Puerta Heads Dirt Field at ATP Romanian Open
Posted on September 12, 2005The dirtballers take to the red clay this week at the BCR Open Romania in Bucharest, where French Open runner-up Mariano Puerta heads a weak field as the only Top 30 player.
Also among the seeds are Italian Filippo Volandri, Romania's own Andrei Pavel and Victor Hanescu, French comers Gael "Force" Monfils and Paul-Henri Mathieu, Argentine Jose Acasuso, and Spain's Fernando "Hot Sauce" Verdasco.
Early-round matches of note are (5) Gael Force against Spanish grinder Al Montanes, (6) Acasuso vs. Juan Ignacio Chela in an all-Argentine, (4) Hanescu vs. Italian comer "You Say" Potito Starace, (3) Pavel vs. Spanish grinder Al Martin, (7) Mathieu vs. Spanish grinder Dave Sanchez, and (8) Hot Sauce vs. the on-again off-again Argentine force Mariano Zabaleta.
In last year's final the unseeded Acasuso housed No. 4 seed Igor Andreev 6-3, 6-0.
Returning champs in the field are Acasuso (2004), Sanchez (2003), and A.Martin (1999).
On Monday's schedule are (7) Mathieu vs. Sanchez, Chela vs. (6) Acasuso in the all-Argentine, Serra vs. (WC) Crivoi, Sanguinetti vs. Sabau, and Mayer vs. O.Hernandez.
Also among the seeds are Italian Filippo Volandri, Romania's own Andrei Pavel and Victor Hanescu, French comers Gael "Force" Monfils and Paul-Henri Mathieu, Argentine Jose Acasuso, and Spain's Fernando "Hot Sauce" Verdasco.
Early-round matches of note are (5) Gael Force against Spanish grinder Al Montanes, (6) Acasuso vs. Juan Ignacio Chela in an all-Argentine, (4) Hanescu vs. Italian comer "You Say" Potito Starace, (3) Pavel vs. Spanish grinder Al Martin, (7) Mathieu vs. Spanish grinder Dave Sanchez, and (8) Hot Sauce vs. the on-again off-again Argentine force Mariano Zabaleta.
In last year's final the unseeded Acasuso housed No. 4 seed Igor Andreev 6-3, 6-0.
Returning champs in the field are Acasuso (2004), Sanchez (2003), and A.Martin (1999).
On Monday's schedule are (7) Mathieu vs. Sanchez, Chela vs. (6) Acasuso in the all-Argentine, Serra vs. (WC) Crivoi, Sanguinetti vs. Sabau, and Mayer vs. O.Hernandez.