2011 US Open – Nick’s Picks – Men’s Singles Round 2
Richard Gasquet (FRA) vs. Ivo Karlovic (CRO)
Gasquet has worked himself back into the top 15 in the world with consistent play. He hasn’t won a tournament in 2011, but he is not an easy out either. He defeated a tough opponent in Sergiy Stakhovsky in the first round in straight sets and is looking to make a deep run in NYC.
In a battle of two former top-twenty players, Karlovic beat Fernando Gonzalez in straight sets. The hard-serving Croat hasn’t had a great year, posting a 14-19 record, but he is still capable of competing with the top guys day in and day out.
Match-Up:
Gasquet is 1-0 against Karlovic, but that win came back in 2005 on clay. If this match was best two out of three, then I would like Karlovic’s chances a little better. Being that it isn’t I have to give the edge to Gasquet. The Frenchman should have the advantage once the ball is in play. I don’t think the Karlovic’s serve will be enough to beat Gasquet. If Karlovic didn’t slice every backhand then he would have an opportunity to attack Gasquet’s one-handed backhand, but he doesn’t. I wish I would’ve had Karlovic at a young age at my Academy. I would not have let him slice a single backhand, I would’ve made him hit over the ball. I feel if he would do this, combined with his serve and forehand he would be a more complete player. I look for Gasquet to move on, but Karlovic will keep it interesting.
Nick’s Pick – Gasquet in 4 sets
Bernard Tomic (AUS) vs. Marin Cilic (CRO)
Tomic is a guy that is certainly on the rise and he definitely has top-ten talent. He has shown that already this year when he reached the quarters at Wimbledon and beat some darn good players including Andreev, Soderling and Malisse before falling to Djokovic in four sets. He’s currently ranked a career high of #60 in the world, but it won’t be too long before he breaks the top 50 and even higher!
Cilic just beat a tough teenager in Ryan Harrison, and now he gets another one in Tomic. He kept his composure very nicely against Harrison, despite the young American serving for both the second and third sets. He hasn’t had a great 2011, but he is a guy that can turn it on and beat anyone.
Match-Up:
Cilic is 1-0 against Tomic, with that win coming at the 2010 Australian Open in five sets. Sometimes you may think that Tomic is sleeping out on the court, but trust me, he is wide awake! He glides across the court, has fantastic groundstrokes and he has the big-time serve. To me, having that serve, is what sets him apart from his competition. He is able to play it extremely well, and he is able to use it to get free points when he needs them. I know Cilic is ranked higher and played with great poise in his first round win, I just smell an upset here and have to give a slight advantage to the young Australian!
Nick’s Pick – Tomic in 4 sets
David Ferrer (ESP) vs. James Blake (USA)
Ferrer comes into the tournament ranked #5 in the world, but he hasn’t played as much tennis as some of the other top guys this summer. He reached the finals in Bastad in early July and then lost in the third round of Cincinnati. That shouldn’t affect him too much though as he has had good results in Flushing Meadows in the past (semifinals in 2007).
Blake hung on against Jesse Huta Galung in the first round, winning in four sets. No one gets more support from the fans than James, and I am sure he would love to have a big run here as his career is certainly winding down.
Match-Up:
Blake is 2-0 against Ferrer, with their last match coming in 2010 at Indian Wells. I don’t think Blake can win this match from the baseline by just keeping the ball in play. He needs to come in and try to surprise Ferrer and keep the Spaniard off-balance. The crowd will definitely give him a boost, but I am not sure that is going to be enough right now. Ferrer may not have a huge weapon, but he does everything so incredibly well and he gets to about every ball which makes him very tough to beat. I think Blake can take a set and keep it interesting, but in the end, Ferrer just has too much firepower.
Nick’s Pick – Ferrer in 4 sets
Donald Young (USA) vs. Stan Wawrinka (SUI)
I have always been a big supporter of Donald ever since he turned pro back in 2004. He has all the natural gifts you need to be a contender, he just needs to remain focused on what is happening on the court and forget everything else. He had a nice run to the semis in Washington DC and he beat Lukas Lacko in straight sets in the opening round.
Wawrinka has had a solid year, posting a 28-14 record and winning a title. He crashed out early at Wimbledon, losing the second round, and I am sure he is going to try and avoid that same fate here in NYC. You never know what you are going to get from Wawrinka, but when he is on and focused he is tough to beat.
Match-Up:
This is the first career meeting between these two, and with Young playing you know there is going to be plenty of interest. Young has no choice in this match, he has to gamble a bit and go for his shots. He has great hands and touch, and he anticipates so well that he is able to compete with anyone. One area he needs to get more free points from is his serve, especially in this match. Wawrinka is so big and strong that he has the ability to push Young backwards and control the play. Wawrinka does have a tendency to lose focus at times, he cannot do that against Young (especially in front of the US fans). There is no doubt that Young is beginning to demonstrate some of the talents that we had hoped to see years earlier, but is that enough against someone like Wawrinka? Right now, I am not sure and I have to give the edge to Wawrinka.
Nick’s Pick – Wawrinka in 4 sets
