BCR Open Romania preview

BCR Open Romania

Location: Bucharest, Romania

Dates: September 8-14, 2008

Draw Size: 32

Surface: Clay

Prize Money: $370,000; men’s singles champion: $59,100

2007 Singles Final: Gilles Simon, FRA, def. Victor Hanescu, ROU, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2
Official Web site: http://www.bcropenromania.ro/

Top story lines:

1. Can Gilles Simon win his second straight BCR Open title?

2. Will Carlos Moya rebound after struggling most of the season?

3. Can Ernests Gulbis back up his solid summer results with a title in Romania?

Justin’s notable first round match-ups:

1. Gilles Simon vs. Evgeny Korolev (Simon leads 1-0, winning 6-4 6-2 in Bucharest last year; Simon made the third round of US Open; Korolev was a semifinalist last week at challenger event in Dusseldorf, Germany)

2. Marcel Granollers vs. Potito Starace (Starace leads 1-0, winning 6-4, 6-4 on clay in Valencia, Spain in 2007; Starace was a quarterfinalist last year at BCR Open)

Potential notable late round match:

No. 3 Nicolas Almagro vs. No. 6 Carlos Moya, Quarterfinals· Series tied 2-2, with Almagro leading 2-1 on clay courts· Almagro defeated Moya in three sets in February to win the Brasil Open in Costa do Sauipe

Watch out for…

1. No. 1 Richard Gasquet (Finalist in Stuttgart and quarterfinalist at Masters Series Canada and Queen’s Club in London; defeated 2007 BCR Open champion Gilles Simon at Wimbledon; currently ranked No. 12)

2. No. 8 Jose Acasuso (Finalist in Buenos Aires and semifinalist in Acapulco; 2004 BCR Open Champion)

Champion prediction:

Justin: No. 3 Nicolas Almagro