Victor Hanescu against Gilles Simon

After defeating Gael Monfils 6-2 6-3, Victor Hanescu is the first Romanian player to reach the final of this tournament. The home crowd has been waiting for 12 to cheer for it's local favorite in the last day of the tournament, and now they have it.

Tomorrow, in Bucharest, from the moment the first serve is being played, Gilles Simon will be an enemy of the state.

But let's take a moment to look at the facts here :

Gilles Simon likes to play on clay. He has shown that this year not just by a 17-10 record this year on this sourface but also in his game. He did not play a single match in a Challanger tournament this year, and that means he is used to playing only at a high level. Not an extraordinary year for the Frenchman but it has not been a bad one.

On the other hand we have Victor Hanescu, the local favorite. And just by saying that he is the first Romanian to reach the final in this tournament is a big advantage for him : the whole arena will cheer for him. His year has been awfull for him, just recovering from an injury, and that's why Hanescu decided to play a lot in Challangers (not exactly top players there, but you can build up your morale). Hanescu reached the Quarter Finals last year at Rolland Garross, so we can say that he likes clay. Hanescu has declared that he enjoys playing at the moment, he feels like he is playing good tennis, and that he is perfectly fit.
Hanescu needs to win this.


I think Hanescu will grab this one, or lose it at the limit. Either way, it will be a good final to watch.