Doha R2 previews and predictions: Goffin vs. Verdasco, Tsonga vs. Brown

A quarterfinal spot will be at stake when David Goffin and Fernando Verdasco collide on Wednesday in Doha. Entertaining performers Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Dustin Brown are also taking the court for second-round action.

Fernando Verdasco vs. (4) David Goffin

Goffin and Verdasco will be squaring off for the fifth time in their careers when they meet again in round two of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open on Wednesday. The head-to-head series is tied up at two wins apiece, including 1-1 on hard courts. They faced each other once last season and the showdown did not disappoint, as Goffin pulled out a 7-6(2), 2-6, 7-6(1) thriller on the clay courts of Monte-Carlo. That was part of an incredible spring for the 11th-ranked Belgian, who reached back-to-back Masters 1000 semifinals in Indian Wells and Miami before making a run to the French Open quarters. Goffin, a recent runner-up to Rafael Nadal in Abu Dhabi, kicked off his official 2017 campaign with a 7-6(4), 6-2 victory over Robin Haase on Monday.

Verdasco advanced on Monday by taking out qualifier Vasek Pospisil 7-5, 6-0. The 42nd-ranked Spaniard will be unseeded for the upcoming Australian Open even if he wins the Doha title, just as he was in 2016 when he upset Nadal in the first round. Although Verdasco has two wins in four tries against Goffin, this is not an ideal matchup for him. His often erratic play can be exposed by an opponent who is an outstanding defender and a rock-solid baseliner.

Pick: Goffin in 2

[polldaddy poll=9625269]

Dustin Brown vs. (5) Jo-Wilfried Tsonga

Tsonga and Brown will be going head-to-head for the first time in their careers on Wednesday. The 12th-ranked Frenchman battled his way into this intriguing clash by holding off Andrey Kuznetsov 6-1, 4-6, 6-2 on Tuesday. Tsonga has to be hoping for a faster start to the 2017 campaign than the one he turned in this past season, but he heated up down the stretch with quarterfinal performances at the U.S. Open, the Shanghai Masters, and the Paris Masters in addition to a runner-up showing in Vienna.

Brown began his year on Monday, when he defeated Facundo Bagnis 6-1, 6-7(2), 6-4. The 72nd-ranked German did not drop serve a single time (he saved both of the break points he faced) while breaking Bagnis on four occasions. Similarly strong serving against an opponent whose return is less than stellar would help the underdog make this contest competitive. In the end, though, Tsonga will likely be too good for Brown in what will undoubtedly be an entertaining show.

Pick: Tsonga in 3

[polldaddy poll=9625270]