Analysis for Ferrer-Almagro (ATP Valencia)

Head-to-head record 4:0

Nicolas Almagro will fight David Ferrer in the opening round at Valencia Open. Ferrer is especially known for his fighting spirit and unwillingness to concede defeat. He is known as a particularly dangerous clay court player, though he has had several respectable results on hard courts as well.He is an experienced player who broke into the top 10 in the ATP Tour singles rankings for the first time in 2006. His highest ranking to date is World No. 4, which he reached in 2008. However, he has been struggling a bit since that time and his results from the end of the year are unconvincing. Nicolas Almagro will have another chance for revenge today. He is going to play his fellow countryman for the fifth time in his career and hasn’t won a single match yet. Almagro's playing style fits that of an offensive baseliner. Aided by his stocky frame, an uncommon trait on the ATP Tour, Almagro's groundstrokes, particularly on his favored backhand side, are very powerful. Almagro uses a very quick and compact service motion which helps his first serve often exceed speeds of 210 km/h. In addition to his powerful game, Almagro is also known for playing on the edge of his emotions, often losing his temper on-court. He is a quality hard courter and should be able to keep the match close against his more famous opponent. We expect a tight match and anything around 3 is good enough for us.