An all-American showdown is set for Friday in Atlanta, where good friends John Isner and James Blake will face each other. Ivan Dodig and Lleyton Hewitt are also bidding for a spot in the semifinals.
(1) John Isner vs. James Blake
Blake and Isner will be going head-to-head for the third time in their careers and for the second time at this event when they collide in the quarterfinals of the BB&T Atlanta Open on Friday. Isner has won both of their previous encounters; 7-6(8), 6-7(3), 7-5 in the 2011 Atlanta second round and 7-6(0), 1-6, 7-6(4) two weeks later in Washington, D.C. The top-seeded American won another thriller in his opener on Thursday night, holding off Christian Harrison 7-6(9), 4-6, 7-5. Isner, whose 2013 campaign has been hampered by knee issues, is a mediocre 20-16 for the season.
It has already been a productive week for Blake, who is through to his first ATP quarterfinal of the year thanks to victories over Tim Smyczek (in a third-set tiebreaker) and Evgeny Donskoy. The 91st-ranked American had won only one of his previous six ATP-level main-draw matches prior to his arrival in Atlanta, but he is always at his best on U.S. hard courts. So, too, is Isner–which should make for a competitive, high-quality match. Blake continues to be hit or miss on any given day, whereas you know Isner will at least bring massive serves and consistent holds to the table. The world No. 22 should win just enough free points to survive.
Pick: Isner in 3
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(3) Ivan Dodig vs. (7) Lleyton Hewitt
Dodig and Hewitt will be squaring off for the second time of their careers on Friday afternoon. Their only previous meeting came last fall on the indoor hard courts of Valencia, where Dodig prevailed 6-1, 3-6, 6-2. A slightly slower court in hotter conditions should help Hewitt, who thrives when he can grind opponents down from the baseline. So far in Atlanta, the 32-year-old Aussie has dismissed Edouard Roger-Vasselin and Rhyne Williams in a pair of high-quality matches. Hewitt, a runner-up in Newport two weeks ago, is 18-12 for the season.
Following a first-round bye as the No. 3 seed, Dodig scraped past Ricardas Berankis 6-1, 6-7(3), 6-3 on Wednesday. The 36th-ranked Croat is making a run for U.S. Open seeding, and he will have a good chance at accomplishing the feat if he maintains his current form. On grass, Dodig reached the semifinals in Eastbourne and the fourth round at Wimbledon–where he succumbed to David Ferrer in four sets. Dodig will have to serve extremely well so that he can dictate play, otherwise Hewitt will turn this one into a baseline consistency battle in which he will always have an edge.
Pick: Hewitt in 3
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