Federer, Gonzo, Blake Headline Basel Thursday

Sixteen becomes eight on Thursday as all eight second round matches take the court in Basel. Roger Federer returns, after a three set struggle in the first round. to face Juan Martin del Potro. Fernando Gonzalez, James Blake and Thomas Berdych will look to improve their Shanghai Masters Cups hopes.

First up on Center Court will be No. 2 seed Fernando Gonzalez against qualifier Roko Karanusic. Gonzalez has reached the quarterfinals or better at eight events this season coming in, including a quarterfinal finish just last week at AMS Madrid. He has been a top performer in Basel in the past, winning it in 2005 and finishing runner-up in 2002 (to David Nalbandian) and 2006 (Roger Federer). The only time he has fallen prior to the final in his four previous attempts here came in 2004, when he was bounced in his first match by Jerome Haehnel (whom he beat in the first round this week). In Karanusic he faces his second qualifier in a row; the Croatian is playing the second round of an ATP main draw for the fourth time, having fallen at this stage at Tokyo in 2005, Wimbledon last year and Newport this year. He fell in the first round of his debut there last year (to Nalbandian).

In the next match on Center, No. 4 seed James Blake takes on ace machine Ivo Karlovic. Blake had a strong start to the year but his summer hardcourt season was stellar, going 20-4 in winning his 10th career ATP title at New Haven, finishing runner-up at Los Angeles and AMS Cincinnati and capping it with a fourth round finish at the US Open. He hasn’t dropped out of the Top 10 since first cracking it on March 20, 2006 (after his first AMS final at Indian Wells). He has a tough task ahead in Karlovic, who is having his career-best season, winning his first three ATP titles and cracking the Top 25. At Madrid last week he broke Goran Ivanisevic’s second-best all-time season aces total of 1,169 (from 1994), emerging with 1,194, and he climbed to 1,210 after his first round win this week. He’ll have to do a lot of work to get to his countryman’s all-time total of 1,477 though (set in 1996).

Next is No. 5 seed Tomas Berdych against Stanislas Wawrinka. Berdych has been in solid form since the fall season started, reaching back-to-back semifinals at Bangkok and Tokyo, then pushing eventual AMS Madrid champion David Nalbandian to three sets in the Spanish capital last week. He could have faced Nalbandian (and his 1-3 head-to-head record against him) in this match, but the Argentine was bundled out of the tournament in the first round by Wawrinka (against whom he has a more favorable 1-1 head-to-head record). Wawrinka, who recently reached his second final of the year (finishing runner-up to Novak Djokovic two weeks ago in Vienna), has had three Top 20 wins so far this year, including the aforementioned first round dismissal of new-No. 18 Nalbandian.

Roger Federer continues to rebound after his loss in Madrid as he plays Juan Martin del Potro. Playing his first ATP tournament since winning his fourth straight US Open crown, Federer made the final in the Spanish capital with ease last week, not dropping his serve once (saving all four of the break points against him) before losing to Nalbandian in the final, 1-6, 6-3, 6-3. One streak he hopes to keep going, though, is his winning streak in Basel, which currently stands at 6-0 (going 5-0 to win the title last year then winning his first round match on Tuesday against Michael Berrer). His opponent today, del Potro, reached his first career ATP semifinal earlier this year but more relevant to today’s match was his run to the third round of Madrid last week, which included his first Top 10 victory (over Tommy Robredo). He is 0-1 against World No. 1s though (falling to Federer once).

A battle between unseeded players Marcos Baghdatis and Agustin Calleri is next on Center. Baghdatis has had an incredibly consistent season, reaching the quarterfinals or better eight times, highlighted by winning his second ATP singles title at Zagreb and finishing runner-up at Marseille and Halle (his first ever ATP grass court final). He made his Basel debut last year and made it to the final before falling to Fernando Gonzalez (in four sets). Calleri has had a consistent year also, reaching the quarters or better six times, but hasn’t been to the quarters here in three prior tries. (ATP Digital Services)