Robin Soderling begins his campaign at the Open 13 in Marseille against Nicolas Mahut.
Soderling has enjoyed an incredible start to 2011, winning thirteen of his fourteen matches this year, picking up two titles in the process. He had a rough start to his Rotterdam campaign last week, hitting back from match point down to defeat Philipp Kohlschreiber before going on to defend his title in style.
On a very similar surface in Marseille, Soderling is the favourite again but Mahut has the potential to cause him a few problems tonight.
Most people have heard of Mahut thanks to his record breaking exploits against John Isner at last year's Wimbledon but the Frenchman is a very dangerous opponent on fast surfaces as one of the best serve-volley exponents out there, a rare breed these days. He's back in the top 100 now and recently won a challenger title indoors which helped boost the confidence and the bank balance.
Mahut's huge serving should keep this one competitive and it could well go to three sets. Look for Soderling to pull through in the end though.
