John Isner will begin his bid for a fifth Atlanta title when he goes up against Alex de Minaur during second-round action Wednesday. Hyeon Chung and Taylor Fritz are also aiming for a spot in the quarterfinals.
(1) John Isner vs. Alex de Minaur
Unless he is plagued by a Wimbledon hangover, everything is setting up well for Isner as he heads into the BB&T Atlanta Open. The 6’10” American is in fine form with a recent semifinal showing at the All-England Club, he should be well-rested after skipping Newport this year, and Atlanta is without question his favorite tournament. Isner is sporting a 27-4 lifetime record (19-1 in his last 20 matches) with four titles, seven trips to the final in eight appearances, and zero losses prior to the semis.
Up first for the world No. 9 following a bye is de Minaur, whom Isner has never faced. This is the 19-year-old’s first full season on tour and it has been an outstanding one, with a 12-11 record at the ATP level that includes a semifinal run in Brisbane and a runner-up performance in Sydney. De Minaur, who outlasted Hubert Hurkacz 2-6, 7-6(0), 7-6(5) on Monday, is coming off a stellar grass-court swing in which he reached two Challenger finals (one title, one runner-up) and advanced to the last 32 at Wimbledon (lost to Rafael Nadal). The Australian is a dangerous opening opponent for Isner, but the top seed is riding a wave of confidence for plenty of reasons and should be able to take care of business.
Pick: Isner in 2
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Taylor Fritz vs. (3) Hyeon Chung
If not for injuries, Chung would likely be in the serious mix for a berth in the 2018 Nitto ATP Finals. The 22-year-old South Korean has reached at least the quarterfinals in seven of nine tournaments this season, including a stretch of seven in a row until he developed an ankle issue in Madrid. Chung made a semifinal run at the Australian Open and advanced to back-to-back Masters 1000 quarters in Indian Wells and Madrid. The world No. 23 has to hope for more hard-court success in Atlanta, where he is taking the court for the first time since Madrid in mid-May.
Awaiting Chung on Wednesday is a first-ever showdown against Fritz, who punched his ticket to the last 16 by making quick 6-4, 6-4 work of Newport runner-up Ramkumar Ramanathan on Tuesday. The 20-year-old American is in the midst of an up-and-down 2018 campaign, during which he has reached two Challenger finals (one title, one runner-up), the Indian Wells fourth round, and the Houston semis. He also led Alexander Zverev two sets to one in the Wimbledon second round before falling in five. This is a tough comeback match for Chung, who is 0-1 lifetime in Atlanta–while Fritz advanced to the quarterfinals of this tournament in 2016.
Pick: Fritz in 3
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Big dawg in 2; Chung in 3.