Photo: Arne Forsell / rca productions
In his first match of the Copa Peugeot Argentina de Tenis, Marcos will face World No. 11 Fernando Gonzalez – a great chance for Marcos to see how his game is shaping up ahead of the 2010 ATP World Tour season.
In the first Group 2 match on Thursday, Gonzalez was beaten in straight sets by Argentine defending champion Juan Monaco. The Chilean must now defeat Marcos on Friday to have a chance of qualifying for the final.
Marcos has only played the 29-year-old Gonzalez once before, losing out in four sets in a closely contested final at the Davidoff Swiss Indoors Basel in 2005, which was Marcos’ first ATP World Tour final.
Gonzalez enjoyed another stellar campaign in 2009, finishing in the Top 15 of the South African Airways ATP Rankings for a fifth consecutive season and capturing his 11th ATP World Tour title in front of his home fans in Vina del Mar. The match will be a good test for Marcos to see how his intensive training in the past two weeks has paid off.
A Group 1 match between David Nalbandian, returning from hip surgery, and former World No. 1 Carlos Moya begins proceedings at 8:30 pm (-3hrs GMT) Friday at the Buenos Aires Lawn Tennis Club, with Marcos versus Gonzalez to follow.
Stay tuned to www.baghdatis.com for all the latest news from Buenos Aires.
Go, Marcos!
