Back to Men’s preview: anyone’s to win

Men’s preview: anyone’s to win

2 January 2012, by Brisbane International Tennis

Expect fireworks if brash American teen Ryan Harrison finds his range in a tight battle with flashy Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis tonight.

In one of the most anticipated first-round matches, Harrison is not without a chance at upstaging the unpredictable Baghdatis, provided he can keep a temper likened to John McEnroe’s in check.

The winner can expect a second-round date with Japanese fifth seed Kei Nishikori, who comes off his best season, as one of only six players to beat Djokovic last year.

> View Brisbane International 2012 photos

Doubles partners Jurgen Melzer and Philipp Petzschner will have to cast their friendship aside when the square off on the singles court. The two have intimate knowledge of each other’s game, so expect a tight affair.

Melzer, the seventh seed and a former top 10 player, will be looking to resume his place among the game’s elite but Petzschner will be hoping to pull off an early upset.

Australian wildcard Ben Mitchell is in with a shot at a potential showdown with his more accomplished Gold Coast mate, fellow 19-year-old Bernard Tomic – but only if he wins his first-up match against a qualifier.

> Watch Brisbane International 2012 videos

Tomic was the big benefactor after the withdrawal of three main draw players, as he was elevated to the eighth seeding and avoided any chance of a first-round showdown with world No.4 Andy Murray.

Tomic faces experienced Frenchman Julien Benneteau in round 1 and is on a projected collision course with German fourth seed Florian Mayer.

Should he reach his first career ATP semifinal, it is highly likely top seed Murray will be standing across the net from him.

Murray opens tomorrow night against Kazakhstan’s Mikhail Kukushkin and would likely face his first stern test in the quarterfinals against Nishikori or Baghdatis.

> View the full draws and order of play

Frenchman Gilles Simon, the tournament’s second seed, should have few difficulties with American Ryan Sweeting, who finished 2011 with four straight-sets losses in a row.

Simon and sixth seed Radek Stepanek will look to join Ukrainian third seed Alexandr Dolgopolov in the second round on the bottom half of the draw.

Stepanek faces Australian Matt Ebden and a parochial Brisbane crowd first up.

“I always like to play in Brisbane and that won’t change playing an Aussie guy in the first round,” Stepanek said.

“I saw him in a couple of tournaments last year. He improved a lot in the last six months.”

Marinko Matosevic will enter his clash with German veteran Tommy Haas a clear underdog but with vital matchplay in check, having claimed the Australian Open wildcard play-off last month over teenager James Duckworth who enjoyed a surprise win over Nicolas Mahut on Sunday.