Former champion Mikhail Youzhny takes on Julien Benneteau tonight in the second round of the St Petersburg Open.
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Youzhny won the St Petersburg title way back in 2004 and he's also made the final twice, at opposite ends of his career. The first time was way back in 2002 and then he earned himself another shot at the title last year, losing to surprise champion Mikhail Kukushkin.
Youzhny made a decent start to his campaign with a 6-3, 7-6(7) win over 2009 winner Sergiy Stakhovsky. It's often hard to predict the results at the end of the season with upsets aplenty as the year draws to a close.
From Benneteau's perspective, the season is ending far too soon. Having spent most of the year struggling with form and injury, he hit back with a vengeance in the summer, reaching the Winston-Salem final and the third round of the US Open. After reaching a couple of challenger finals on the indoor swing, he's back up to 55 in the rankings.
Youzhny leads 3-1 on the head-to-head and the local fans will be desperate to see him go deep this week. Also after Gilles Simon's shock first round exit, the winner of this one has a great chance to make the semis.
Prediction: Youzhny in three.
