Tennis Chatter

As things heat up on the clay courts at the Open Seat Godo tournament, it might be wise to look at the potential for exciting matches. The first round is well under way and there are many budding stories.

Besides the impending match between Carlos Moya and Felix Mantillo there are other Spanish men who want to raise the trophy on their native soil. For instance, this fella you might have heard of him, Rafael Nadal. If you’re not familiar with the name, then you might recall his 67 consecutive victories on clay, or his recent win over Number One Roger Federer, or maybe that he in fact is number two in the world. Ring a bell? That’s what I thought. Well Nadal is hungry for number 68 and will be gunning for Belgian Kristof Vliegen.

Who is Benjamin Becker? When I saw his name and that he was German I did a double take. Could he be Boris Becker’s son? No, but he does on occasion where the Tennis Legend’s clothing line. If you don’t know Benni Becker now, soon you might not have much of choice. He was named the ATP Newcomer of the Year in 2006. Some have said he’ll be in the Top Twenty in the coming years. He’s in the second round in Barcelona as well. Basically, this Deutschlander could be a household name before you know it. Look out world, here comes Becker Part 2.

Don’t forget former Godo Open champion Tommy Robredo who got into the third round Tuesday after beating Feliciano Lopez 6-2, 6-2. Robredo’s 6th in the world, so don’t expect him to lose easily.

Those are just a few of the players wanting to make some noise in Barcelona. There’s David Ferrer, David Nalbandian, and Juan Carlos Ferrero. I think there’s something like a 95 percent chance of a native hombre de Espana winning this tournament. That’s not bad odds.