Even in a depleted Cincinnati field, Nick Kyrgios and David Ferrer are unseeded. But they have played their way into the third round and have respective dates with Ivo Karlovic and Pablo Carreno Busta on Thursday.
Nick Kyrgios vs. Ivo Karlovic
Kyrgios and Karlovic will be going head-to-head for the fourth time in their careers when they collide in the third round of the Western & Southern Open on Thursday. All three of their previous encounters have gone Kyrgios’ way, but all three–not surprisingly given how easily both players can hold serve–have been competitive. The Aussie prevailed 7-6(4), 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 at the 2015 Australian Open, 7-6(4), 7-6(2) that fall in Kuala Lumpur, and 6-4, 6-7(4), 7-6(2) at this year’s Miami Masters.
It has mostly been downhill for each man since that particularly entertaining showdown in Miami. Karlovic briefly raised his level to reach the ‘s-Hertogenbosch final, but he promptly lost five of his next six matches. So far in Cincinnati the 44th-ranked Croat has taken out Jiri Vesely and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. Although Kyrgios’ balky hip derailed much of his summer, he at least managed to advance two rounds in Montreal and he has done the same this week with straight-set defeats of David Goffin and Alexandr Dolgopolov. The 22-year-old may not be quite 100 percent, but he should not have to move too much against Karlovic and will undoubtedly be energized by the prospect of a likely quarterfinal date with Rafael Nadal.
Pick: Kyrgios in 3
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(11) Pablo Carreno Busta vs. David Ferrer
It will be an all-Spanish affair when Carreno Busta and Ferrer square off for the third time in their careers on Thursday. The head-to-head series stands at one win apiece, with Ferrer getting the job done in four sets at Wimbledon in 2014 before Carreno Busta scored a 6-3, 6-3 semifinal victory earlier this season on the red clay of Estoril.
2017 has been a breakout year for Carreno Busta, and because so many top players are injured he even finds himself in distant but realistic World Tour Finals contention. The world No. 17 reached the French Open quarterfinals before missing the grass-court swing due to injury. He is getting back in gear on hard courts with an impressive win over Karen Khachanov in Montreal and victories in Cincinnati at the expense of Paolo Lorenzi and Mischa Zverev. A somewhat resurgent Ferrer looked close to retirement earlier this season but has begun to show signs of the Ferrer of old. The 35-year-old advanced to round three at Wimbledon, captured the Bastad title, won two matches in Montreal and took a set off Roger Federer, and has ousted Steve Johnson and Janko Tipsarevic in three-setters this week. Ferrer is back in business, but a confident Carreno Busta is a younger and faster version of his countryman right now.
Pick: Carreno Busta in 3
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Easy to be wise after the event, but my gut feeling was Ferrer on reading this at first, honest. CB hasn’t done much lately , Ferrer on a roll.
Now after a game its easy to say i predict Ferrer he is probably in his best form like 2 years ago when he was in big ten.
Second game i predict for Kyrgio he is in bettee form right now.
But now after a brake because of rain he could have some problems especially if 1st set will go into tie break… So mayby 2:1 for Nick.
GOOD Luck!