Richard Gasquet takes on comeback kid Jurgen Melzer later today in Indian Wells.
Melzer is the tenth seed this week but the Austrian looked down and out at a set and a break down against France's Julien Benneteau. However he produced an extraordinary turnaround, reeling off six straight games from that point before going on to win 1-6, 6-1, 6-4.
Gasquet remains infuriatingly inconsistent as ever and he has rarely produced his best on outdoor hard courts but the Frenchman has got himself back on the verge of a place in the top 20 and he had a good run in Dubai last month, reaching the semi-finals before losing to Roger Federer.
In theory, the conditions at Indian Wells should suit Gasquet the most of all the North American Masters Series events. The balls tend to fly in the dry desert heat, suiting someone like Gasquet with his ability around the net. He had a comfortable 7-5, 6-3 win over Pablo Cuevas in the second round.
Melzer leads 2-0 on the head-to-head but those matches were on clay several years ago.
Prediction: Gasquet to pull off the upset
