Novak Djokovic will begin another quest for an elusive Cincinnati title when opens against Gilles Simon on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Ernests Gulbis and Ivan Dodig are contesting a first-round match at this event for the second time.
(1) Novak Djokovic vs. Gilles Simon
Djokovic and Simon will be facing each other for the ninth time in their careers when they do battle in round two of the Western & Southern Open on Tuesday night. They have squared off once at this Cincinnati event, with Djokovic taking a 2009 quarterfinal encounter 6-4, 7-5. The Serb has won seven in row against Simon since losing their first-ever meeting on the indoor hard courts of Marseille in 2008. The two players most recently collided this summer at Wimbledon, where Djokovic cruised 6-4, 6-2, 6-4.
Simon is by no means in peak form, but he is playing far better than he did during a brutal few months to begin the year. The 31st-ranked Frenchman reached the last 32 at both Roland Garros and Wimbledon and he kicked off this week with a 6-3, 6-2 rout of Bernard Tomic. Djokovic outlasted Roger Federer to triumph at the All-England Club, but he is looking to bounce back from a surprising 6-2, 6-2 blowout loss to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the Toronto third round. Even at Wimbledon, the world No. 1 was rarely dominant. His consistency will be tested by an opponent like Simon, so this one should be relatively competitive. Djokovic, though, has to be extremely motivated to get back on the right track at the only Masters 1000 event at which he has never bagged the title.
Pick: Djokovic in 2 losing more than 8 games
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Ivan Dodig vs. (9) Ernests Gulbis
Gulbis and Dodig will be squaring off for the third time in their careers on Tuesday. Their most recent meeting came in this very same situation, in the Cincinnati first round three years ago. Dodig prevailed 6-3, 7-6(3) to take a 2-0 lead in the head-to-head series, having previously scored a 7-6(3), 6-4 victory at the 2009 Zagreb tournament. The Croat was inactive between Roland Garros and Toronto due to injury, but he reached the third round last week and also finished runner-up in doubles.
This has been the most consistent year of Gulbis’ mercurial career, but he may be back in rough patch after making a run to the French Open semifinals. The 13th-ranked Latvian is just 2-3 since that event and he is coming off a straight-set loss to Julien Benneteau in the Rogers Cup second round. Gulbis is perhaps lacking confidence again and he has not been good in Cincinnati since reaching the quarterfinals in 2008.
Pick: Dodig in 3
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Well, well. Just when I thought Novak had the match wrapped up, Simon takes the 2nd set. It’s on to the 3rd they go.