Newport R1 previews and picks: Hewitt vs. Harrison, Isner vs. Odesnik

Seeds Lleyton Hewitt and John Isner will kick off their Newport campaigns on Tuesday. Hewitt is going up against Ryan Harrison, while Isner is facing fellow American Wayne Odesnik.

(3) Lleyton Hewitt vs. Ryan Harrison

Hewitt and Harrison will be going head-to-head for the second time in their careers when they do battle in round one of the U.S. Hall of Fame Tennis Championships on Tuesday. Their only previous encounter came last summer on the hard courts of Washington, D.C., where Harrison prevailed 6-3, 7-5. Hewitt, though, is far more experienced than his opponent on grass. The 33-year-old Australian even won Wimbledon in 2002. Hewitt is no longer on top of his game, but he at least owns 12 ATP-level wins this year and a title in Brisbane.

Harrison is struggling all the way down at No. 44 in the world despite seemingly approaching his prime at 22 years old. The American is just 4-9 at the ATP level in 2014 and he is coming off another bad Grand Slam draw, which resulted in a first-round Wimbledon loss to eventual semifinalist Grigor Dimitrov. Harrison has carried himself well on grass at times in the past, but he will likely get a free lesson on the surface from Hewitt.

Pick: Hewitt in 2

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(1) John Isner vs. (Q) Wayne Odesnik

Since losing in the opening round of his first two appearances in Newport, Isner has turned things around in a major way. The 6’10” American is now a two-time champion and has won 13 of his last 14 matches at this event. He captured the title in 2011 and 2012 before falling to Hewitt in last year’s semifinals. Isner is coming off his first-ever third-round appearance at Wimbledon, where he succumbed to a red-hot Feliciano Lopez in four competitive sets.

Up first for Isner on Tuesday is a sixth career meeting with Odesnik (fourth at the ATP main-draw level). Isner leads the head-to-head series 3-2 (2-1 in main draws), but they have never squared off on grass. It has already been a productive week for Odesnik, who qualified thanks to victories over Kevin King and John-Patrick Smith. The 28-year-old American is down at No. 216 in the world and clay is his best surface, so there is little reason to think he can seriously trouble Isner even in a match that is likely to feature few service breaks.

Pick: Isner in 2

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