Dominic Thiem will try to keep things rolling in front of the home crowd when he runs into Sam Querrey in the Vienna second round on Thursday. John Isner and Gael Monfils are also aiming for a place in the quarterfinals.
(1) Dominic Thiem vs. Sam Querrey
Thiem and Querrey will be squaring off for the fourth time in their careers when they clash in round two of the Erste Bank Open on Thursday. The head-to-head series stands at 2-1 in favor of Thiem, who most recently prevailed 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(7) on the red clay of Rome last spring. They had previously split a pair of hard-court encounters in Acapulco, where the Austrian cruised 6-2, 6-2 in 2016 before Querrey got the job done 6-1, 7-5 in 2017.
Two more tournaments likely remain for Thiem (the Paris Masters and the Nitto ATP Finals) on what has been a more sensible schedule in 2018. The world No. 7 has done a better job of remaining fresh for the stretch run and although he lost right away in Shanghai to Matthew Ebden, he preceded that result by capturing a title on the indoor hard courts of St. Petersburg. Thiem kicked off his Vienna campaign by treating the home crowd to a 7-5, 7-6(5) defeat of Ruben Bemelmans. Querrey advanced with a 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 victory over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, improving to just 24-21 for the year. The 56th-ranked American remains in lackluster form, and a showdown against Thiem in Austria will likely be too tough of a task.
Pick: Thiem in 2
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(SE) Gael Monfils vs. (4) John Isner
Isner matches are never considered “must-watch” in the eyes of tennis fans, but without question his most entertaining matchup on tour is the one with Monfils. Six of their 10 contests have required final sets and only two have ended in straights, with the Frenchman leading the head-to-head series 6-4. They most recently faced each other earlier this season a the Indian Wells Masters, where Monfils survived a 6-7(5), 7-6(3), 7-5 thriller.
Shockingly, Monfils broke serve late to avoid a decisive tiebreaker in that showdown. So far this fall, few opponents have been able to avoid such a fate against Isner, who opened in Vienna with a predictable 6-7(1), 6-4, 7-6(7) victory over Cameron Norrie during which he saved two match points–including one on Norrie’s serve. The 6’10” American won two third-set tiebreakers last week in Stockholm over Bradley Klahn and Tennys Sandgren before succumbing to Ernests Gulbis in a three-set semifinal. Monfils is wrapping up an injury-plagued season in respectable form, with a recent Challenger title in Kaohsiung, a runner-up performance last week in Antwerp, and a 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 win over Steve Johnson on Wednesday. So much tennis in the last 10 days, however, may not help the world No. 33’s chances in this one–and Isner looks inspired to snag a Nitto ATP Finals spot.
Pick: Isner in 3
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There’s stress for Thiem and Isner trying to make it to the finals. I guess we’ll see who handles it best. So, I’m hoping Querrey wins and Monfils is tired. And I think all Isner matches are “must watch.”
Thiem is a lock
Thiem in two, Monfils in three.
I’m a bit scary of the players that will play the ATP Finals, with Paris in the middle. Cilic yesterday didn’t seem too motivated and lost in straight sets. Thiem plays in front of his crowd but wouldn’t bet my house on him. Too short odds then
Tough matches to pick…but I like Sam in 3 and The Big Dawg in 2.