Events / Ben Caudell / 13 April 2010 /

Marco Baghdatis has stormed back into form in 2010 but his record on the red stuff still leaves a little to be desired and that's why Ben Caudell is opposing him on day two in Monaco. Meanwhile, Poland's number one could be distracted by tragic events.

Albert Montanes (ESP) v Marcos Baghdatis (CYP) Fans favourite Marcos Baghdatis has put his tennis career back on the right track after a turbulent couple of years which have been plagued by injuries. In 2008 Baghdatis only competed in 12 tournaments and was ranked outside the top 100 by the end of the year; 2009 was a transitional period but this year we have seen him at his very best as he has beaten Roger Federer and won a tournament in Sydney.

Baghdatis has a 1-0 head-to-head record against clay court specialist Albert Montanes, a win that was on indoor carpet, probably Montanes least favourite surface, back in 2007 at the Basel Open. To most fans it's a surprise to see Montanes [1.75] as the pre-match favourite but I agree with the SP and expect the Spaniard to win. Baghdatis has played only four matches since July 2007 on clay and with all four being losses it is going to be difficult for him to find any kind of clay court form.

Montanes who has a 5-3 record on the dirt for 2010 and a player who reached the last 16 at last year's event is more experienced on this surface and will justify his tag as the favourite for this match.

Selection: Back Albert Montanes @ [1.75] to win match

Viktor Troicki (SRB) v Lukasz Kubot (POL)
I'm a big fan of Polish number one Kubot and often tip him when he is an underdog at the start of a match. However, today I'm going to have to side with Viktor Troicki a player who has the talent to beat the very best but also has an up and down temperament that can have an adverse effect on his game.

Troicki has a 4-1 head-to-head lead over Kubot with two wins on clay; although Kubot has had some decent results of late on the dirt there have also been some shocking performances. At his most recent tournament in Casablanca, Kubot tanked against Potito Starace losing in the second round 6-1 6-0, he also lost by the same score to Juan Carlos Ferrero in the final of the Costa do Sauipe in February.

These drubbings suggest to me that at times Kubots head needs examinining. He will also be mourning the death of the Polish president and others who tragically died in a recent plane crash. I believe there is definitely value in backing Viktor Troicki to win.

Selection: Back Viktor Troicki @ [1.7] to win match

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