RICKY’S PICKS AND PREVIEW • ATP TENNIS • ATLANTA • HAMBURG, AND GSTAAD

Written by: Staff on 22nd July 2018

RICKY'S PICKS AND PREVIEW • ATP TENNIS • ATLANTA • HAMBURG, AND GSTAAD

epa06115631 Jack Sock of the USA (L) in action against Kyle Edmund of Britain during their quarterfinal round match at the BB&T Atlanta Open tennis tournament at Atlantic Station in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, 28 July 2017. EPA/ERIK S. LESSER |

Jack Sock of the USA (L) in action against Kyle Edmund of Britain during their quarterfinal round match at the BB&T Atlanta Open tennis tournament at Atlantic Station in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, 28 July 2017. EPA/ERIK S. LESSER

By Ricky Dimon

A busy stretch of nine ATP events in the span of three weeks continues in Atlanta, Hamburg, and Gstaad. These tournaments also begin a streak of four weeks in which at least a 500-pointer is on the schedule. This week it is a 500 on the red clay of Hamburg, followed by a 500 U.S. Open Series event in Washington, D.C., and then back-to-back Masters 1000 tourneys in Toronto and Cincinnati.

Dominic Thiem is back on his favorite surface in Hamburg, while another clay-court event in Gstaad includes Fabio Fognini, Roberto Bautista Agut, and Borna Coric. Atlanta, meanwhile, kicks off the U.S. Open Series with John Isner and Nick Kyrgios in tow.

BB&T Atlanta Open

Where: Atlanta, Georgia

Points: 250

Top seed: John Isner

Defending champion: John Isner

Other than the Roger Federers, Rafael Nadals, and Novak Djokovics of the world, perhaps no player is better at a single tournament than Isner at the BB&T Atlanta Open. In the eight years of its existence, the 6’10” American has reached seven finals occasions and has captured the title four times. He has never lost prior to the semifinals. The 2018 field is not stacked and Kyrgios is in the other half of the draw as the second seed, so an eighth final and maybe even fifth title is well within Isner’s sights. At the same time, Alex de Minaur would not be the easiest of second-round opponents and veteran lefty Mischa Zverev could be tricky in the quarters. Matthew Ebden, Frances Tiafoe, Marcos Baghdatis, and Ivo Karlovic are also on Isner’s side of the bracket.

A weaker bottom half is features the return of Hyeon Chung, who has not taken the match court since Madrid in early May because of an ankle injury. When healthy, Chung has been awesome this season—with a semifinal showing at the Australian Open, back-to-back quarterfinal finishes in Indian Wells and Miami, one other semifinal, and three other quarterfinals. The South Korean is on course to meet Kyrgios in the semis.

Semifinal picks: John Isner over Frances Tiafoe and Nick Kyrgios over Ryan Harrison

Final: Isner over Kyrgios

German Tennis Championships

Where: Hamburg, Germany

Points: 500

Top seed: Dominic Thiem

Defending champion: Leonardo Mayer

Is a return to clay just what the doctor ordered for Thiem? Probably, and partly because this is hardly a loaded draw by 500-point standards. The second-highest seed in the Austrian’s half is Pablo Carreno Busta, who has struggled since appearing in the Rome quarters. Philipp Kohlschreiber may be the beneficiary of Carreno Busta’s soft quarter, which would be nothing new for the German in front of the home crowd. After all, Kohlschreiber is a two-time semifinalist in Hamburg and has reached the quarterfinals two other times. Five of his eight lifetime ATP titles have come on German soil and six of his 10 runner-up finishes have done the same. As for Thiem, he may have to go up against either Benoit Paire or Bastad runner-up Richard Gasquet in the quarterfinals.

Marco Cecchinato, Sunday’s title winner on the red clay of Umag, will try to keep his hot streak going on the other side of the bracket. Cecchinato, a French Open semifinalist, opens with Gael Monfils–the winner likely running into defending champion Leonardo Mayer in the last 16. Diego Schwartzman, Damir Dzumhur, and Bastad semifinalist Fernando Verdasco could also make some noise in Gstaad.

Quarterfinal picks: Dominic Thiem over Benoit Paire, Philipp Kohlschreiber over Aljaz Bedene, Fernando Verdasco over Damir Dzumhur, and Diego Schwartzman over Gael Monfils

Semifinals: Kohlschreiber over Thiem and Schwartzman over Verdasco

Final: Kohlschreiber over Schwartzman

Sarasin Swiss Open

Where: Gstaad, Switzerland

Points: 250

Top seed: Fabio Fognini

Defending champion: Fabio Fognini

Aside from potential fatigue, Fognini has to like his chances this week. The Italian is the top seed, is the defending champion, and just won a title in Bastad on Sunday. He owns a first-round bye so he should get some rest until Thursday, when he will kick off his Gstaad campaign against one of two qualifiers–either Yannick Hanfmann or Jurgen Zopp. Joao Sousa will likely provide Fognini’s toughest test prior to the semifinals. The top half of the bracket is also home to Andrey Rublev, Feliciano Lopez, Federico Delbonis, and Umag runner-up Guido Pella.

At the bottom of the bracket, Bautista Agut is returning for the first time since sustaining a hip injury in a fall against Coric in the Halle semifinals. RBA could face a pair of younger Spaniards in countrymen Jaume Munar and Roberto Carballes Baena prior to the semifinals. Another Coric-Bautista Agut semis is possible, but Robin Haase could cause a problem for Coric in the quarterfinals.

Semifinal picks: Joao Sousa over Andrey Rublev and Borna Coric over Roberto Bautista Agut

Final: Coric over Sousa