Three in-form Americans will be part of second-round action on Thursday in Atlanta. John Isner is facing Radek Stepanek, while Jack Sock and Denis Kudla are set for an intriguing showdown.
(1) John Isner vs. (PR) Radek Stepanek
The two-time defending champion of the BB&T Atlanta Open, Isner will begin this year’s campaign at one of his favorite tournaments on Thursday. Isner has to be feeling relatively good at the moment, and not just because he is playing close to his old college stomping grounds in Athens, Georgia. In between a slow start to the season and a recent first-round loss to Rajeev Ram in Newport, the world No. 19 found plenty of success. Highlights this year include a semifinal showing in Miami and a quarterfinal appearance in Madrid, and a decent week Wimbledon saw him win two matches before bowing out to Marin Cilic 12-10 in the fifth set.
Up first for Isner in Atlanta is Stepanek, who is leading the head-to-head series 3-1. They have faced each other once during the U.S. Open Series, with Stepanek getting the job done in a not-too-surprising third-set tiebreaker at the 2011 Cincinnati Masters. The two veterans most recently squared off at the 2012 Shanghai Masters, with Stepanek prevailing 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-3. Now 36 years old, however, the Czech seems to be slowing down–if only due to injury as opposed to age. Plagued by a back problem, Stepanek has played only eight ATP-level, main-draw matches in 2015. He trounced Chris Eubanks (Georgia Tech’s current No. 1 singles player) 6-2, 6-2 on Wednesday, but Isner presents a steep step up in competition.
Pick: Isner in 2
(3) Jack Sock vs. (Q) Denis Kudla
Sock and Kudla will be going head-to-head at the ATP level for the second time in their careers on Thursday. Their only previous encounter came on the indoor hard courts of San Jose in 2012, when Kudla scored a 6-4, 6-7(6), 6-3 victory.
Both 22 years old, the two Americans are not exactly in the same situation. Whereas Sock earned a first-round bye as the No. 35 player in the world, Kudla had to qualify just to get into the Atlanta main draw. But Kudla is starting to make a name for himself, especially after reaching the fourth round of Wimbledon. He maintained his fine form by overcoming Ryan Harrison 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(5) on Tuesday. Kudla has enough firepower to keep this one close, but Sock is also on top of his game and he boasts a quarterfinal and a semifinal to his credit in three previous Atlanta appearances.
Pick: Sock in 3
