Alexandr Dolgopolov and Bernard Tomic will collide in an enticing second-rounder on Thursday in Memphis. Steve Johnson and Dustin Brown are also bidding for a place in the quarterfinals.
Bernard Tomic vs. (4) Alexandr Dolgopolov
Tomic and Dolgopolov will be facing each other for the eighth time in their careers when they clash in round two of the Memphis Open on Thursday. Dolgopolov leads the head-to-head series 5-2, but Tomic has won their last two hard-court meetings. The Aussie prevailed 4-6, 7-6(0), 7-6(6), 2-6, 6-3 at the 2012 Australian Open and 6-4, 6-3 last year in Sydney. Dolgopolov most recently defeated Tomic 6-2, 6-4 two seasons ago on the clay courts of Monte-Carlo.
Current form favors Tomic, and that is putting it mildly. The 22-year-old is back in the top 50 and his 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 scalp of Igor Sijsling on Tuesday was his eighth match victory in 2015. Dolgopolov, on the other hand, is 1-2 this year and 10-14 since huge performances last spring in Indian Wells (semifinals) and Miami (quarterfinals). A knee injury has contributed to the problems besieging the 23rd-ranked Ukrainian, who lost right away at the Aussie Open in straight sets to Paolo Lorenzi. Even if Dolgopolov is close to 100 percent physically, Tomic should have a clear edge.
Pick: Tomic in 2
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(6) Steve Johnson vs. Dustin Brown
It has been a solid week for Americans so far in Memphis and Johnson is no exception. The world No. 42 had no trouble taking care of business against lucky loser Filip Krajokovic, scoring a routine 6-3, 6-3 win. Johnson is now 6-3 for his 2015 campaign, which includes a quarterfinal performance in Auckland and a third-round showing in Melbourne.
Up next for the No. 6 seed on Thursday is Brown, who advanced by beating doubles partner Marinko Matosevic 6-4, 6-4. The 93rd-ranked Jamaican-turned-German is a respectable 3-3 at the ATP level this year with a quarterfinal finish in Doha to his credit. Brown is bouncing back from a tough opening loss in Montpellier, where he squandered multiple match points against eventual finalist Jerzy Janowicz. Johnson should benefit from home-court advantage and his backhand slice will likely work better than usual against an opponent who likes to rush the net.
Pick: Johnson in 2
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