Both Roberto Bautista Agut and Viktor Troicki will be aiming for their second titles of the season when they face each other in the Sofia championship match on Saturday. In Quito, meanwhile, Victor Estrella Burgos is looking to lift his second straight winner’s trophy.
Sofia Open: (1) Roberto Bautista Agut vs. (2) Viktor Troicki
Somewhat surprisingly, Bautista Agut and Troicki will be going head-to-head for the first time in their careers when they battle for the inaugural Sofia title on Sunday. Their first-ever showdown is likely coming at just the right time if fans are interested in seeing a high-quality affair. Perhaps nobody other than Novak Djokovic is in better form than these two players at the moment.
Bautista Agut triumphed in Auckland and reached the fourth round of the Australian Open. So far this week the 18th-ranked Spaniard has contested only two matches, as he got a bye and a walkover from Filip Krajinovic before beating Adrian Mannarino and Gilles Muller in straight sets. He is an awesome 11-2 for the season, while Troicki comes in at 10-2. The 25th-ranked Serb, a champion in Sydney, punched his ticket to championship Sunday by taking out Daniel Brands, Philipp Kohlschreiber, and Martin Klizan–the latter 7-5 in the third set. Both veterans wield impressive two-handed backhands, while Bautista Agut has a slight edge in the forehand department. The top seed is generally tougher mentally, as well, and he has enjoyed an easier path through the draw.
Pick: Bautista Agut in 3
[polldaddy poll=9301388]
Ecuador Open: (3) Thomaz Bellucci vs. (5) Victor Estrella Burgos
Bellucci and Estrella Burgos will be squaring off for the second time in the careers at the ATP level and for the second straight year at this same Quito event when they collide again on Sunday. In the 2015 semifinals, Estrella Burgos prevailed 7-6(5), 7-5 and eventually captured his first career ATP title.
At 35th in the world and on the brink of Grand Slam seeding, Bellucci earned the No. 3 seed in Quito–and with it a first-round bye. The Brazilian followed it up by cruising past Albert Montanes 6-2, 6-4 before beating Pablo Carreno Busta and Paolo Lorenzi in three sets. Estrella Burgos’ title defense includes defeats of Guido Pella, Andrej Martin, Renzo Olivo, and Albert Ramos-Vinolas. On paper, this is a considerable step up in competition for the 58th-ranked Dominican Republic native. Bellucci is a four-time ATP title winner–all on outdoor clay–and may be in line for another.
Pick: Bellucci in 3
[polldaddy poll=9301389]
better late than never
who ya got?
What you took a day off? 🙂
Gilles Troicki in three…
AHHHH HAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Gasquet in 3. PHM looks scary at 34.
Bellucci in 3. Not at all sure about it.
Agut wins a tough 3 setter. 7-5 4-6 7-6
Gaquest has first break. 6-5 and he will serve for the set. Like all the best players, he has the ability to raise his game at the sharp end of the set. Fear he’s just dashed PHM hopes.
Mathieu was up 5-3 in the first.
Agut will have his hands full today. Won’t be straight sets. Agut wins a battle of early 2016 in form trophy holders 7-5 4-6 7-6
epic
My mistake, it was not first break. They had traded breaks earlier in the set.
I knew I should’ve switched my pick to RBA. In fact what I should’ve done is changed my pick in Sofia but kept Bellucci in Quito. I just thought eh I’m switching my pick in Quito so mine as well keep it in Sofia.
I’m just going to put my bad picking last week in the past and move on 😀 fail again, fail better…
i’m in good form this week!
learn from the best!
Lol
Estrella with the W. At least I got that one. That’s pretty great timing for Burgos to get back into form considering how bad of a start he had this year and how he was defending lots of points here.
B2B for VEB