John Isner is back in the Houston final for a second consecutive season. He will look to go one step further on Sunday when he faces Nicolas Almagro.
Nicolas Almagro and John Isner will be going head-to-head for the third time in their careers when they battle for the title at the U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship on Sunday afternoon. Almagro has won both of their previous encounters in entertaining fashion; 7-6(3), 7-6(5), 6-7(5), 6-3 at Wimbledon in 2011 and 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 3-6, 7-5 one season later in a Davis Cup rubber on the clay courts of Spain.
Almagro underwhelmed during February’s Golden Swing, which is why he is still chasing his first title of the season, but overall he has been in outstanding form. Highlights for the 12th-ranked Spaniard include a quarterfinal finish at the Australian Open and a fourth-round showing in Miami, where he lost to Richard Gasquet in a three-set thriller. Almagro is 17-6 for the year following wins in Houston over Gael Monfils, Paolo Lorenzi, and Rhyne Williams.
Isner had been in the worst slump of his career prior to this week. The 23rd-ranked American missed the Australian Open due to injury and he lost early in Sydney, Memphis, Indian Wells, and Miami in addition to Davis Cup struggles. This week, however, has been a different story. Isner ousted Ryan Harrison, Jack Sock, and Ricardas Berankis before avenging a 2012 Houston final loss to Juan Monaco.
Almagro has won 12 ATP titles, all on clay. All five of his final losses have also come on the slow stuff. This is his first final on U.S. soil. Isner is 5-7 lifetime in ATP finals, including 0-2 on clay.
Based on current form and especially on the surface, Almagro should get the job done. Isner’s serve, though, will single-handedly make this one competitive.
Pick: Almagro in 3
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