Novak Djokovic will continue his bid for a first Cincinnati title when he takes the court for quarterfinal action against John Isner on Friday. Andy Murray and Tomas Berdych are also looking for a place in the last four.
(1) Novak Djokovic vs. John Isner
Djokovic and Isner will be facing each other for the fifth time in their careers when they do battle in the quarterfinals of the Western & Southern Open on Friday afternoon. The head-to-head series stands at 3-1 in Djokovic’s favor after the Serb prevailed 7-6(5), 6-2, 7-5 in a Davis Cup rubber this spring. Djokovic has won two of their three hard-court encounters, the only blemish coming in the 2012 Indian Wells semifinals (Isner pulled off a 7-6(7), 3-6, 7-6(5) upset). Their only clay-court encounter came in another Davis Cup clash in 2010, when Djokovic survived at home in Serbia 7-5, 3-6, 6-3, 6-7(6), 6-4.
Isner is a huge underdog on paper, but this is his favorite time of year. A disappointing 2013 campaign has suddenly become a stellar one courtesy of a semifinal showing in Newport, a title in Atlanta, and a runner-up finish in Washington, D.C. Now Isner finds himself in the last eight of a Masters 1000 event thanks to straight-set scalps of Florian Mayer, Richard Gasquet, and Milos Raonic. Djokovic earned a first-round bye then eased past Juan Monaco and David Goffin. The world No. 1, coming off a semifinal loss to Rafael Nadal in Montreal, is 44-7 for the season. Isner should be able to make this competitive due to his serve and his propensity for outstanding play on American hard courts, but Djokovic’s second-to-none return game will likely be too much in the end.
Pick: Djokovic 6-4, 7-6(5)
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(6) Tomas Berdych vs. (2) Andy Murray
Murray and Berdych will be squaring off for the 10th time in their careers on Friday. Berdych leads the head-to-head series 5-4, but Murray holds a 3-2 edge on hard courts. In fact, the Scot has won three in a row on this surface. They most recently met earlier this season on the clay courts of Madrid, where Berdych prevailed 7-6(3), 6-4. Murray, of course, has added a Wimbledon title to his credit in the meantime. The world No. 2 lost early in Montreal to Ernests Gulbis, but he is back on track this week with blowouts of Mikhail Youzhny and Julien Benneteau.
Berdych has been remarkably consistent in 2013. The sixth-ranked Czech boasts a 39-15 record, which includes quarterfinal performances at the Australian Open and Wimbledon. He also flamed out early at the Rogers Cup, going down to Vasek Pospisil in a third-set tiebreaker. Like Murray, Berdych has been cruising in Cincinnati; rolled over Jarkko Nieminen 6-3, 6-2 then destroyed Tommy Robredo 6-3, 6-0 on Thursday night. This should be a high-quality affair with both men playing well and confidently. A slight advantage may go to Murray because this is one of his favorite events (22-6 lifetime, two titles) and he will be eager to get back in the spotlight heading into New York after being left out of the Nadal-Djokovic party in Montreal.
Pick: Murray in 3
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