Wimbledon R3 previews and predictions: Kyrgios vs. Lopez, Tsonga vs. Isner

Among a rain-delayed, jam-packed schedule at Wimbledon on Saturday are two big-serving, third-round showdowns. Nick Kyrgios and Feliciano Lopez are both coming off five-setters, while John Isner is playing for a fifth straight day.

(15) Nick Kyrgios vs. (22) Feliciano Lopez

Kyrgios and Lopez will be going head-to-head for the third time in their careers when they both play a full match for a second consecutive day after needing five sets in their respective Wimbledon second-rounders. Lopez leads the head-to-head series 2-0, having prevailed 6-4, 7-6(4) on the clay courts of Rome in 2015 and 7-6(2), 7-6(5) indoors in Kuala Lumpur several months later. Fast forward one season and there have been at least marginal signs of Lopez finally slowing down at 34 years old. Although the Spaniard still registers at a solid 21st in the world, he is just 16-15 in 2016 and he headed into London with consecutive first-round losses on grass to Mikhail Youzhny (Stuttgart) and Marin Cilic (Queen’s Club). Lopez cruised past Rajeev Ram earlier this week but struggled with Fabio Fognini at times in a 3-6, 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 victory on Friday.

Always thirsty for the limelight, Kyrgios saw the most exciting matchup of the entire second round fall into his lap. Neither he nor Dustin Brown disappointed, but it was Kyrgios who came away with a 6-7(3), 6-1, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 win in a highlight-filled, wildly up-and-down five-setter that required only two hours and five minutes. The 18th-ranked Australian preceded that result with a 6-4, 6-3, 6-7(9), 6-1 defeat of Radek Stepanek, another one of his good friends. In his short but sweet career at the All-England Club, Kyrgios is 9-2 lifetime with no setbacks prior to round four. With Lopez in a relative slump and Kyrgios likely far more inspired here than he was in Rome or Kuala Lumpur last year, the 21-year-old should be able to turn the tables on the veteran without too much trouble.

Pick: Kyrgios in 3

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(18) John Isner vs. (12) Jo-Wilfried Tsonga

Tsonga and Isner will be squaring off for the fifth time in their careers on Saturday. If their previous meetings are any indication, this one could be in line to last a while–and perhaps feature another extended fifth set between Isner and a Frenchman at Wimbledon. The huge-serving 18th seed holds a seemingly comfortable 3-1 lead in the head-to-head series, but none of their encounters has ended in straight sets and three of the four have needed final-set tiebreakers to be decided. Isner has triumphed in two of those three decisive ‘breakers; at the 2009 Washington, D.C. event and three years later in the Winston-Salem semifinals. Tsonga’s lone victory came via a 3-6, 7-6(1), 7-6(3) decision on the indoor hard courts of Paris in 2011.

The world No. 12 may not have home-court advantage this time around, but he should enjoy an edge in terms of the surface. Isner’s 2010 marathon against Nicolas Mahut notwithstanding, the American has always struggled on grass relative to hard courts and clay because his serve does not get as much kick. That being said, the current grass-court swing has been progressing nicely. Isner, who beat Juan Martin Del Potro at Queen’s Club, did not drop a set in his first two Wimbledon outings against Marcos Baghdatis and Matthew Barton. Tsonga is through to the last 32 thanks to straight-set routs of Inigo Cervantes and Juan Monaco. Given the way these men have been serving and their past history against one another, one more competitive contest with service breaks at a premium will likely be in the works. There will be no final-set tiebreaker, but the fact that Isner is 0-6 in such ‘breakers this year is alarming and suggests he may be susceptible another brutally tough loss.

Pick: Tsonga in 5

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