Watch Jurgen Melzer in action in the Hamburg third round against Italy's Fabio Fognini.
Melzer gained revenge for defeat earlier this year to Spain's Daniel Gimeno-Traver with a 6-3, 5-7, 6-1 victory in round two. The Austrian's singles form has taken a hit recently and he has been struggling to combine success on the doubles court with consistent individual performances.
He won the Stuttgart title last week as his partnership with Philipp Petzschner continues to put the pair near the top of the doubles rankings but they crashed out in the first round this week. It's a result which may prove to be a blessing on disguise as Melzer seeks to concentrate on defending his points from making the Hamburg final last year.
It's a tricky section of the draw for Melzer, fellow left-hander Fernando Verdasco may await in the quarters with Nicolas Almagro a potential semi-final opponent, should he get that far.
However if Melzer can get some confidence and wins under his belt then he should fear no one on this surface. Anyone who witnessed his win over Roger Federer in Monte-Carlo this year would agree that he can be one of the most fluent shot-makers in the game.
Fognini is a tricky opponent, a feisty player with a useful forehand. However Melzer has beaten him once before, winning 5-7, 6-3, 6-2 when they met in Auckland last year.
