It will be a brother vs. brother showdown when Alexander Zverev and Mischa Zverev square off in the Washington, D.C. third round on Thursday. David Goffin and Frances Tiafoe are also aiming for place in the quarterfinals.
(1) Alexander Zverev vs. (15) Mischa Zverev
Rather surprisingly, this will be the first ever tour-level match between Mischa and Alexander Zverev. The brothers played a few times on the Challenger circuit when Sascha (Alexander) was a young teen. Mischa, nine years Sascha’s senior, won both of those encounters. The story will be a bit different in 2018.
The younger Zverev brother has proven himself to be the most promising of the ATP’s Next Gen players. Sascha is ranked No. 3 in the world, behind just Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. He has not had a true breakthrough at a Grand Slam yet, but his results in other tour events suggest that it’s only a matter of time.
Mischa Zverev’s 2018 results have been a mixed bag. The 30 year-old had a rough start to the season; he didn’t advance past the second round until the Monte Carlo Masters in April, but he won the event in Eastbourne in June. It was his first ever tour title. He is currently ranked No. 42 in the world.
Though rankings would suggest an easy win for the younger Zverev brother, the family connection could well make for an interesting match dynamic.
Prediction – Sascha Zverev in 3
(3) David Goffin vs. (13) Frances Tiafoe
American Frances Tiafoe is enjoying his professional breakthrough in 2018. The 20 year-old sits at a career-high 41st in the world, with a tour-level title from Delray Beach and an appearance in the finals of Estoril. Tiafoe had a disappointing straight-set loss to Marcos Baghdatis last week in Atlanta in the second round, but he seems poised to break into the top 30 by the year’s end.
Belgian veteran David Goffin is ranked 11th in the world. His 2018 successes came mostly during the clay court season. Washington marks his first match back since he crashed out of Wimbledon in the first round to Matthew Ebden. He defeated France’s Pierre-Hugues Herbert in the first round.
Though there is a rankings disparity, this is a winnable match for Tiafoe. A Maryland native, he will have the support of the home crowd. Further, Goffin form hasn’t been particularly convincing of late.
Prediction – Tiafoe in 3
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