A tough opening matchup on Monday in Stockholm will pit Marcos Baghdatis against Kevin Anderson. Meanwhile, an all-lefty showdown in the first round features Adrian Mannarino and Donald Young.
(8) Marcos Baghdatis vs. Kevin Anderson
Baghdatis and Anderson will be squaring off for the third time in their careers when they clash in round one of the If Stockholm Open on Monday. They split their two previous encounters; Anderson won 6-2, 7-6(5) on the indoor hard courts of Vienna in 2011 before Baghdatis rolled 6-2, 6-2, 6-2 two years later at the U.S. Open. This season has been a tough one for Anderson, who dealt with arm trouble in the early stages and has been slow to get on track. The 40th-ranked South African is just 15-19 for the year and he went 3-3 on the Asian swing, coming off a second-round showing at the Shanghai Masters (beat Zhe Li, lost to Gael Monfils).
Having skipped Shanghai, Baghdatis should be well-rested heading into Stockholm. The 31-year-old Cypriot is a decent 25-20 for his 2016 campaign and a ranking of 36th in the world has him in contention for a 2017 Australian Open seed. Baghdatis reached the fourth round of the U.S. Open and is coming off consecutive second-round performances in Chengdu and Tokyo. Although a slight edge in current form goes to Baghdatis, Anderson’s big serve may be the deciding factor on a fast indoor surface.
Pick: Anderson in 3
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Donald Young vs. Adrian Mannarino
Mannarino and Young will be going head-to-head for the second time in their careers at the ATP main-draw level and for the third time overall on Monday. Young prevailed 6-3, 7-6(9) last season on the indoor hard courts of Memphis after Mannarino had scored a 6-4, 7-6(6) victory in 2009 Cincinnati qualifying. Mannarino failed to get out Shanghai qualifying last week, as he fell right away to Vasek Pospisil via a 7-6(0), 6-7(3), 6-3 decision. Still, the 59th-ranked Frenchman is a decent 25-25 on the ATP Tour this year and turned in a recent second-round performance in Beijing as a qualifier.
Like many Americans, Young generally does his best work in the United States. After Wimbledon, the world No. 82 did not suffer a single first-round exit in six tournaments held in his home country. That stretch included a semifinal run in Newport and a quarterfinal finish in Atlanta. Young’s fall swing has included only an appearance in Tokyo, where he lost in qualifying but got a lucky-loser spot before falling to Kei Nishikori 4-6, 6-2, 6-2. Mannarino should be able to extend Young’s woes across the pond, but it won’t be easy.
Pick: Mannarino in 3
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Baggy and Manna.