An intriguing second-rounder on Wednesday in Shanghai pits Jack Sock against Fernando Verdasco. Bernard Tomic and Marcos Baghdatis are also aiming for a place in the quarterfinals.
(7) Jack Sock vs. Fernando Verdasco
Sock and Verdasco will be going head-to-head for the first time in their careers when they collide in round two of the If Stockholm Open on Wednesday. A 2015 campaign that got off to a late start for Sock but quickly took off in the right direction is nearing an end. It may result in 2016 Australian Open seeding, as the American currently registers right inside the cut line at No. 32 in the world. Sock, a recent quarterfinalist in Beijing, improved to 29-15 on the season by defeating Pablo Carreno Busta 6-3, 6-7(1), 6-3 on Tuesday.
Verdasco kicked off his week on Monday against another American, Denis Kudla, and cruised 6-4, 6-4. Thus ended a stretch of two straight first-round losses by the 44th-ranked Spaniard (in Tokyo and Shanghai). A relatively out-of-form Verdasco has not won more than two matches at a tournament since Wimbledon, where he advanced to the last 32. A far more confident Sock should not have too much trouble extending his opponent’s woes.
Pick: Sock in 2
(4) Bernard Tomic vs. Marcos Baghdatis
Tomic owns an impressive 39 ATP-level match victories in 2015 and they have him up to a career-high ranking of 18th in the world, good enough for the No. 4 seed and a first-round bye in Stockholm. The 22-year-old is coming off a quarterfinal run in Shanghai, where he was the only competitor to push eventual champion Novak Djokovic to a tiebreaker.
Tomic’s opener will come on Wednesday against Baghdatis, who got past Sam Querrey 7-6(2), 6-1 during first-round action. The 46th-ranked Cypriot is wrapping up a mostly injury-free and somewhat resurgent 2015 campaign. He owns 24 ATP-level wins, finished runner-up to John Isner in Atlanta, and has currently advanced out of the first round in four consecutive tournaments. Unfortunately for Baghdatis, Tomic looks surprisingly motivated at the moment. As such, the Australian should have slight edge in the first career meeting between the two players.
Pick: Tomic in 3
