he continues to have a tendency to relax at times when he is leading in a match, sometimes even to the point of losing. His opponent Richard Gasquet is the most serious aspirant for the last Masters Cup spot. To be honest, we don´t like his tennis style but he is praised for his powerful and precise one-handed backhand and for his flair and shot-making ability. Gasquet has earned much praise for his "natural talent." But he often has difficulties when playing aganist claycourters as he lacks speed and doesn´t like to play the long rallies. His recent results were pretty poor but his overall record is still much better than in the case of Nalbandian and he would deserve to qualify for Masters Cup without any doubts. The current form is on the side of Bandy but we still consider Gasquet to be a tough contender and odds around 3 are worth taking. They are hugely influenced by Nalbandian´s recent run and don´t reflect the reality in our eyes.