Casablanca Wednesday Preview

© Getty ImagesNo. 2 seed Guillermo Garcia-Lopez faces fellow Spaniard Marcel Granollers in second-round action Wednesday.

The second round of the Grand Prix Hassan II kicks off on Wednesday with four quarter-final berths up for grabs. The marquee match of the day is an all-Spanish duel between No. 2 seed Guillermo Garcia-Lopez and Marcel Granollers. Garcia-Lopez, who rose to a new career-high ranking of No. 40 this week, will be fresh after a first-round bye; but he is still seeking his first match win here, having lost first-round matches in both his previous appearances (2006 and ‘08).

The next-highest seed in action is No. 4 Lukasz Kubot, who is also playing his first match after a first-round bye. The Polish native, also playing on a career-high (No. 42), is in the main draw here for the first time, having fallen in the qualifying in 2007 and ‘09. He has a first-time meeting against former Top 10 Frenchman Arnaud Clement on Court 2.

Leading off the schedule is Italian Potito Starace, who is 2-0 against Oscar Hernandez. The Spaniard upset No. 5 seed and ’07 champion Paul-Henri Mathieu in the first round. In the third match, No. 8 seed and last year’s runner-up Florent Serra faces fellow Frenchman Stephane Robert for the first time.

WEDNESDAY SECOND ROUND HEAD-TO-HEADS – In Order of Play

Court Central

Potito Starace (ITA) vs Oscar Hernandez (ESP) Starace Leads 2-0
09 Acapulco (Mexico) Clay R32 Potito Starace 6-4 6-2
09 Casablanca (Morocco) Clay R32 Potito Starace 4-6 6-3 6-3
Other Meetings:
03 San Marino CH (San Marino) Clay R32 Oscar Hernandez 7-5 3-6 6-3
07 Napoli CH (Italy) Clay SF Potito Starace 7-6(2) 6-2
09 Napoli-2 CH (Italy) Clay SF Potito Starace 6-2 6-1

Starace FastFacts:
2010 Highlights:
QF: Sydney (l Gasquet)
YTD W-L: 5-9
YTD Titles: 0
Career Titles: 0
Date of Birth: July 14, 1981
South African Airways 2010 ATP Ranking: 73

Hernandez FastFacts:
2010 Highlights:
YTD W-L: 1-8
YTD Titles: 0
Career Titles: 0
Date of Birth: April 10, 1978
South African Airways 2010 ATP Ranking: 84

Marcel Granollers (ESP) vs (2) Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (ESP) First ATP Meeting
Other Meeting:
03 Spain F13 (Alicante) Clay R16 Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 7-5 6-4

Granollers FastFacts:
2010 Highlights:
QF: Santiago (l Gonzalez)
YTD W-L: 7-5
YTD Titles: 0
Career Titles: 1
Date of Birth: April 12, 1986
South African Airways 2010 ATP Ranking: 87

Garcia-Lopez FastFacts:
2010 Highlights:
YTD W-L: 4-7
YTD Titles: 0
Career Titles: 1
Date of Birth: June 4, 1983
South African Airways 2010 ATP Ranking: 40

(8) Florent Serra (FRA) vs Stephane Robert (FRA)  First Meeting

Serra FastFacts:
2010 Highlights:
YTD W-L: 8-8
YTD Titles: 0
Career Titles: 2
Date of Birth: February 28, 1981
South African Airways 2010 ATP Ranking: 57

Robert FastFacts:
2010 Highlights:
F: Johannesburg (l Lopez)
YTD W-L: 8-4
YTD Titles: 0
Career Titles: 0
Date of Birth: May 17, 1980
South African Airways 2010 ATP Ranking: 65

Court 2

(4) Lukasz Kubot (POL) vs Arnaud Clement (FRA) First Meeting
  
Kubot FastFacts:
2010 Highlights:
F: Costa do Sauipe (l Ferrero); QF: Doha (l Troicki)
YTD W-L: 11-8
YTD Titles: 0
Career Titles: 0
Date of Birth: May 16, 1982
South African Airways 2010 ATP Ranking: 42

Clement FastFacts:
2010 Highlights:
F: Auckland (l Isner)
YTD W-L: 6-9
YTD Titles: 0
Career Titles: 4
Date of Birth: December 17, 1977
South African Airways 2010 ATP Ranking: 80