Donald Young will hope to keep his hot streak going when he contests his Acapulco opener against fellow American Ryan Harrison on Tuesday. Bernard Tomic and Adrian Mannarino are also in action.
Donald Young vs. (Q) Ryan Harrison
Young will be back in action two days after finishing runner-up in Delray Beach when he takes the court at the Abierto Mexicano Tecel. The 25-year-old American already boasts 10 match wins this season and he is up to a No. 45 in the world, just seven spots off his career-high ranking. In addition to his Delray performance, Young reached the semifinals in Memphis and the quarters in Auckland.
Up first for Young on Tuesday is an all-American showdown against Harrison. The head-the-head series, including Challengers, stands at 2-2. Harrison held a 2-1 edge with wins in 2010 and 2013, but Young dominated their most recent encounter–and only one at the ATP level–6-0, 6-1 last spring on the clay of Houston. That year was a disaster for Harrison, but he is playing much better in 2015 and has a Challenger title plus back-to-back successful qualifications (Memphis and now Acapulco) to show for his efforts. The world No. 169 may be able to capitalize on an opponent who already started showing signs of fatigue in Sunday’s final against Ivo Karlovic.
Pick: Harrison in 3
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Bernard Tomic vs. Adrian Mannarino
Tomic has pocketed 12 match victories already this season and that total could be even bigger if not for Young. The 42nd-ranked Australian advanced to the quarterfinals in Memphis and the semis in Delray Beach but had his title hopes snuffed out by Young on both occasions. Tomic has played in five tournaments this year and has won multiple matches at all five.
Mannarino, whom Tomic has never faced, is in strong form as well with an 8-5 record for his 2015 campaign. The 38th-ranked Frenchman reached his first ATP final in Auckland and is coming off a semifinal performance in Delray. These two men feature similar playing styles, with plenty of tricky, pace-changing shots and a willingness to play long, sometimes bizarre points. The difference is that Tomic can earn free points much easier thanks to a bigger serve and a propensity to unload on both wings from just about out of nowhere.
Pick: Tomic in 2
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