Atlanta R1 previews and picks: Smyczek vs. Harrison, Ginepri vs. Stakhovsky

Stadium-court action on Tuesday will get underway with an all-American showdown between Tim Smyczek and Ryan Harrison. American veteran Robby Ginepri is also in action, as he takes on Sergiy Stakhovsky.

Tim Smyczek vs. (WC) Ryan Harrison

Smyczek and Harrison will be going head-to-head for the first time in their careers at the ATP level when the two Americans collide in round one of the BB&T Atlanta Open on Tuesday afternoon. They faced each other on the Futures circuit in 2008 and 2009, with Smyczek taking both encounters on hard courts in the United States. Both players are struggling outside of the top 100 in the rankings and they needed help to get into the main draw this week. Harrison received a wild card and Smyczek snagged a spot as an alternate on the entry list following a flurry of withdrawals.

Harrison has posted impressive results in Atlanta, with two semifinal showings to his credit. Since last summer’s semifinal, however, he has struggled. The world No. 145 is just 4-10 at the ATP level this year. Smyczek has also cooled off since a career-defining moment in the summer of 2013. He reached the third round of the U.S. Open and nearly made it to the second week before succumbing to Marcel Granollers in an emotional five-setter. Smyczek is a mere 2-8 on the ATP Tour this season and has fallen to No. 112 in the world. The edge in this one should go to Harrison based on a superior ability to win free points and most importantly because of his history at this event.

Pick: Harrison in 3

[polldaddy poll=8199139]

(WC) Robby Ginepri vs. Sergiy Stakhovsky

Stakhovsky is in the midst of a decent season that seems to be getting better and better as he heads into the U.S. Open Series. The Ukrainian is coming off a Challenger title last week on the hard courts of Binghamton, which has him up to No. 79 in the world. He also has 18 wins at the ATP level, including two at both Queen’s Club and Wimbledon.

This will be the first-ever encounter between Stakhovsky and Ginepri. The latter is even further along in his career at 31 years old, making him three years Stakhovsky’s senior. Ginepri is a shadow of his former self (he reached the U.S. Open semifinals and peaked at 15th in the world in 2005), toiling down at No. 281 in the rankings. He earned a wild card into the French Open but drew Rafael Nadal in the first round and he is still looking for his first ATP-level victory of the season. Ginepri is playing at home in Atlanta, but Stakhovsky has all the momentum right now in this particular matchup.

Pick: Stakhovsky in 2

[polldaddy poll=8199137]