Top-three seeds Juan Martin Del Potro and Kevin Anderson will continue their campaigns at the rain-marred Queen’s Club event on Thursday. Del Potro runs into Feliciano Lopez in the second round, while Anderson meets Gilles Simon.
(3) Juan Martin Del Potro vs. (WC) Feliciano Lopez
Del Potro and Lopez will be facing each other for the ninth time in their careers when they clash in round two of the Fever-Tree Championships on Thursday. After meeting seven straight times on hard courts, this will mark their second consecutive grass encounter. Del Potro improved to 5-3 in the head-to-head series when he cruised 6-4, 6-1, 6-2 last summer at Wimbledon, his third win in a row over Lopez on the heels of losing their previous three contests.
Both veterans may be question marks heading into this showdown. Del Potro slipped on grass–again–during his 7-5, 6-4 win over Denis Shapovalov on Wednesday and appeared to injure his right knee–again. Lopez is embroiled in a match-fixing controversy that has suddenly popped up from out of nowhere, but he managed to beat Marton Fucsovics 6-7(4), 6-3, 6-4 in his opener. Based on current form and past history between the two, Del Potro should take this one comfortably if he is anywhere close to 100 percent.
Pick: Del Potro in 2
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Gilles Simon vs. (2) Kevin Anderson
Anderson and Simon are also familiar foes as they prepare to battle for a quarterfinal spot on Thursday. They have squared off once at this Queen’s Club event, as Anderson got the job done 6-3, 6-7(6), 6-3 during semifinal action in 2015. The eighth-ranked South African now leads the head-to-head series 4-1, having avenged a 2018 final loss in Pune by prevailing 6-3, 7-6(3) in the Pune semis earlier this season.
Although he captured the Pune title, it has been downhill for Anderson ever since. In fact, this week’s No. 2 seed is playing for the first time since the Miami Masters in March due to an elbow injury. In his comeback match on Monday he scraped out a 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-4 victory over Cameron Norrie. Simon also crushed the hopes of the British crowd, overcoming James Ward 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(2). Anderson is understandably showing signs of rust, and the 38th-ranked Frenchman’s defense and consistency may be enough to exploit any serving issues.
Pick: Simon in 3
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WYG?
Anderson in three and Del Po in two
I don’t feel great about Simon…. But who knows. Anything could happen in that one.
changing to Lopez. Delpo is hurt. (will probably withdraw)
Sadly Delpo has withdrawn from Queens due to tweaking (hopefully it’s not worse) his knee.
it’s not good. I’d say Wimbledon is out of the question.
Oh no! So sad for Delps!😢😢he is one of my faves.
Just read he has a fractured kneecap and has to have surgery😢he is so unlucky!
So many injuries heading into Wimby , or players recovering from them
told you all Simon would win
Can’t see match preview for Tsitsi. He was quite dubious against Chardy. All the dfs and he comes to the net behind some dodgy approach shots.
Tsitsipas was not helping himself when he’s expending so much energy unnecessarily.
He obviously could’ve served better to finish the match earlier, judging from how he could serve at 5-6 in the third set (a love game) to force a TB which he won. Instead, he DF so often, mishit so many shots with his racket frame and allowed Chardy back in the third set.
If he continues to play like this, how’s he going to stop the big three from dominating at the slams?? Just stops the arrogance and concentrates on how to improve and play a more energy efficient game!
His next opponent is FAA, will be a tough one for Tsitsipas; FAA is 3-0 vs Tsitsipas, I won’t be surprised that it’ll be 4-0 after their QF here.
FAA is a calm and calculating player, very smart, just concentrates on the job with no need for any flamboyance or diving unnecessarily. He plays to win, not necessarily has to play beautiful or elegant style to win. I really feel that FAA is like another Djoko in the making. He may be a better player with bigger achievements than Tsitsipas and Shapo. The three of them may be the Fed, Nadal and Djoko of the young generation, with Sasha like a Delpo in the mix, hopefully not as injury prone as Delpo.