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Before the start of the tournament, I had highlighted the most open section of the draw given the competitive nature of the field. And four days into the tournament, it has been a delight to watch some of these matches unfold.
The highlight so far has to be the second round encounter between Julia Goerges and Petra Matric. Besides being one of the best quality matches of the tournament until now, it was also one of the best in terms of the spirit of the competitors.
Both Goerges and Martic have great regard of for each other's style of play (which are poles apart), and that showed in the end when the two women embraced at the net after a two-hour marathon.
It will be much the same for Goerges against Alison Riske in the third round as well.
The American brings a lot to the table, especially off the forehand wing, with the slice and off forehand often leaving the opponents looking for answers. Her backhand is stronger in terms of power generation and while it's no match to Goerges' groundstrokes, it is capable of doing a lot of damage - especially when hit down the line.
It will be interesting to see her tactics against the former top 10 player from Germany. Goerges does not mind pace on the ball, so we might get to some crafty tennis from Riske.
In her second-round post-match press conference, Goerges talked about her 'see ball, hit ball' sort of strategy and said that she plans to continue with that style as she wants to play on her own terms - even if she ends up on the losing side in a few.
The aggressive approach has worked for Goerges throughout her career, and it did so in the match against Martic as well. If she keeps growing in confidence playing like that, who knows what results she might spring up.
First up, however, she will have to find a way past Riske, who is stealthy in her own right. Do not discount the American as she has her own brand of tennis that has fetched her some big results in the past.
This one might has the makings of a great showdown between contrasting styles of play, and it will be interesting to see who comes out on top in the end.
Prediction: Goerges to win in three sets.
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