Rogers Cup R3 previews and picks: Murray vs. Gulbis, Djokovic vs. Istomin

Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic will continue their Montreal campaigns during third-round action on Thursday. They are set for respective meetings with Ernests Gulbis and Denis Istomin.

Ernests Gulbis vs. (2) Andy Murray

Murray and Gulbis will be squaring off for the sixth time in their careers when they clash in round three of the Rogers Cup on Thursday. All five of their previous encounters have gone Murray’s way. The Scot has defeated Gulbis twice on outdoor hard courts in what what are their two most recent meetings heading into Montreal. Murray won 7-5, 6-3, 7-5 at the 2009 U.S. Open and he survived in a third-set tiebreaker at the 2010 Cincinnati Masters.

Gulbis, though, is finally showing signs of his former self that was on display in 2008 and at times during a wildly inconsistent stretch from 2009 through 2012. The Latvian is 26-12 for his 2013 campaign, which includes a title in Delray Beach. So far this week Gulbis has dismissed Feliciano Lopez and an in-form Fabio Fognini. Murray followed a first-round bye with a 6-4, 7-6(2) scalp of Marcel Granollers. This is the second-ranked Scot’s first tournament since capturing his second Grand Slam title–and first at Wimbledon. Based on Murray’s confidence both in general and against this particular opponent, he should have a considerable edge even when tested by Gulbis’ flashy shot-making.

Pick: Murray in 2

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(1) Novak Djokovic vs. Denis Istomin

Djokovic and Istomin will be going head-to-head for the third time in their careers on Thursday. To say their two previous encounters were lopsided would be a massive understatement. Djokovic dominated 6-1, 6-1, 6-2 at the 2010 Australian Open and 6-0, 6-1 at the 2011 Miami Masters. Djokovic remains a scary proposition for any opponent even though he failed to win either the French Open or Wimbledon. The top-ranked Serb was part of epic matches at both, reaching the semis of the former and the final of the latter.

Istomin has already enjoyed a solid week in Montreal, with victories over Janko Tipsarevic and Filip Peliwo. The 66th-ranked Uzbek had been mediocre this year, but he played well two weeks ago in Atlanta–where he advanced to the quarters before losing to eventual runner-up Kevin Anderson in three sets. Djokovic, who destroyed Florian Mayer 6-1, 6-2 on Monday, is a whole different beast and their past history suggests another routine day at the office could be in store.

Pick: Djokovic 6-3, 6-3

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