Ivo Karlovic is still grinding away on tour and he will get a shot at No. 1 seed Alexander Bublik on Wednesday in Newport. Jack Sock and Yoshihito Nishioka are also aiming for a spot in the quarterfinals.
(1) Alexander Bublik vs. (WC) Ivo Karlovic
Karlovic is 42 years old and ranked outside the top 200 in the world, but he is not hanging up the shoes just yet. The 6’11” Croat can still be dangerous on fast surfaces thanks to his booming serve, and he found the win column in an ATP main draw for just the second time this season on Tuesday. Karlovic battled past Bernabe Zapata Miralles 6-7(5), 6-1, 6-4 in round one of the Hall of Fame Open.
Up next for the former world No. 14 is a first-ever matchup with Bublik, who is the midst of by far his best year on tour. The Kazakh boasts a 24-17 match record that has him up to a career-high ranking of 37th. He is a former finalist in Newport (2019) and has already won five matches on grass this summer. Unless Karlovic serves incredibly well, this will be way too steep of a step up in competition for the veteran.
Pick: Bublik in 2
(3) Yoshihito Nishioka vs. (WC) Jack Sock
Nishioka and Sock will be squaring off for the third time on Wednesday. Their most recent encounter was without question the worst moment of Nishioka’s career, as he suffered a torn ACL at the 2017 Miami Masters. The Japanese left-hander returned a year later and has continued to be a staple of the top 100. Inconsistency has always been a problem for Nishioka and that was on display again at Wimbledon. He upset John Isner in five sets in the first round but then won a grand total of three games against Aljaz Bedene.
Sock knows a thing or two about injuries, as well, which is part of the reason why he is ranked 231st in the world. The American is slowly rounding into form with a hard-court Challenger title last month and his first tour-level victory on Tuesday over Alex Bolt (3-6, 6-4, 6-3). That is a very solid grass-court result for Sock, who has to like his chances against Nishioka on this particular surface.
Pick: Sock in 2
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