Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Previewing the Gentlemen's Second Round

The first round is just a few matches short of being complete, and now the second round will begin. For the top seeds, there aren't too many possible upsets that look plausible, but looking past them there are a few intriguing match-ups. After the jump, we'll look at four matches to watch on the gentlemen's side.



Gentlemen's Second Round
Mardy Fish vs. Dennis Istomin- Mardy Fish is enjoying the highest ranking in his career, and he looks to continue his streak of improved play against a tough Istomin. Fish and Roddick are the two American men with the best chance, and Fidh has a golden opportunity to make a run. However, he has had these opportunities in the past, but has failed to capitalize.

David Ferrer vs Ryan Harrison
Ferrer has been a solid competitor this year, reaching the semis in Melbourne and the quarterfinal at Roland Garros. His game however, is not suited for grass. Ryan Harrison is a young American who is looking for a breakthrough. There's a very real possibility that Harrison gets blown out, but a win here would be by far the biggest of his career and I think if all of the conditions line up perfectly, he can give Ferrer a big scare.

Nicolas Almagro vs John Isner
Nicolas almagro is a hard hitting Spaniard, but he's a clay court specialist, and while Isner cannot match him on the baseline, he has the tools to give him huge problems. He's still fresh, he's serving well, and now that he's gotten the whole Mahut business out of the way, he can focus on making a run.

Robin Soderling vs. Lleyton Hewitt
This is by far the most intriguing of the second round match-ups. Hewitt, a former champion here, has been plagued by injuries and setbacks, but he loves the grass and had a solid win in the first round against Kei Nishikori. Soderling, for his part, was taken to four long sets against Philipp Petzschner, and he didn't look comfortable on the grass. Does Hewitt have one more great win on grass left? This match will do a lot to show whether or not he does.

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