Viktor Troicki and Philipp Kohlschreiber will kick off their 2015 grass-court campaigns on Monday in Stuttgart. They are set for intriguing first-rounders against Borna Coric and Alexandr Dolgopolov, respectively.
(8) Viktor Troicki vs. Borna Coric
Troicki and Coric will be going head-to-head for the second time in their careers when they clash in round one of the Mercedes Cup on Monday. Their only previous meeting came earlier this season in a Davis Cup showdown on the indoor hard courts of Serbia, where Troicki capitalized on playing at home to the tune of a 4-6, 1-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-1 comeback victory. Coric is still just 18 years old but has gained additional experience since March. The 46th-ranked Croat won matches in Indian Wells and Miami, reached the Nice semifinals, and advanced two rounds at the French Open.
Troicki’s comeback from a year-long suspension has been impressive dating back to last summer. The Serb has surged back to No. 33 in the world, even securing a seed for the French Open. He is a stellar 19-12 on the season, which includes a title in Sydney as a qualifier. Troicki has never reached an ATP final on grass, but he boasts a strong 10-6 lifetime record at Wimbledon. The surface should help the eighth seed, so look for him to survive another tough test from Coric.
Pick: Troicki in 3
[polldaddy poll=8917041]
Alexandr Dolgopolov vs. (6) Philipp Kohlschreiber
Kohlschreiber and Dolgopolov will be squaring off for the third time in their careers on Monday. They have not faced each other since 2011, when they split a pair of encounters by almost identical scorelines. Kohlschreiber treated his German fans to a 6-3, 7-6(5) victory on the grass courts of Halle before Dolgopolov exacted revenge on the indoor hard courts of Paris via a 6-3, 7-6(6) decision.
Both men are looking to bounce back from disappointing French Open bids. Kohlschreiber lost four consecutive game upon continuation the next day of his second-round match against Pablo Andujar after leading 4-2 in the fifth set. The world No. 28 is a modest 14-13 on the year. Dolgopolov, who has spent much of the past 12 months dealing with injuries, got a tough draw and fell to Nicolas Almagro right away at Roland Garros. The 69th-ranked Ukrainian requires time to set up for his unorthodox groundstrokes, so grass is not the surface on which he would prefer to face Kohlschreiber.
Pick: Kohlschreiber in 3
[polldaddy poll=8917040]
Coric for the upset and Kohlschreiber in 2
It’s raining in Stuttgart (at 13:05 PM local time):
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CG-TGyOUAAAziS3.png
13:05 PM ➡ 01:05 PM
They uncovered the Center Court
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CG-zjoxUYAEUg1p.jpg
Due to rain, the start of today’s first match was delayed for 5.5 hours. Rafa’s doubles match (that was initially scheduled as the last match on the Center Court) was cancelled.
bot bot go away, come again another bot day.
This self-description says it all:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CFiEqaXUMAAPWlI.png
😆
Ironically, you were willing to lie about not CARING what I said.
And yet here you are, caring by reading and responding.
You’re welcome My fan.
Troicki in 3 and Kohl in 3…both should be great contests!
Troicki beat Coric 6-2, 6-0 and Kohl beat Dolgo 6-3, 6-3.
Glad Troicki humbled Coric. I get a sense the kid was getting too big for his boots, headwise. Praise from people like Djokovic didn’t help in this respect. He only has to look at Dimitrov to see what happens to people who believe the propaganda around them.