Rain halted play late Tuesday, forcing top seed and 2003 champion Nikolay Davydenko and No. 2 and 2005 finalist Tommy Robredo to complete their first round matches on Wednesday. There are four second round matches scheduled, including No. 3 seed Novak Djokovic and No. 6 Dmitry Tursunov.
In the first match on Centre Court, Albert Montanes, who reached his fourth career ATP final in Casablanca (0-4), plays countryman Robredo, a wild card entry into the tournament who turned 25 on Tuesday. Montanes is 2-6 lifetime against Top 10 opponents. Robredo is 2-0 lifetime against Montanes in ATP meetings (6-0 overall, including Challengers & Futures). Robredo opened the season by reaching the final in Auckland (l. to Ferrer) and followed with a quarterfinal at the Australian Open (l. to Federer). He is 16-9 on the season and No. 7 in the ATP Rankings.
In the next match, Djokovic, 19, takes on qualifier Santiago Ventura for the first time in an ATP match although the Spaniard won their previous meeting in a German Challenger three years ago. Djokovic has compiled an impressive 27-6 record, tying No. 2 Rafael Nadal (27-5) for most match wins on the ATP circuit this year. Djokovic captured his first ATP Masters Series shield and fourth career title at Miami last month (d. Canas). That crown came two weeks after Djokovic reached the final at Indian Wells (l. to Nadal). He also took home the trophy from Adelaide in January (d. Guccione). Djokovic, who is making his debut here, edged Igor Andreev in a third set tie-break in the first round.
On the Centralito Court, top seed Davydenko plays French qualifier Olivier Patience for the second time. Patience won the previous meeting in four sets in the second round of the Australian Open in 2004. Davydenko is looking for his first ATP title of the year after winning a career-high five last season. The 25-year-old Russian reached the final here last year (l. to Nalbandian) and won the title in 2003 (d. Calleri).
In the next match, No. 6 seed Tursunov attempts to reach his first ATP quarterfinal of the season against Guillermo Garcia-Lopez. The series is tied 1-1 with the Spaniard prevailing in a third set tie-break in the second round of Bucharest last year.
On Court 1, Paul-Henri Mathieu brings a six-match winning streak into the second round against Russian Igor Kunitsyn in their first meeting. Mathieu coming off his third career ATP title in Casablanca (d.Montanes) on Sunday. He enters with a 16-8 match record on the season and 4-1 against Top 10 opponents (9-26 in his career).
On Court 2, American teenager Sam Querrey tries to reach his first ATP quarterfinal on clay as he takes on Argentine Juan Monaco, who captured his first career ATP title in Buenos Aires in February. This will be the first meeting between the two players, who both have won 13 matches on the season.
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