Queen’s Club R2 previews and predictions: Tomic vs. Verdasco, Isner vs. Muller

Second-round action at Queen’s Club will continue on Thursday, when Fernando Verdasco hopes to build on an upset of Stan Wawrinka by beating Bernard Tomic. John Isner and Gilles Muller are also aiming for a place in the quarterfinals. Michael Sands previews the action.

Bernard Tomic vs. Fernando Verdasco

In a head-to-head matchup that Tomic leads 3-1 going into the AEGON Championships second round, these two will meet for the first time on grass as opposed to the hard courts of there previous encounters. It will give Verdasco a chance to get back on the scoreboard against his opponent after Tomic reeled off a string of victories from 2012 through 2015 (the Spaniard prevailed back in 2009).

Verdasco features a very powerful forehand combined with a respectable first serve, which could potentially pose problems for the Australian–especially on this surface. That being said, Tomic just dismissed Kevin Anderson in straight sets (with three service breaks) on Tuesday, possibly easing any concerns over his  return game.

Pick: Tomic in 3

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(7) John Isner vs. Gilles Muller

The fact that this match is being played on grass at Queen’s Club should make for an especially competitive event, with high demand being placed on both players’ service games. The serving background of each man combined with the quick surface beneath them will force breaks to be few and far between. Neither player was broken in the opening round–a trend that the winner of this match will likely have to continue.

Muller has been in good form over the past few weeks with a run to the ‘s-Hertogenbosch final that saw him beat the likes of Ivo Karlovic and David Ferrer before eventually falling to Nicolas Mahut. The Karlovic matchup may be of particular interest for Muller, seeing as it bears a striking resemblance to the opponent he now faces in Isner. Muller performed spectacularly in that match, cruising through service games and taking both sets in tiebreakers.

One should also note that Muller won nearly 94 percent of his first-serve points against Karlovic, a feat that might be difficult to replicate. Whoever serves better, of course, should win this match–and with Isner on the other side of the net, it may be too much to ask for Muller. Isner may pose little threat with his return game, but his momentum coming off of a big win over Juan Martin Del Potro and a slightly superior serving ability may be the difference.

Pick: Isner in 3

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