Cincinnati second round
Mikhail Youzhny vs. Andreas Seppi: Sometimes it takes a good break to get going. Youzhny may have gotten it this week with a first-round match against a fatigued Toronto champion in Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. That win combined with the fact that he almost always plays his best tennis on American hard courts should give the Russian some much-needed confidence. Youzhny in 3.
Fernando Verdasco vs. (14) Marin Cilic: Cilic is coming off a near-miss against Roger Federer in Toronto and he crushed Feliciano Lopez on Tuesday. Verdasco managed to get past fellow Spaniard Marcel Granollers in the first round, but it was a match riddled with unforced errors and double-faults. Cilic in 2.
Jerzy Janowicz vs. (7) Grigor Dimitrov: Janowicz was a step ahead of Dimitrov in 2013. To say Dimitrov is a step ahead of Janowicz in 2014 would be a gross understatement. A step? More like light-years. Dimitrov will be eager to get back in gear after an “unacceptable” loss to Tsonga in the Toronto semifinals. Dimitrov in 2.
(WC) Steve Johnson vs. (9) Ernests Gulbis: Johnson upset Gulbis in the 2012 U.S. Open second round. But that was back when Gulbis redefined the term “up and down.” The Latvian is still a mercurial performer, to be sure, but his “up” spells last a lot longer than they used to. Gulbis in 3.
(15) Fabio Fognini vs. Lleyton Hewitt: The discrepancy in talent at this point in their respective careers is significant, but is it enough to determine the outcome of this match? Maybe not. The gulf between the two players in fighting spirit and mental fortitude may be even bigger. Hewitt in 3.
(Q) Marinko Matosevic vs. (11) John Isner: From one marathon man to the next for Matosevic, who took out Nicolas Mahut on Monday but was in a positively foul mood while doing so. Isner is 2-0 against the Australian and both wins have come in the last four months. The 6’10” American finished runner-up in Cincinnati last summer and his comfort at this event showed again in round one with a blowout of Kevin Anderson. Isner in 2.
(13) Roberto Bautista Agut vs. Gael Monfils: See Hewitt vs. Fognini. Monfils is obviously the more talented player, but both his on-court behavior and his play have been downright bizarre since the start of Wimbledon. Bautista Agut, on the other hand, is a no-nonsense competitor. He is also playing consistently great tennis in 2014. Bautista Agut in 3.
[polldaddy poll=8242990]
[polldaddy poll=8242992]
[polldaddy poll=8243070]
Vasek and Jack over Paes and Stepanek! I’m hoping their youth and enthusiasm as well as their overall appeal will attract a new audience to doubles. Doubles can be a lot of fun to watch, but the TV coverage is just woeful. Even the streaming coverage is poor since so many of the matches are relegated to the outer courts.
Like you I love watching a good doubles match but opportunities are rare even at the Slams. I have a subscription to the Davis Cup live streaming which provides all the doubles matches which are invariably exciting to watch. This is where I first saw Popsi showing off his skills as a doubles player.