Originally posted on 01/15/2013:

Lopez looks like a public burial sort of play. Everyone on it. Everyone fading Stepanek off a long match. That obviously was not the way Stepanek would have wanted to win, coming back from 0-2 .. but the lack of match play he had in the build-up to the AO with injuries, that match may have been what he needed to inspire confidence. The problem with Lopez is deciphering his effort level from match to match. He can come out and play with anyone - see the Andy Murray match at the US Open in 2012 or he can come out and bend over and take it.

I think you should step back first and ask yourself if you think Lopez matches up well with Stepanek and focus less on how long the matches went in the 1st round. One long match isn't going to burn these guys out. They do this for a living. I think if the injury for Stepanek was a major problem still, it would have flashed during the Troicki match - but he obviously seemed to get stronger in that match. This is tough to call IMO. I think Stepanek's style is tough, but Lopez' power can help negate that if he's engaged early. For me, these are the types of match to avoid where there are a lot of question marks you're trying to answer instead of being able to find an advantage.