Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic will be aiming for spots in the Beijing semifinals on Friday. They are set for respective showdowns against Americans Jack Sock and John Isner.
Jack Sock vs. (3) Rafael Nadal
Nadal and Sock will be going head-to-head for the second time in their careers and for the second time this season when they battle for a place in the China Open semifinals on Friday. Their only previous encounter came at the French Open, where Nadal advanced to the last eight with a 6-3, 6-1, 5-7, 6-2 victory. The eighth-ranked Spaniard is coming off a win over Sock’s doubles partner, Vasek Pospisil, in the Beijing second round. Nadal ousted the Canadian 7-6(3), 6-4 after beating Di Wu 6-4, 6-4 in his opener.
This hard-court surface obviously gives Sock a much better chance than clay. Perhaps even more importantly, the 23-year-old is quite simply in stellar form as he nears the end of what has been an outstanding season. Ranked 30th in the world, Sock is 27-13 for his 2015 campaign following wins this week over Teymuraz Gabashvili and Andreas Haider-Maurer. The American has not dropped a set and has been broken only once; he did not face a single break point against Haider-Maurer. Sock is more dangerous than Pospisil, for example, because his serve and forehand are slightly bigger and will not give Nadal a target at the net. The underdog will be content to outhit the favorite from the baseline, and that is something he can do right now with Nadal in mediocre form.
Pick: Sock in 3
[polldaddy poll=9115790]
(1) Novak Djokovic vs. (6) John Isner
Djokovic will put an unbelievable 26-0 record in Beijing on the line when he takes the court against Isner. The world No. 1 is looking for his sixth title in as many appearances, having previously triumphed in 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014. His most recent campaign is off to a routine start with straight-set defeats of Simone Bolelli and Ze Zhang (five total games lost). Djokovic is 65-5 for the year with three Grand Slam titles.
The head-to-head series stands at 7-2 in favor of the top seed, who defeated Isner twice in succession earlier this season–6-4, 7-6(5) in Indian Wells and 7-6(3), 6-2 in Miami. Isner’s lone victories came three years earlier in Indian Wells (in a third-set tiebreaker) and at the 2013 Cincinnati Masters (7-5 in the third). An in-form American is coming off a fourth-round performance at the U.S. Open and so far in Beijing he has taken out Dominic Thiem and John Millman. Thursday’s second-rounder actually saw Millman serve for a straight-set win before Isner stormed back. The world No. 13 is obviously one of the most dangerous players in this draw–or any draw–but Djokovic may be the best returner in the game and nowhere is the favorite more invincible than he is at this tournament.
Pick: Djokovic in 2 with 1 tiebreaker
[polldaddy poll=9117183]
Keep calm, stay focused, be confident and fight bravely, Rafa!
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CQzKqjEWsAAr_Hy.png:medium
OOP for Friday:
http://www.protennislive.com/posting/2015/747/op.pdf
I hope Rafa loses. Cmon sock waste him
charming! that kind of language is utterly uncalled for….
amy,
Just try to ignore it. Not the first time this person has posted a tasteless comment.
Lol the poll says big John in 3 for majority in going with Novak in straights with one tiebreak.
Djoker in 2 and Nadal in 3
I am still going with Rafa in 3 sets.
Novak in 2 sets.
I hope it’s a wastage ?
Here’s Rafa!
Well this isn’t good. Rafa double faulted away the break in only his second service game. Sock has come out blasting, as I predicted. He’s really going for his shots and putting a lot of pressure on Rafa.
I also noticed in this last game that Rafa wasn’t getting his first serves in. Not the start that Rafa would have wanted.
This is really frustrating. Rafa had 0-40 on Sock’s serve and wasn’t able to break back. Right now Sock is out hitting Rafa and getting the better court positioning.
What I say New Yorker. Wastageeeeeeeeee lol
J-Sizzle locked in at the moment.
Rafa just double faulted away another break to give Sock the set. He’s really been having trouble with his serve in this match. Sock wins the first set 6-3.
Sock is definitely in the zone right now and Rafa does not have any answers.
Rafa loses the1st set 63. Wake up Rafa!
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CQ2gtYbWcAA1rBu.png
🙁
Horrible stats for Rafa. A whopping 3 winners.
Rafa only had three winners for the set? Serve stats are way down from his last match.
Sock isn’t even playing that well…it’s just Rafa beating himself…TBH I see little determination in Rafa…he seems somewhat indifferent…he isn’t going for his shots, playing short, missing first serves, misfiring all over the place…Rafa is being defensive and just lets in…he is not in this match…wake up Rafa!
Wow that surprised me. Rafa gets the break. Nice job from Nadal.
Holy crap!! That leaping forehand from sock was phenomenal!! Still Rafa digging in up 2-0.
Thank goodness Rafa is waking up now. He gets the early break and is up 2-0. Now he has to hold his serve.