Fellow Americans John Isner and Jack Sock find themselves in an incredibly soft half of the U.S. Open draw with a chance to do serious damage. They will try to start their campaigns on a positive note against Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Jordan Thompson, respectively, on Monday.
Pierre-Hugues Herbert vs. (10) John Isner
Isner and Herbert will be going head-to-head for the second time in their careers when they clash in round one of the U.S. Open on Monday afternoon. Their only previous meeting also came in a Grand Slam opener–at the 2014 French Open, where Isner prevailed 7-6(5), 7-6(4), 7-5. This time around it is the 6’10” American with home-court advantage, and he has always played his best tennis at home on hard courts. This summer has been no exception, as the 14th-ranked Isner captured a fourth Atlanta title and made a run to the Cincinnati semifinals.
Herbert is one of the best doubles player in the world and his singles ranking (64th) is also nothing to sneeze at, but he is a modest 9-14 at the ATP level in 2017. The Frenchman has played only three hard-court matches this summer, winning two for successful qualification in Montreal before losing to Jack Sock. Isner played the first men’s match on the new Grandstand last summer (outlasted Frances Tiafoe in five sets) and he is now headlining the first men’s match on the temporary Louis Armstrong Stadium. This one should not be as difficult.
Pick: Isner in 3
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(13) Jack Sock vs. Jordan Thompson
Sock and Thompson will also be squaring off for the second time in their careers on Monday. The American will be seeking a measure of revenge for an absolutely disastrous Davis Cup loss during quarterfinal action earlier this season, when Thompson benefited from home-court advantage in Australia and pulled off a 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(4), 6-4 upset. The world No. 73 has since disappeared from the main tour (four wins since early March), but his success at the Challenger level has been consistent.
Not unlike Thompson, Sock has cooled off dramatically since a hotter start to the year. The world No. 16 slumped through the grass-court swing with physical problems and has struggled to get back on track. He has turned in just one productive tournament since reaching the Rome third round in May–a semifinal showing in Washington, D.C. Although Sock has endured plenty of bad luck over the years at Flushing Meadows, he ousted Marin Cilic en route to the second week last summer. He should not have much trouble getting his 2017 campaign off to a solid start.
Pick: Sock in 4
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