Former Cincinnati runner-up Mardy Fish will kick off his 2013 tournament campaign on Monday against Philipp Kohlschreiber. Nicolas Almagro and Grigor Dimitrov are also in Day 1 action.
Philipp Kohlschreiber vs. Mardy Fish
Kohlschreiber and Fish will be going head-to-head for the second time in their careers when they clash in round one of the Western & Southern Open on Monday. Their only previous encounter came eight years ago in New Haven, where Kohlschreiber prevailed 6-4, 6-4. Fish, of course, is in the midst of another comeback from a mysterious heart ailment that began at the 2012 U.S. Open and sidelined him again this season after Indian Wells. So far, the 31-year-old American has a first-round exit in Atlanta (a high-quality thriller against Michael Russell) and a solid third-round performance in Washington, D.C. (lost to Kevin Anderson).
After a strong early start to the season despite a leg injury, Kohlschreiber has posted only one decent result since mid-June–a runner-up finish on the clay courts of Stuttgart. He has fallen in the first round of four of his past five events, including last week in Montreal to familiar foe Benoit Paire via a 7-6(1), 7-5 decision. Fish is still rusty, but two wins in Washington, D.C. should give him some confidence and Cincinnati may be his favorite tournament on tour. With Kohlschreiber not in top shape, a second-round date with Roger Federer–and a rematch of the 2010 Cincinnati title match–may await Fish.
Pick: Fish in 3
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(13) Nicolas Almagro vs. Grigor Dimitrov
Almagro and Dimitrov will also be squaring off for the second time in their careers on Monday afternoon. They faced each other in the second round of last season’s Australian Open, with Almagro prevailing 4-6, 6-3, 6-7(4), 6-4, 6-0. The Spaniard is in the midst of a stellar 2013 campaign, during which he owns a 32-16 record. Almagro reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, but the rest of his damage has been done on clay and his hard-court form since then has been mediocre at best. He is coming off a disappointing 3-6, 7-6(4), 6-3 first-round Montreal loss to Radek Stepanek.
Dimitrov’s season is highlighted by an upset of Novak Djokovic on the clay courts of Madrid. The 31st-ranked Bulgarian is 26-17 for the year after losing his Rogers Cup opener 6-4, 6-4 to Marcel Granollers. Other recent results, however, include a semifinal finish on the clay courts of Bastad and a quarterfinal showing in Washington, D.C. This should be a great display of one-handed backhands, with a slight edge going to Dimitrov based on both current form and the hard-court surface.
Pick: Dimitrov in 3
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