2009 Wimbledon – Nick’s Picks – Men’s Singles Round 3
Every day throughout Wimbledon Nick’s Picks will bring you the latest analysis and predictions. We are also teaming up with The Independent Newspaper in London to cover the event. For the first week, we are coming to you live from Wimbledon so be sure to check our twitter page for information!
Andy Roddick (USA) vs. Jurgen Melzer (AUT)
Roddick has flown under the radar a bit in the first two rounds, but the American is playing excellent tennis. The two-time finalist is definitely a contender for the title and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him playing on the last weekend.
Melzer has never been past the third round of any of the four Grand Slams. He has yet to drop a set in the first two rounds, but there was some talk in the British papers about a betting scandal surrounding his first round win over Wayne Odesnik. He cannot let that bother him otherwise he will be in trouble.
Match-Up:
Roddick is 8-0 against Melzer, but the two have never met on grass. In those eight matches, Roddick has lost a combined two sets to Melzer and those both came in a five-set battle they had in last year’s Davis Cup. Melzer has excellent groundstrokes and a very solid serve. He covers the court well and is a dangerous opponent. Roddick seems to be playing some of the best tennis of his life. Working with Larry Stefanki has been a big plus for him as Roddick seems very cool, calm and collected. The big thing with Roddick is that he is hitting the backhand much better and isn’t running around hitting low-percentage forehand shots. This match will be determined by the serve and if Roddick continues to serve well, the edge goes to him.
Nick’s Pick – Roddick in 4 sets
Andy Murray (GBR) vs. Viktor Troicki (SRB)
Murray played close to a perfect match in his second round win over Ernests Gulbis. He had only five unforced errors, didn’t get broken once, got 73% of his first serves in, and won over 40% of the points on Gulbis’ serve. All in all, the British fans couldn’t have asked for a better match from their great hope!
Troicki has worked his way diligently up the rankings and comes in at a career high of #31 in the world. He is still looking for his first appearance in the second week of a Grand Slam and beating Murray would sure put a damper on things if you are British!!
Match-Up:
Murray is 2-0 against Troicki, with one of those wins coming earlier this year in Miami. Every aspect of Troicki’s game is big. He has a sonic serve, killer forehand, and a good backhand. Having said that, one of Murray’s best assets is his ability to neutralize the power of his opponents. You saw him do this against Gulbis and you will see him do it against Troicki. I definitely think Troicki is talented enough to win a set and push Murray, but in the end Murray just has too much game for the Serb. Murray can play with so much variety that it makes it difficult for his opponents to get comfortable and this works to his advantage very well.
Nick’s Pick – Murray in 4 sets
Tommy Haas (GER) vs. Marin Cilic (CRO)
Haas got what was essentially a walkover in the second round when Michael Llodra took a nasty spill early in the first set. He showed great sportsmanship by then inviting the ball kids on the court and hitting with them. It was a great moment for all the fans in the stadium and watching on television.
Cilic moved into the third round with a thrilling five-set victory over American Sam Querrey. A win here would put him into the fourth round of Wimbledon for the second consecutive year. He is still looking for his first Grand Slam quarterfinal appearance.
Match-Up:
This is the first career meeting between Cilic and Haas. In the second round, Cilic looked to be favoring his knee. He was definitely struggling against Querrey and that isn’t a good sign going into this match against a confident and talented Haas. Cilic is a big boy with a sonic serve and fantastic groundstrokes. I wouldn’t say that grass is his best surface, but at the same time he is more than capable of winning on it. On the other side, Haas is extremely confident and should be well-rested after not having to play much in the second round. He is serving well, coming into the net more often than in the past, and mixing his shots beautifully. This will be a great match, and I have to give a slight edge to my student, Tommy Haas.
Nick’s Pick – Haas in 4 sets
Ivo Karlovic (CRO) vs. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA)
Karlovic has yet to drop a set in the championships and grass is without a doubt his best surface. This is the only Grand Slam he has been past the fourth round of, and if he could get there again perhaps that would help him turn this year around.
Tsonga received a walkover in the second round so he is going to be pumped and raring to go. He didn’t play in Wimbledon last year because of an injury, but he did reach the fourth round back in 2007. I think a loss here would definitely be a disappointment for the Frenchman.
Match-Up:
This is the first career match between these two big guys and promises to be an exciting one. Both players have huge serves, but when Karlovic is serving well there is no one better. Tsonga is definitely the better mover of the two and has a much stronger backhand. However, Karlovic’s backhand slice is very dangerous on the grass and can cause his opponent many problems. This match will be determined by Karlovic’s serve plain and simple. If he gets his first serve in and can win a lot of free points than he has the edge. If Tsonga is able to return the serve and attack than he has the edge. The longer this match goes the more it favors Tsonga and for Karlovic to win he is going to need to do it quickly. I have to give the edge to Tsonga because he is a better all-around player, but don’t be surprised if Karlovic pulls off the upset.
Nick’s Pick – Tsonga in 4 sets
