Fellow seeds Fabio Fognini and Pablo Carreno Busta will be aiming for quarterfinal spots in Rio de Janeiro when they return to action on Thursday. Fognini is facing Tennys Sandgren, while Carreno Busta is going up against Buenos Aires runner-up Aljaz Bedene.
(5) Fabio Fognini vs. Tennys Sandgren
Fognini and Sandgren have one thing in common: they are no strangers to causing all kinds of controversy at Grand Slams. But that is just about where the similarities end heading into their first career head-to-head contest in the Rio Open second round on Thursday. Sandgren has seven career ATP-level match victories (four of which came at last month’s Australian Open); Fognini has 290. The 60th-ranked American made even more news off the court than he did by reaching the quarterfinals Down Under, and it remains to be seen how he will follow up his breakout performance. So far this month, Sandgren has lost to Facundo Bagnis in the first round of Buenos Aires and benefited from a Rio retirement by Roberto Carballes Baena on Monday.
Fognini’s opener also went to three sets–just barely. The 21st-ranked Argentine trailed Thomaz Bellucci by a set and 4-0 in the second before storming back for a 6-7(5), 7-5, 6-2 victory. He is now 8-3 this season, with a semifinal showing in Sydney, a fourth-round performance at the Aussie Open, and Davis Cup heroics in both singles and doubles against Japan. On this surface especially, Fognini should be way too tough for Sandgren.
Pick: Fognini in 2
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Aljaz Bedene vs. (3) Pablo Carreno Busta
Carreno Busta and Bedene will be going head-to-head for the second time in their careers at the ATP level on Thursday. Their only previous encounter came two years ago at the French Open, where Bedene prevailed 7-6(4), 6-3, 4-6, 5-7, 6-2 during second-round action. The story was a much different one for Carreno Busta last season–including at Roland Garros, where he made a run to the quarterfinals. Now up to No. 11 in the world, the Spaniard also reached the quarters of the U.S. Open and played two matches at the Nitto ATP Finals as an alternate in place of Rafael Nadal. So far this season he is a mediocre 4-4 following a 6-4, 6-1 rout of qualifier Marco Cecchinato on Tuesday in Rio de Janeiro.
Bedene is coming off a long week in Buenos Aires, where he reached his third career ATP final before bowing out at the hands of clay-court master Dominic Thiem. The 43rd-ranked Slovenian has previously been just 1-3 in a trio of tournaments this season, but with momentum suddenly in hand he took care of Andreas Haider-Maurer 7-5, 6-0 on Tuesday. A more rested Carreno Busta should be able to take advantage of Bedene’s recent heavy workload.
Pick: Carreno Busta in 3
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