The Frenchman, who beat Simone Bolelli in a bit of tussle by 7-6(2) 7-6(3)6-3, should present a stiffer test than Kevin Anderson did, but this match is surely still little more than the next, relatively straightforward, rung on the ladder to the business end of the tournament & the tougher questions that will ask of Andy?  The head-to-head stands at 1-0 in Andy's favour, that meeting being in the QF of Rotterdam last year (7-6(2) 4-6 3-0rtd).  I'll be surprised if it's not another straight-sets win for him, four at the outside.

There've been some interesting developments overnight.   Of immediate interest as far as Andy's quarter is concerned is the fact that Melzer (28) has followed "Ugly Mug" Stepanek (13) out of the first-round exit door, having been beaten 1-6 7-6(3) 4-6 6-4 3-6 by one of Gicquel's compatriots, Florent Serra.  In the other quarter of the bottom half of the draw, Rainer Schüttler despatched Sam Querrey (25) by 6-3 2-6 6-4 6-3, while the Croatian qualifier, Ivan Dodig, saw off JCF (23) 2-6 1-6 6-4 6-1 6-1 (  quite a comeback from two sets down!), in Fed's quarter & the Colombian, Santiago Giraldo, did for Tommy Robredo (16) in straight sets, 4, 4 & 2 (winning the Hopman Cup clearly didn't do him all that much good!  ) in NoDjo's quarter.  The highest seed to fall so far, however, is Robin Söderling (8), who was beaten by Marcel Granollers by 7-5 6-2 4-6 4-6 2-6 (another great comeback from the dead!).