A surprising Memphis semifinal lineup features Kei Nishikori as the only seed. Feliciano Lopez, Denis Istomin, and Marinko Matosevic are also in action.
Denis Istomin vs. Feliciano Lopez
Lopez and Istomin will be going head-to-head for the third time in their careers when they collide in the semifinals of the U.S. National Indoor Tennis Championships on Saturday. Lopez has won both of their previous meetings; 7-6(3), 4-6, 7-6(5) at the 2009 Queen’s Club event and 7-6(7), 7-5 one season later in Barcelona.
Istomin, however, is playing some of the most consistent tennis of his career right now. The 63rd-ranked Uzbek has already reached four ATP quarterfinals this season and he is now through to a semi following straight-set victories in Memphis over John Isner, Lleyton Hewitt, and Michael Russell. Istomin is a stellar 11-4 for his 2013 campaign. Lopez has also not been required to work too hard this week. The 31-year-old Spaniard needed three sets to get past Benjamin Becker in round one, but he got a walkover from Tommy Haas then rolled over Jack Sock 6-4, 6-3 on Friday night. Lopez remains a modest 4-3 for the season.
This is their first-ever encounter on a hard court, which is Istomin’s favorite surface. Lopez also likes the indoor conditions, so this one should feature high-quality tennis. Based on Istomin’s blazing form this week (he has simply been crushing people, albeit Russell to a lesser extent), he has to be considered the favorite.
Pick: Istomin in 3
(5) Kei Nishikori vs. Marinko Matosevic
Nishikori and Matosevic will be going head-to-head for the second time in their careers and for the second time this season on Saturday. Nishikori won their only previous encounter 7-5, 6-2 last month on the hard courts of Brisbane.
Matosevic does not have home-court advantage this time around, but he has to be playing with a ton of confidence. The 53rd-ranked Australian had won only a single match at an ATP tournament in 2013 prior to this week, but it has all come together for him in Memphis. So far he has taken out Go Soeda, Sam Querrey, and Alexandr Dolgopolov. Nishikori is an outstanding 9-2 for the year. The 22nd-ranked Japanese sensation reached the semifinals in Brisbane and the fourth round in Melbourne. He booked his spot in this matchup by defeating Illya Marchenko, Donald Young, and top-seeded Marin Cilic all in straight sets.
Not only is Nishikori a heavy favorite on paper, but he has also spent far less time on the court in Memphis. Matosevic has battled through consecutive three-setters. This could be relatively competitive if the underdog is serving big on the indoor hard court, but Nishikori has a clear edge in just about every facet of the game.
Pick: Nishikori in 2
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