Brisbane R2 previews and predictions: Edmund vs. Chung, Donaldson vs. Istomin

Quarterfinal spots will be at stake when second-round action in Brisbane continues on Thursday. A pair of all-unseeded showdowns will see Kyle Edmund go up against Hyeon Chung and Jared Donaldson run into Denis Istomin.

Kyle Edmund vs. Hyeon Chung

Edmund and Chung will be squaring off for the third time in their careers when they clash in round two of the Brisbane International on Thursday afternoon. The head-to-head series is all tied up at one victory apiece, with both previous meetings have come on hard courts; Chung cruised 6-3, 6-2 at the 2015 Burnie Challenge before Edmund dominated 6-3, 6-1 last summer in Washington, D.C.

Chung picked up the pace following a relative summer slump to advance at least one round in each of his last six ATP-level events and he also won the inaugural NextGen ATP Finals in Milan, going 5-0 in the process. The 21-year-old South Korean kicked off his Brisbane campaign by beating a rusty Gilles Muller 6-3, 7-6(1). Edmund picked up an impressive first-round win over Denis Shapovalov via a 6-7(5), 7-5(4), 6-4 decision. The 50th-ranked Brit is slightly more experienced on the main tour and he will likely be able to maintain momentum from his strong performance against Shapovalov.

Pick: Edmund in 3

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Denis Istomin vs. Jared Donaldson

Donaldson and Istomin are also facing each other for the third time in their careers and for the second time at the ATP main-draw level. Istomin won both of their previous encounters last season; 7-6(3), 6-4 in Madrid qualifying and 2-6, 7-5, 7-6(5) in the Chengdu quarterfinals. The 63rd-ranked Uzbek went on to capture the Chengdu title (the second of his career) from just about out of nowhere. In between a stunning Australian Open upset of Novak Djokovic and that result in Chengdu, Istomin endured a significant slump.

The 31-year-old overcame Damir Dzumhur 6-7(4), 6-3, 6-2 in his Brisbane opener, while Donaldson–10 years Istomin’s juniors–thwacked Jordan Thompson 6-2, 6-4. Up to No. 54 in the world, Donaldson won 21 ATP-level matches in 2017 and made an appearance in the NextGen Finals. He struggled down the stretch of his most rigorous year on tour, but the offseason has clearly reenergized him based on the showing against Thompson. Donaldson should be able to avenge his brutally tough loss to Istomin from last fall.

Pick: Donaldson in 2

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