Sam Querrey bounces back from a set down to overcome Kevin Anderson 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 and capture the Tennis Channel Open in Las Vegas on Sunday afternoon. It’s the first ATP title for the fast-rising American.

For a while it looked like little-known Kevin Anderson would just the ranks of shocking 2008 title winners along with Kei Nishikori, Sergiy Stakhovsky, and Steve Darcis. Instead, it was Sam Querrey who emerged as the surprising champion on Sunday in sunny Las Vegas. Querrey prevailed in the all-unseeded matchup with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory that took just over two hours.

As expected, the 6’5’’ Querrey and the 6’7’’ Anderson came out with almost identical game plans—win a lot of free points with booming first serves and work the other player’s backhand during baseline rallies to induce short balls asking to be put away with monster forehands.

Anderson executed that plan to perfection in the early going, and the 6-4 first set was not even as close as the scoreline indicated. The 21-year-old South African served at a stunning 89 percent rate and lost just six points on serve in the entire first set. While Anderson fired three aces and no double-faults in the opening frame, Querrey threw in four doubles. The American managed to save seven of eight break points, but the one break was all Anderson needed.

Querrey looked frustrated with both himself and the fact that his opponent seemed unstoppable in the first set, and that dejected body language continued briefly into the second set. But Querrey recovered from 0-30 to hold serve at 2-2 and from then on Anderson slowly but surely let him off the hook. The former University of Illinois standouts played two loose service games, one in each of the final two sets, and that was enough for Querrey, who did not lose his serve from the middle of the first set until the end.

Anderson’s all-court game faltered along with his serve as the match dragged on and the pressure increased. He also started playing more passively—which is not his game at all—at the beginning of the third set, as if hoping Querrey would melt down and hand him the match. When that did not happen, Anderson began to press and therefore made too many errors. The critical mistake came on a break point in the third set when Anderson completely over-hit a volley that should have been an easy winner. With break in hand, Querrey served out the match in routine fashion.

Thumbs Up: The more-experienced Querrey handled the pressure much better than his opponent

Thumbs Down: Anderson converted just one of 10 break point chances (nonetheless he still had a remarkable tournament)

Power meets power in a surprising Tennis Channel Open final that features two youngsters in Sam Querrey and Kevin Anderson. It is the first ATP final for both players. How will they handle the pressure? If this week is any indication, they’ll handle it flawlessly.

Up-and-coming Sam Querrey will do battle with little-known Kevin Anderson in the final of the Tennis Channel Open on Sunday afternoon. This is Querrey’s third full year on the pro tour and Anderson’s first, so it might come as a surprise to know that Querrey and Anderson, who had not won an ATP level match prior to this week, have actually played each other once before. Querrey prevailed 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 at a Challenger event in Sacramento last October.

If that match was tough for the American, this one should be even tougher judging by the way Anderson has played in Las Vegas. The 21-year-old South African, who left the University of Illinois in 2007 after his junior year, had played—and lost—just two ATP matches in his career prior to this event. But it has all come together over his last four matches. The 6’7’’ Anderson stunned two-time 2008 titlist Michael Llodra in the opening round and then dispatched fellow big-server John Isner 7-6(2), 7-5 to reach his first-ever ATP quarterfinal. There he routed Evgeny Korolev 6-2, 6-0 just one day after the Russian stunned top-seeded Fernando Gonzalez. On Saturday he took out in-form Robby Ginepri, who was in his third-straight semifinal, 7-6(4), 6-4.

Querrey has been just as dominant this week, although unlike Anderson he at least has dropped one set. That came way back in the opening round, where he survived a huge test from Sebastien Grosjean in a two hours and four minute battle, coming through 6-2, 4-6, 7-6(8) after saving one match point at 7-8 in the third-set tiebreaker. His next two contests were far easier. Querrey erased Nicolas Kiefer 6-3, 6-1 in just 58 minutes and then eased past Julien Benneteau 7-5, 6-2 in the quarterfinals. On Saturday he persevered through a tough first set that saw Guillermo Canas serve for the set at 5-4. Querrey, however, saved a set point in that return game and then cruised to a 7-5, 6-2 victory over the Argentine.

The dream week will have to fall short of the ultimate goal for one of these competitors, but it’s hard to say which one. Querrey and Anderson have strikingly similar games. Querrey is just two inches shorter than Anderson at 6’5’’ and he owns one of the biggest serves in tennis, consistently firing more aces than almost anyone other player. Both finalists move very well around the court for big men and can work baseline points perfectly in an effort to set up lethal forehands. One would think Querrey has the edge due to his experience, but with the way 2008 has gone so far (Kei Nishikori, Sergiy Stakhovsky, Steve Darcis), it’s hard to envision anything other than an Anderson win.

Sam Querrey defeats fourth-seeded Guillermo Canas in straight sets at the Tennis Channel Open on Saturday night to gain his first-ever ATP final. It will be a surprising all-unseeded title match when Querrey meets Kevin Anderson.

Sam Querrey survived a tough first set before rolling over No. 4 seed Guillermo Canas 7-5, 6-2 on Saturday night in the semifinals of the Tennis Channel Open. Canas handled Querrey’s big serves better than most, but he was no match for the American’s huge forehands from the baseline.

The first set was a see-saw battle from start to finish. After Querrey held in the opening game, Canas quickly got up 40-0 on his own serve before blowing that game to fall behind 0-2. The Argentine, however, returned the favor twice and found himself serving for the match at 5-4. He had a set point in that game but Querrey erased it and secured the break with a backhand winner at the end of a grueling baseline rally. From then on it was all downhill for Canas, who double-faulted on set point in his next service game to give the opening frame to Querrey.

As usual Canas was content to let his opponent dictate rallies while he sat back and counter-punched. Unlike in his first three victories this week, however, Canas made too many errors from the baseline and did not keep balls deep enough, allowing Querrey to fire away with his forehand. Canas serve also let him down, as he put in just 51 percent of his first deliveries and double-faulted three times. Another one of the doubles came when he was down a break point in the second set, and the donation sent Querrey well on his way to victory.

“I played well tonight and I was hitting my forehand well,” said Querrey. “I just had to be patient and he's a great defensive player and if you're going to come in you have to pick the right ball to come in.”

With the win Querrey advances to his first-ever ATP final, in which he will play unseeded and virtually unknown Kevin Anderson. It probably comes as a surprise to know that Querrey and Anderson, who had not won an ATP level match prior to this week, have actually played each other once before. Querrey prevailed 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 at a Challenger event in Sacramento last October.

Kevin Anderson, virtually unheard of heading into Las Vegas, suddenly finds himself in the final of the Tennis Channel Open after upending Robby Ginepri 7-6(4), 6-4 on Saturday afternoon. He will face either Sam Querrey or Guillermo Canas.

First Roger Federer failed to win the Australian Open, while Jo-Wilfried Tsonga made it all the way to the final. Then qualifier Kei Nishikori won the title in Delray Beach. Then doubles-specialist Michael Llodra took home his second singles trophy of 2008. Then lucky loser Sergiy Stakhovsky won it all in Zagreb at the same time Steve Darcis prevailed in Memphis. Now Kevin Anderson? The unheralded South African is just one victory away from taking the Tennis Channel Open after defeating Robby Ginepri 7-6(4), 6-4 in the semifinals.

While Anderson played well in his three matches to get to the semifinals (not to mention the fact that he also had to come through qualifying just to get into the main draw), he also benefitted from the guys on the other side of the net. In the first round Llodra was tired and visibly hobbled from having played so much tennis recently. John Isner’s serve completely failed him in the second round. Finally, in the quarterfinals Evgeny Korolev never found the same rhythm that he enjoyed the previous day against Fernando Gonzalez and the Russian was also dealing with a foot problem.

On Saturday, however, Anderson played his best match of the tournament and beat Ginepri fair and square. Sure the American played nowhere close to the level he sustained in his three victories this week, but there was not much he could do against the powerful 6’7’’ South African.

After winning almost exclusively with his serve in the previous rounds, Anderson finally put on a stunning display of brilliant all-court tennis. He moved incredibly well for a big man and consistently went toe-to-toe with Ginepri in grueling baseline rallies.

The difference in the first set was simply one mini-break in the tiebreaker, which came at 4-4 when Anderson blasted a down-the-line backhand for a winner. Just as he had in the first set, Anderson got down an early break in the second but he quickly stormed back for two breaks of his own, the last of which finished his opponent when Ginepri served to stay in the match at 4-5.

Thumbs Up: Anderson is doing all this despite having never won a single ATP match before Las Vegas

Thumbs Down: In three straight semifinal appearances, this was Ginepri’s best chance to take home a title, but he let it slip away

Veteran Guillermo Canas will take on up-and-coming Sam Querrey in a blockbuster semifinal showdown set for Saturday’s night session in Las Vegas. Will power beat defense or will Canas be able to handle yet another big server?

It will be the first-ever head-to-head matchup between Guillermo Canas and Sam Querrey when the two players do battle in the semifinals of the Tennis Channel Open. A stark contrast in styles will be on display, so the Las Vegas faithful should have an extremely interesting contest on their hands.

After missing the start of 2008 with a wrist injury, Canas is beginning to regain the form that allowed him to be the spring sensation on last year’s U.S. hard-court tour. The Argentine stunned Roger Federer in consecutive tournaments and reached the final of the Masters Series event in Miami. This week in Las Vegas he impressively took out Thomas Johansson in the opening round before scoring a relatively routine 6-2, 7-5 victory over big-serving Aussie Chris Guccione. Canas took care of another big server, Amer Delic, 6-4, 6-4 in a Friday quarterfinal match.

On Saturday Canas will have to deal with another power player in Querrey. The fast-rising American owns one of the biggest serves in tennis and he consistently blasts more aces than almost anyone on tour. It hasn’t been completely smooth sailing, however, for Querrey this week in Las Vegas. He survived a huge test from Sebastien Grosjean in a two hours and four minute first-round battle, coming through 6-2, 4-6, 7-6(8) after saving one match point at 7-8 in the third-set tiebreaker. His next two contests were far easier. Querrey erased Nicolas Kiefer 6-3, 6-1 in just 58 minutes and then eased past Julien Benneteau 7-6, 6-2 in the quarterfinals.

But in Canas, Querrey will be dealing with a player who can deal with his power in a way that none of the first three opponents could. Canas made just one unforced error in the entire first set against Delic and did not commit another until the fifth game of the second set. Such solid play will no doubt frustrate Querrey and most likely force him into going for winners earlier in points than he would like. This is going to be a close match, but Canas proved last spring that when he gets into a groove, he is almost impossible to beat with anything less than perfect tennis. He is not at that same level in Las Vegas, but he is clearly getting there, and that spells trouble for Querrey.

Little-known Kevin Anderson and a resurgent Robby Ginepri are both enjoying some of the best tennis of their lives right now, so it should be spirited, entertaining clash when they square off in a surprising semifinal at the Tennis Channel Open.

In a semifinal matchup that nobody could have predicted—at least not one half of it—Kevin Anderson will meet Robby Ginepri on Saturday afternoon in Las Vegas. Both players are unseeded, but both are completely on top of their games at the moment, so it should be a high-quality affair.

This is the surging Ginepri’s third-straight semifinal appearance, having reached that stage in both Delray Beach and San Jose. The American pulled off a three-set win over compatriot Mardy Fish to reach the semis in Delray Beach, then got revenge for his semifinal loss there by crushing James Blake the very next week in the quarterfinals of San Jose. Ginepri is a player who lives on confidence and momentum, so it should not be a shock that his hot streak has continued at the Tennis Channel Open. This week he has been near-flawless ever since his first set of the tournament. In the opening round he rallied past Xavier Malisse 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 before upsetting third-seeded Marcos Baghdatis 7-6(2), 6-3. On Friday afternoon he simply destroyed error-prone Ernests Gulbis 6-1, 6-2 in just 53 minutes. If Ginepri wants to make it one step further than he did in his previous two tournaments, he’ll have to dispose of a player he—and almost everyone else—has never seen.

Anderson, who is in his first full year on the pro tour after playing college tennis at Illinois, had played—and lost—just two ATP matches in his career prior to this week. It’s all come together in Las Vegas, however, for the 6’7’’ 21-year-old from South Africa. The former University of Illinois standout surprised Michael Llodra in the opening round and then dispatched fellow big-server John Isner 7-6(2), 7-5 to reach his first-ever ATP quarterfinal. Now he is into his first semifinal after routing Evgeny Korolev 6-2, 6-0 just one day after the Russian stunned top-seeded Fernando Gonzalez.

Anderson boasts a huge serve thanks to his 6’7’’ frame, so he should be able to hang tough in this match even though the more-experienced Ginepri is a clear favorite. Ginepri completely broke down both Baghdatis and Gulbis from the baseline in his last two matches and he should be able to do the same thing to Anderson, who is similar to those two players in that he has tons of power and likes to be the aggressor. He will have to play steady tennis against Ginepri, who has been making a living on getting ball after ball back in play this week. Anderson will be able to keep this one close by holding serve, but it will be hard for him to withstand the pressure of both an ATP semifinal and having to hit so many shots in order to finish off points.

When things go well for Ernests Gulbis, they go really, really well. When the opposite is true, things fall apart. That’s exactly what happened to the Latvian teenager on Friday afternoon, and all Robby Ginepri had to do was put balls in the court to advance to the semifinals of the Tennis Channel Open.

Robby Ginepri reached his third-straight ATP semifinal by destroying Ernests Gulbis 6-1, 6-2 in just 53 minutes on Friday at the Tennis Channel Open in Las Vegas. Pretty much all the American had to do was send balls back over the net and watch his opponent miss, as Gulbis sprayed 32 unforced errors in only 15 games.

It was that way for Gulbis right from the start. He dropped his opening service game of the match to go down 0-2 and the first set was all academic from that point on. As he often does, Gulbis went for winners at inopportune times and from low-percentage spots on the court. Realizing this, Ginepri simply fed as many balls as necessary over the net to force an error from Gulbis.

For Gulbis it must have seemed like a relief to wipe the slate clean after the first set and start anew in the second, but those hopes were dashed right away in his first service game, in which Ginepri recorded yet another break. Gulbis finally—albeit briefly—seemed to turn it on in his return game at 1-2 in the second set, but Ginepri erased the only break point he faced the entire afternoon. From then on, Gulbis fell back into his error-prone lull and allowed Ginepri to race to an easy victory.

It was the second consecutive match in which Ginepri used solid defense and generally error-free tennis to get the best of more aggressive opponents. Just as he broke Baghdatis down from the baseline on Thursday night, he simply made Gulbis hit far too many shots. The Latvian also failed to do anything with his biggest weapon, his serve. He put just 52 percent of his first deliveries in the court and he double-faulted five times to go along with only three aces.

Thumbs Up: Ginepri moves comfortably back into the Top 100 with yet another strong week.

Thumbs Down: Gulbis never got physically or mentally into this match

Human backboard Guillermo Canas is the only seeded player still alive at the Tennis Channel Open, joining Robby Ginepri as one of two experienced players in the semifinals. They will be joined by up-and-coming Sam Querrey and little-known Kevin Anderson. 

Kevin Anderson d. Evgeny Korolev 6-2, 6-0

First Kei Nishikori. Then Sergiy Stakhovsky. Now Kevin Anderson? Who? Well, the 21-year-old South African still has two wins to go if he wants to duplicate the title-winning feats of Nishikori (Delray Beach) and Stakhovsky (Zagreb), but it’s already a shock that he is into the semifinals of the Tennis Channel Open. One day after defeating fellow former college player John Isner in the second round, the 6’7’’ Anderson destroyed Korolev 6-2, 6-0 in just 53 minutes. Korolev was slightly hobbled by a foot problem, but all credit goes to Anderson, who had never won an ATP match prior to this event. He put his huge first serve in the court 68 percent of the time and blasted eight aces compared with just one double-fault, while saving the only two break points he faced in the match. Korolev just never got going the way he did on Thursday in an upset of top-seeded Fernando Gonzalez, in part because Anderson kept him off balance with powerful groundstrokes.

(4) Guillermo Canas d. Amer Delic 6-4, 6-4

The rock-solid Canas was up to his old tricks on Friday afternoon, much to the chagrin of his opponent. Delic did not have the same luck as the other former University of Illinois player—Anderson—enjoyed on Friday, but Anderson did not have to go up against a ridiculously tough player like Canas. The Argentine made just one unforced error throughout the entire first set and he did not make another until the fifth game of the second set! That’s hard for a power player like Delic, who would much rather hit fewer balls and finish points early, to contend with. It also does not help Delic that Canas is one of the best returners in the game and that was also on full display. Canas won 10 points against Delic’s first serve and 48 percent of the points when Delic had to deliver a second offering. In a sign of how dominant Canas was from the baseline, he lost just 11 total points in his 10 service games despite not owning a serve that can win him a lot of free points.

Sam Querrey d. Julien Benneteau 7-5, 6-2

Benneteau pulled off one of the big surprises of the tournament when he dispatched second-seeded Lleyton Hewitt 6-3, 7-5 in the second round. The Frenchman played awesome tennis both in that match and in his opening-round victory over Jonas Bjorkman, but it was not to be on Friday against Querrey. His only chance to stay in the match was putting almost all of his first serves in, because he managed very little against Querrey anywhere else. Benneteau won just 40 percent of his second-serve points and just 27 percent of the points on Querrey’s serve, including 0-for-2 when he had break chances. Always an aggressive player, the 6’5’’ American especially went for his big shots early in the points on Friday night and it paid off. Benneteau simply provided no resistance against Querrey’s power and did not keep balls deep enough in the court to prevent his opponent from completely dictating rallies.

Robby Ginepri vs. Ernests Gulbis headlines quarterfinal action at the Tennis Channel Open, as some big-name players have already faltered elsewhere in the draw. Despite the absence of seeds 1 and 2, the presence of Americans Sam Querrey and Amer Delic as well as the entertaining Guillermo Canas makes for a strong slate of matches.       

Evgeny Korolev vs. Kevin Anderson

Korolev, a 2007 semifinalist in Las Vegas, is fresh off a 6-3, 7-6(4) upset of No. 1 seed Fernando Gonzalez. That came three days after his first-round victory over Sergio Roitman 6-4, 4-6, 6-3. He will face little-know Kevin Anderson, who is in his first full year on the pro tour after playing college tennis at Illinois. The 6’7’’ Anderson surprised Michael Llodra in the first round and then dispatched fellow big-server John Isner 7-6(2), 7-5 to reach his first-ever ATP quarterfinal. In fact, those were the first two ATP matches he has ever won. The South African will be tough to break, but Korolev has a distinct advantage from the back of the court and should handle the quarterfinal pressure better due to more experience, even though he is younger than Anderson.

(4) Guillermo Canas vs. Amer Delic

After missing the start of 2008 with a wrist injury, Canas is beginning to regain the form that allowed him to be the spring sensation on last year’s U.S. hard-court tour. The Argentine stunned Roger Federer in consecutive tournaments and reached the final of the Masters Series event in Miami. This week in Las Vegas he impressively took out Thomas Johansson in the opening round before scoring a relatively routine 6-2, 7-5 victory over big-serving Aussie Chris Guccione. Delic, meanwhile, endured a dreadful second half of last season, but he is also beginning to turn things around now. He reached the second round of the Australian Open where he lost to Juan Monaco 8-6 in the fifth, and then won a Challenger event in Dallas. In Vegas he has triumphed over Jurgen Melzer and Potito Starace without dropping a set. Canas, however, is a whole different beast and should have the edge over Delic. He should be able to handle Delic’s big serve with his strong return, and Canas will dominate points that develop into baseline rallies.

Sam Querrey vs. Julien Benneteau

This matchup will feature two players who like to play short points and there most likely won’t be too many breaks of serve on Friday night. Querrey owns one of the biggest serves in tennis and he consistently blasts more aces than almost anyone on tour. The up-and-coming American survived Sebastien Grosjean 6-2, 4-6, 7-6(8) in a two hours and four minute first-round battle and saved one match point at 7-8 in the third-set tiebreaker. His second contest was far easier, as Querrey erased Nicolas Kiefer 6-3, 6-1 in just 58 minutes. Benneteau cruised to straight-set victories in each of his first two contests. The Frenchman got past Jonas Bjorkman in round one before playing some remarkable tennis to shock No. 2 seed Lleyton Hewitt 6-3, 7-5. Querrey defeated Benneteau three times in 2007—all on hard courts—including once at the Tennis Channel Open. Expect the American to improve his match record to 4-0 over Benneteau, but it would not be surprising to see this one go three sets.

Robby Ginepri recovers from a slow start to blow past third-seeded Marcos Baghdatis 7-6(2), 6-3 on Thursday night at the Tennis Channel Open. His surprising victory sets up a quarterfinal showdown with Latvian teenager Ernests Gulbis.

Unseeded Robby Ginepri overwhelmed Marcos Baghdatis 7-6(2), 6-3 in the second round of the Tennis Channel Open on Thursday. The American settled down after dropping the first three games of the match, cruising in near-dominant fashion throughout the rest of the proceedings.

Early on it looked this would be a routine win for Baghdatis, as the No. 3 seed broke his opponent in the second game en route to a quick 3-0 lead. From then on, however, it was all Ginepri. The underdog got a break of his own to help him level the match at 3-3 and both players held serve the rest of the way as the first set progressed to a tiebreaker. That’s when the Cypriot’s form really began to deteriorate, especially on serve and also from the baseline. Ginepri simply remained rock solid off the ground and let Baghdatis make mistakes to take the tiebreaker by an easy 7-2 margin.

In the second set, Baghdatis broke down in almost every way. His serve completely collapsed and his forehand wasn’t much better, especially when he tried to go for too much. He put in just 51 percent of his first serves in the match and double-faulted seven times. As the unforced errors and double faults piled up, Baghdatis lost it mentally and seemed to accept that this would not be his night.

Baghdatis did not just lose the match; Ginepri also won it fair and square. He came up with some incredible stuff off both sides from the baseline and kept way too many balls in play for Baghdatis’ liking. Ginepri worked almost all of the baseline rallies with heavy topspin to his opponent’s forehand and that paid off consistently. As Baghdatis got worse and worse, Ginepri only got better and better. He lost just six points on serve in the entire second set, while taking 15 points with his return.

This is Ginepri’s third-straight quarterfinal appearance (Delray Beach and San Jose) and he’ll be seeking his third consecutive semifinal when he faces Ernests Gulbis on Friday evening. The two players have practiced together several times, but this will be their first-ever head-to-head meeting.

The top two seeds at the Tennis Channel Open both cruised in their opening matches, but suddenly both are gone after round two. Lleyton Hewitt fell in straight sets to Julien Benneteau on Wednesday and top-seeded Fernando Gonzalez lost to talented 19-year-old Evgeny Korolev on Thursday.

There were a few surprising scores in the second round, but arguably none bigger than Julien Benneteau's 6-3, 7-5 win over second-seeded Lleyton Hewitt. This should have been a good matchup for the Aussie, who has always been lethal against net-charging players and already held a 1-0 head-to-head edge over Benneteau. As expected, Hewitt fared OK against the Frenchman's serve, breaking three times, but the real problem was his own serve. He put in just 46 percent of his first offerings and gave Benneteau 16 break chances, of which the underdog converted five. The combination of Hewitt's dismal serving and Benneteau's quickness at the net was way too much for the defending champion to overcome.

One day after Hewitt was dispatched, No. 1 seed Fernando Gonzalez also tumbled out of Las Vegas. Evgeny Korolev was too steady from the baseline for the Argentine and even managed to dictate play against the big hitter with some massive forehands. The Russian squandered a whopping 10 match points in the second set before finally persevering 6-3, 7-6(4).

In another surprise—even though both players were unseeded and just out of college—Kevin Anderson sent John Isner packing thanks to a 7-6(2), 7-5 victory. With Isner standing 6’9’’ and Anderson at 6’7’’, it’s no surprise that there was only one break of serve the entire match; and it came right at the end when Isner served at 5-6 in the second set.

That Sam Querrey dispatched injury-plagued Nicolas Kiefer was no huge surprise, but the fashion in which he did it was unexpected. The up-and-coming American destroyed Kiefer 6-3, 6-1 in just 58 minutes. Querrey served at a dismal 43 percent rate but the rusty German was still no match for him. The wind wreaked havoc on Kiefer's ball-toss and frustrated him throughout the proceedings as he just never got into any rhythm whatsoever.

Also scoring relatively routine victories were Guillermo Canas (6-2, 7-5 over Chris Guccione), Amer Delic (6-3, 3-0 ret. over Potito Starace), and Ernests Gulbis (6-2, 6-1 over Peter Luczak). Canas simply made the big-serving Aussie hit too many shots and Delic took advantage of the fact that Starace had an apparent back problem and doesn't enjoy hard courts in the first place. Canas and Delic will square off for the first time in their careers on Friday. Gulbis again showed that when he plays well, he doesn’t just beat his opponents, he simply eradicates them.

In a matchup of fan favorites that Tennis Channel Open organizers would much rather save for the semifinals or finals, Robby Ginepri will take on third-seeded Marcos Baghdatis during Thursday’s night session. Las Vegas is defined by entertainment, and there will be no shortage of it on the tennis court when these two square off.

It will be the first-ever head-to-head matchup between two crowd-pleasers when Robby Ginepri meets Marcos Baghdatis in the second round of the Tennis Channel Open.

If recent form is any indication, this inaugural Ginepri-Baghdatis clash will be one to remember. The Cypriot has to be favored by odds-makers, but Ginepri has suddenly delivered on his long-lost potential over the past month. He is a momentum player if there ever was one, in that when things are not going well for him it all seems to escalate into a downward spiral, but when he’s hot he is really on fire.

Ginepri is not quite scorching right now, but he is playing at a level that he has not enjoyed in a long, long time. His last two tournaments featured a quarterfinal appearance in Delray Beach and then a huge upset of James Blake in San Jose en route to a semifinal finish. In the first round of this tournament he recovered from a lackluster first set to blow past Xavier Malisse 2-6, 6-3, 6-4.

Baghdatis has been his usual up-and-down self in 2008. The fun-loving 22-year-old already has two first-round exits this season, but he also posted two nice wins at the Aussie Open (over Thomas Johansson and Marat Safin before falling to Lleyton Hewitt in an epic battle) and reached the semifinals in Marseille. He kicked off his Tennis Channel Open campaign with a 7-6(5), 6-1 victory over American Vince Spadea.

This is going to a baseline slugfest right from the start and both players will be content to have it remain that way. Their objectives from the back of the court, however, will be different. Ginepri is going to try to lure Baghdatis into forehand-to-forehand rallies, as that side is the one that breaks down first for the Cypriot whereas it is Ginepri’s strength. Baghdatis could have trouble with Ginepri’s heavy topspin if the balls rise up on his forehand side. The third seed wants to dictate play with backhand-to-backhand exchanges in order to induce short balls that he can flatten out and put away.

Expect both players to catch fire at different points in this match, thus extending into to three sets. Baghdatis, though, has more experience coming through in big matches, so look for him to prevail in a spirited contest.

With most of the seeds, big names, and fan favorites advancing past the first round of the Tennis Channel Open, it sets up a blockbuster second round and beyond for the Las Vegas faithful. Marcos Baghdatis and Robby Ginepri headline the next slate of matches, but almost every matchup looks appealing on paper.

(1) Fernando Gonzalez vs. Evgeny Korolev

The top-seeded Gonzalez looked strong on Tuesday in a 6-2, 7-6(2) win over Dudi Sela, garnering revenge for a Davis Cup setback last September. Korolev, a 2007 semifinalist in Las Vegas, came through a day earlier with a hard-fought 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 over Sergio Roitman. Gonzalez has the edge in this one in terms of talent, recent form, and head-to-head record (although they have only played once before, back at the 2007 Australian Open where the Chilean prevailed in four sets). While Gonzalez is just now coming back from a minor abdominal injury that sidelined him for a month, he won the last tournament he played; a clay-court event in Vina del Mar, Chile. Korolev, however, is a dangerous 20-year-old Russian who can take advantage if Gonzalez loses his rhythm. We all know that Gonzo can either be amazing or horrendous on any given day. Either way, he completely controls the destiny of this contest.

John Isner vs. Kevin Anderson

Isner advanced with a come-from-behind victory over Alejandro Falla on Tuesday. It wasn’t pretty, but the 6’9’’ American deserves credit for fighting back after a 4-6 setback in the first set to take the next two frames 6-3, 6-4. Anderson benefitted from a hobbled Michael Llodra’s fatigue (Llodra has already won two tournaments this season) to upset the No. 6 seed 6-2, 7-6(2). Both competitors were attended to by a trainer in the second set. The Isner-Anderson showdown is a rare occasion where two college graduates are squaring off on the ATP Tour. Both finished up their collegiate careers last May, and not surprisingly their paths crossed at the NCAA Championships in Athens, Georgia. In the individual competition, Anderson lost in the semifinals and Isner was runner-up (both lost to Virginia’s Somdev Devvarman). In team play, Isner’s Georgia Bulldogs clobbered Anderson’s Illinois squad to win the title and Isner defeated Anderson 6-1, 7-6(1) at the No. 1 slot. Isner won’t have a raucous home crowd behind him this time, but he still has the edge.

(8) Nicolas Kiefer vs. Sam Querrey

Querrey just barely escaped a tough first-round matchup with veteran Frenchman Sebastien Grosjean. The big-serving American prevailed 6-2, 4-6, 7-6(8) in two hours and four minutes and saved one match point at 7-8 in the third-set tiebreaker. Kiefer got past German compatriot Benjamin Becker 6-4, 6-3 on Monday. The injury-plagued Kiefer has played just three matches in 2008, whereas Querrey already boasts a fairly solid 8-6 match record this season. This is the first-ever head-to-head meeting between Querrey and Kiefer, who are 10 years apart in age (Querrey is 20, Kiefer is 30). The youngster, one of the most prolific servers in tennis, should be able to control the match with his serve, but Kiefer owns a solid return and likes to take balls early so he should be able to make this one extremely competitive.

Also in action will be Lleyton Hewitt, who destroyed Marat Safin in the opening round. The Australian should be able to keep it up against Julien Benneteau, a routine winner over Jonas Bjorkman. Two other Aussies have also made it safely into the second round. The big-serving Chris Guccione will take on Guillermo Canas while qualifier Peter Luczak faces Ernests Gulbis. The 19-year-old Latvian, a three-set winner over Nicolas Massu, has the edge in raw talent, but Gulbis is like Gonzalez and Safin in that you never really know what you’re going to get.

The Las Vegas crowd at the Tennis Channel Open on Tuesday will be pulling for three Americans to keep up the patriotic momentum kicked off by Sam Querrey and Robby Ginepri with wins yesterday. John Isner, Amer Delic, and Vincent Spadea will all have to be on top of their games if they want to continue the U.S. charge into the second round.

John Isner vs. Alejandro Falla

The 6’9’’ Isner, who made a name for himself last summer in Washington, D.C. with a run to the final that featured five consecutive third-set-tiebreaker wins, is playing relatively well again after a slow start to the season. He lost in the first round of the Australian Open and then missed a month with a foot injury. But Isner bounced back to reach the quarterfinals in San Jose and his recent results could be even better had he not squandered match points in each of his last two losses (both in third-set tiebreakers). He should have the edge in this one—especially on hard courts—over Alejandro Falla, a Colombian ranked 79^th in the world. Falla, coming off a first-round loss to Donald Young last week in Memphis, would much prefer to play the towering American on clay. Don’t count him completely, however, as Isner’s matches always seem to come down to one or two points here and there and if Isner ‘s serve is not on fire, Falla will have a shot.

Amer Delic vs. Jurgen Melzer

Melzer reached the final in Las Vegas last year, falling to Lleyton Hewitt in the title match. The Austrian has not shown recent signs of form that will get him back to that stage of the tournament this time around, with just a 4-6 match record to his credit in 2008. Delic, meanwhile, endured a dreadful second half of last season, but he is beginning to turn things around now. He reached the second round of the Australian Open where he lost to Juan Monaco 8-6 in the fifth, won a Challenger event in Dallas, and beat Donald Young in Delray Beach only to fall at the hands over eventual champion Kei Nishikori in the second round. Melzer holds a 1-0 head-to-head record over Delic, but that came all the way back at the start of 2005. This meeting will simply come down to serving. It is a weapon for both players, who look to play short points by following their serves and short balls into the net. Whoever puts in more of their first offerings should have the advantage in this one.

Vince Spadea vs. (3) Marcos Baghdatis

Of the three Americans taking the court on Day 2, Spadea faces the toughest test in third-seeded Marcos Baghdatis. That’s not to say he doesn’t have a chance. He certainly does, as Baghdatis is a streaky player and you can never be quite certain what you’re going to get from him on a given day. The Cypriot has two first-round exits so far in 2008, but he also posted two nice wins at the Aussie Open and reached the semifinals in Marseille. Spadea is a solid 6-4 this season and that’s not including a runner-up performance at a Challenger event. Baghdatis and Spadea have never squared off on hard courts, but overall the head-to-head matchup is tied 1-1. They play with a similar game, both using hard, flat strokes from the ground while remaining content to slug it out from the baseline. Baghdatis, however, has a slight edge in the groundstroke department and also returns better than his opponent. Spadea will have to serve extremely well if he wants to pull off the upset.

In addition to the Americans, there is plenty more on Day 2 of the Tennis Channel Open to satisfy any tennis fan. Top-seeded Fernando Gonzalez is back in action after a minor abdominal injury and he will take on Dudi Sela, who holds a 1-0 head-to-head over the Chilean. Also taking the court will be Michael Llodra, already a two-time titlist in 2008 (against Kevin Anderson), Memphis semifinalist Jonas Bjorkman (against Julien Benneteau), and the talented but struggling 19-year-old Ernests Gulbis (against Nicolas Massu).