Stockholm R2 previews and picks: Berdych vs. Brown, Chardy vs. Sock

Tomas Berdych is set for what should be an entertaining second-round battle against Dustin Brown on Thursday in Stockholm. Jeremy Chardy and Jack Sock are also seeking a spot in the semifinals.

(1) Tomas Berdych vs. (Q) Dustin Brown

Berdych wil kick off his campaign as the No. 1 seed at the If Stockholm Open when he takes the court for second-round action on Thursday. The seventh-ranked Czech is also No. 7 in the race to the World Tour Finals, so he could use a strong result this week to boost his chances. He has posted respectable results so far during the fall swing, with a runner-up finish to Novak Djokovic in Beijing and a quarterfinal performance in Shanghai.

Up first for Berdych is Brown, for whom it has already been a productive week. The Jamaican-turned-German qualified for the main draw then battled past Swedish wild card Christian Lindell 6-4, 7-6(3) on Wednesday. Brown, who owns 13 of his 27 career ATP-level wins this season, employs an aggressive style of play that can work well on a fast indoor hard court. Berdych, however, wields one of the most underrated service returns in tennis and he likes being given a target at which to hit past net-charging opponents.

Pick: Berdych in 2 with no tiebreakers

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(6) Jeremy Chardy vs. Jack Sock

Chardy and Sock will be going head-to-head for the first time in their careers on Thursday. Sock may be somewhat focused on World Tour Finals doubles qualification as the fall swing progresses, but he is also finishing off what has been by far his best-ever singles campaign. The 22-year-old American is up to 51st in the world and he boasts 25 of his 41 career ATP-level match wins this season. He began his week in Stockholm on Wednesday with a 6-1, 4-6, 6-0 victory over Andrey Golubev.

Seeded sixth, Chardy had no trouble advancing to the last 16 as he ousted Swedish wild card Elias Ymer 6-3, 6-4 on Tuesday. The 34th-ranked Frenchman is 29-24 for the year and putting himself in position for 2015 Australian Open seeding. Chardy recently reached the Tokyo quarterfinals, but he lost his Shanghai opener last week to compatriot Richard Gasquet. Look for Chardy to dictate play just enough to pick on Sock’s backhand during the crucial moments of what is sure to be a competitive contest.

Pick: Chardy in 3

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