Bastad R2 previews and predictions: Ferrer vs. Hemery, Bedene vs. Brown

David Ferrer will kick off his Bastad campaign on Thursday, when he takes the court for second-round action against Calvin Hemery. Dustin Brown and Aljaz Bedene are also part of the schedule.

(1) David Ferrer vs. (Q) Calvin Hemery

Ferrer is in dire need of a big week at the SkiStar Swedish Open, to the extend that nothing short of a title at this 250-point event on clay would qualify as a success. The Spaniard is finally starting to slow down at 34 years old and a modest 23-14 record for this season has him outside the top 10 at 13th in the rankings. Ferrer got blown out by Tomas Berdych in the French Open fourth round and then went 2-3 on grass with a second-round Wimbledon loss to eventual doubles champion Nicolas Mahut.

Up first for the top seed on Thursday is Hemery, whom he has obviously never faced. The 21-year-old Frenchman peaked at No. 199 in the world in 2015 and currently registers at 378th. In his second career ATP-level match on Tuesday, Hemery picked up his first such victory by getting the best of fellow French qualifier Tristan Lamasine 6-4, 4-6, 6-3. Even with Ferrer in a relative slump, the veteran should give a free clay-court lesson to this inexperienced underdog.

Pick: Ferrer in 2

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Dustin Brown vs. (6) Aljaz Bedene

Bedene and Brown will also be going head-to-head for the first time on Thursday. Speaking of firsts, Brown recently won matches in the main draw of back-to-back Grand Slam tournaments–a feat he had never previously accomplished. The 101st-ranked German reached the second round of the French Open as a qualifier before getting a Wimbledon wild card and beating Dusan Lajovic in five sets prior to a five-set setback at the hands of Nick Kyrgios. Brown improved to a respectable 7-6 at the ATP level this year by defeating Daniel Munoz De La Nava 6-2, 7-6(6) during first-round Bastad action on Tuesday.

Bedene booked his spot in the last 16 with a 6-4, 7-6(4) victory over Swedish wild card Isak Arvidsson on Monday. It was a much-needed downsize in competition level, as the 68th-ranked Brit had lost to Novak Djokovic in round three at Roland Garros, to Andy Murray in the Queen’s Club second round, and to Richard Gasquet right off the bat at Wimbledon. Bedene is just 11-15 for his 2016 campaign and has not been back to a quarterfinal since reaching the semis to begin the year in Chennai. A more confident Brown should deliver both the flair and the goods in what will likely be a competitive and entertaining affair.

Pick: Brown in 3

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