American seeds Jack Sock and John Isner will continue their Stockholm campaigns during quarterfinal action on Friday. Sock is facing qualifier Ernests Gulbis, while Isner runs into compatriot Tennys Sandgren.
(4) Jack Sock vs. (Q) Ernests Gulbis
Few players in the recent history of the ATP Tour have fluctuated more wildly with their form than Gulbis. When the Latvian is clicking, he is without question a top-10 or perhaps even top-five talent. When he is struggling, losses to opponents outside the top 500 are possible or even likely. It is one of those good weeks at the Intrum Stockholm Open for Gulbis, who has suddenly caught fire again with four straight-set victories–two in qualifying and then in the main draw over Mikael Ymer and Denis Shapovalov. This is the first productive week for the world No. 145 since Wimbledon, where he reached the fourth round as a qualifier.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXajSml7jdQ
Up next for the former 10th-ranked player in the world is a somewhat similar story in Sock, who also peaked in the top 10 (last fall) but is prone to being an absolute disaster–which has been the case throughout this season. The 26-year-old American is sporting a nightmarish 7-18 record that his him down at No. 162 in the 2018 race. Following a first-round bye, Sock at least managed to scrape past Swedish wild card Elias Ymer 7-5, 3-6, 6-3 on Wednesday. Based on current form, Gulbis has to be considered the favorite in this one despite being ranked 127 spots below Sock.
Pick: Gulbis in 2
[polldaddy poll=10139569]
(1) John Isner vs. Tennys Sandgren
It has been an atypical fall for Isner, who became a father for the first time last month and therefore skipped the recent Asian swing. But it was a typical match for him on Thursday, when he played three tiebreak sets without a single break of serve against fellow American Bradley Klahn. The world No. 10 survived 7-6(2), 6-7(5), 7-6(5) after two hours and 23 minutes in what was first outing since making a run to the U.S. Open quarterfinals.
Up next for Isner on Friday night is first-ever showdown against Sandgren. The 62nd-ranked American caught fire early in 2018 with a quarterfinal performance at the Australian Open, but he has fallen back to Earth and is just 16-19 for his 2018 campaign. Sandgren is through to the last eight in Stockholm thanks to a 6-4, 6-4 upset of Lucas Pouille and a less spectacular 7-6(4), 3-6, 6-3 defeat of qualifier Oscar Otte. If Isner serves like he did against Klahn (74 percent, 31 aces, one double-fault), the world No. 62 will be up against the wall in this one.
Pick: Isner in 2
[polldaddy poll=10141014]
WWW?
Gulbis and Isner in three
Isner in two more likely.
Gulbis and Isner in 2.
isner is such a bum. He had 40:0 break points to end second set at 5:5 and wound up losing