John Isner and Tommy Haas will make their 2014 ATP tournament debuts on Wednesday in Auckland. They are going up against Lukas Lacko and Jack Sock, respectively.
(Q) Lukas Lacko vs. (3) John Isner
Isner would like nothing more than to erase the demons of last year’s Australian summer, when a knee injury contributed to an opening loss in Sydney and then sidelined him from the Australian Open. The 6’10” American is now dealing with an ankle injury that forced him out of his third and final Hopman Cup match last week. For now, however, it looks like Isner is healthy enough to suit up for his Wednesday match at the Heineken Open.
A first-ever meeting with Lacko is on tap. Lacko has already won three matches in Auckland, two in qualifying prior to a blowout of Jose Rubin Statham on Tuesday. That being said, the 90th-ranked Slovak has not yet faced anyone ranked higher than No. 288 in the world. Isner, on the other hand, is up at 14th thanks to a strong second half of 2013. A former champion in Auckland, Isner should have too much game for Lacko if the favorite is anywhere close to 100 percent.
Pick: Isner in 2
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(WC) Jack Sock vs. (2) Tommy Haas
Sock and Haas will be going head-to-head for the second time in their careers on Wednesday. They squared off in the second round of last year’s French Open, with Haas prevailing 7-6(3), 6-2, 7-5. That was part of an outstanding 2013 campaign for the 35-year-old German, who compiled a 47-21 record and eventually reached the quarterfinals at Roland Garros.
This is the first tournament of the season for both Haas and Sock, who is 14 years his opponent’s junior. The 100th-ranked American capitalized on his Auckland wild card by scoring an impressive 6-3, 6-4 win over Adrian Mannarino on Tuesday. Sock’s serve and forehand can allow him to stay on the court with almost anyone when they are working, but Haas will likely have too much veteran guile and the No. 2 seed will be eager to get more than one match under his belt prior to Melbourne.
Pick: Haas in 2
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