Acapulco R2 previews and predictions: Tsitsipas vs. Isner, Tiafoe vs. Musetti

A blockbuster second-round matchup in Acapulco pits No. 1 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas against unseeded John Isner on Wednesday. Frances Tiafoe and Lorenzo Musetti are also aiming for a spot in the quarterfinals.

(1) Stefanos Tsitsipas vs. John Isner

Tsitsipas and Isner will be squaring off for the fifth time in their careers when they clash in round two of the Abierto Mexicano Telcel on Wednesday night. They have split their four previous meetings at two wins apiece and seven of their nine total sets have required tiebreakers. Even by Isner standards, that is a lot of ‘breakers.

Another competitive contest can be expected in Acapulco. Tsitsipas is a clear favorite on paper, but Isner’s relatively low ranking of No. 27 has more to do with inactivity than poor play. Moreover, conditions at this event are perfect for the 6’10” American–who thrashed Salvatore Caruso 6-4, 6-3 while firing 17 aces without facing a break point. Tsitsipas, who basically got a bye against Benoit Paire, is coming off a loss to Pierre-Hugues Herbert on the indoor hard courts of Marseille. This is a good opportunity for Isner to pull off an upset.

Pick: Isner in 3

(Q) Lorenzo Musetti vs. Frances Tiafoe

Musetti may be in the early stages of his career at 19 years old, but Tiafoe is already a familiar foe. They faced each other twice in clay-court Challenger events this past fall and split those two meetings. Musetti prevailed 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 in Forli before Tiafoe exacted revenge via a 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 decision in Parma.

Both guys have familiarized themselves with three-setters in Acapulco. After qualifying for the main draw, Musetti earned his first-ever top-10 win by beating Diego Schwartzman 6-3, 2-6, 6-4 in round one. Tiafoe survived an even tougher match on Tuesday night, outlasting fellow American Brandon Nakashima 6-4, 6-7(5), 7-6(5) in two hours and 47 minutes. Musetti has more momentum behind him and should be able to take an advantage of a fatigued opponent who had been playing on clay prior to this week.

Pick: Musetti in 3