Analysis for Ljubicic-Kuerten (ATP Monte Carlo)

Head-to-head record 1:5

One of the best clay court players of the last decades Gustavo Kuerten is ready to say his farewell on his loved clay this year. He will play big serving Croatian Ivan Ljubicic and it could be his last match ever. Both of these players are already behind their zenith but we still think that Guga can be competitive today. Kuerten has chosen to devise his schedule around tournaments that have sentimental value to him, such as the French Open, the Brasil Open, Monte Carlo and the Miami Masters. After two first-round defeats in singles (Costa do Sauipe and Miami), Kuerten won his first ATP Masters Series level match in a long time, partnering Nicolas Lapentti, in Miami, against Feliciano Lopez and Fernando Verdasco. Like many South Americans his favorite court surface is clay. He has won three Grand Slam titles, all of them at the French Open, played on the clay courts of Roland Garros. He became the No. 1 player in the world in 2000 using his unique serve and strong ground strokes. He embraces the baseline style of play, with heavily topspin ground strokes and a solid serve that enables him to wear down his opponent from the back of the court. His unique "grunt" when he strikes the ball is recognised by millions of fans around the world. Ljubicic is a tall and powerfully built player who is noted for his strong serve.He has achieved his best results in indoor tournaments played on carpet or hard court. He uses a one-handed backhand and often plays from the baseline. He has never liked clay and we think he simply cannot be such a big favourite against former clay-court king. Furtnermore, he is 1-5 down in H2H record against Guga. We wish Gustavo good luck and hope this is not gonna be his last match.