Washington, D.C. R2 previews and predictions: Zverev vs. Fritz, Isner vs. Duckworth

Fellow Americans Taylor Fritz and John Isner will be looking for spots in the Washington, D.C. third round on Wednesday. Fritz has a highly-anticipated matchup with Alexander Zverev on his hands, while Isner is facing James Duckworth.

(7) Alexander Zverev vs. Taylor Fritz

Zverev and Fritz will be going head-to-head for the first time in their professional careers when they clash in round two of the Citi Open on Wednesday afternoon. They previously faced each other during junior action at the 2013 U.S. Open, where Zverev prevailed 6-3, 7-6(2). Fast forward three summers and the 19-year-old German is already up to No. 27 in the world. He is 29-17 for his 2016 campaign, which includes runner-up performances in Nice and Halle.

Although Zverev has been on the scene for considerably longer than Fritz, the 18-year-old American is now making a serious charge. He has soared to 67th in the rankings thanks in part to a final showing in Memphis and a quarterfinal run in Acapulco as a qualifier. Fritz booked his spot in this showdown by beating Dudi Sela 6-4, 6-3 on Monday night. The underdog should be able to make this one competitive because this marks the third of three events on three different surfaces for Zverev, but the No. 7 seed reached the quarters last season in Washington, D.C. and he should be able to find similarly impressive form in time to hold off Fritz.

Pick: Zverev in 3

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(1) John Isner vs. (Q) James Duckworth

Isner will be looking to rebound from what was a disastrous Davis Cup weekend for the United States in Portland, Oregon when he takes the court on Wednesday in Washington, D.C. The 6’10” American helped his quad get off to a 2-0 lead against Croatia by crushing Borna Coric last Friday, but the visitors’ comeback en route to a 3-2 triumph featured a straight-set victory at Isner’s expense for Marin Cilic. Still, Isner is playing decent enough tennis. This week’s No. 1 seed registers at 16th in the world and he advanced to the Wimbledon third round on the heels of a fourth-round performance at Wimbledon.

Up first for Isner is Duckworth, whom he has never faced. The 24-year-old Australian owns just two ATP-level match victories in 2016 and he has plunged to No. 205 in the rankings. He managed to qualify for the main draw at this event and won his opener 7-5, 6-1 over an ice-cold Tim Smyczek on Monday. A significant uptick in competition level should bring a swift end to Duckworth’s stay in Washington.

Pick: Isner in 2

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