The Geneva Open tennis tournament progresses into second-round play in Switzerland and so do our tennis picks. On Tuesday, we had a rather tough time of things with the ATP in Nice (going 1-2 with our tennis picks) but we did much better in Geneva where we went 3-0. We had money on Stan Wawrinka, who was a big favorite for the day, and he had no problem getting by Albert Ramos. Ramos was only able to take two games off of him in the 6-1, 6-1 loss. We also had Thomaz Bellucci to beat Mikhail Kukushkin and he did exactly that, holding him to just three game wins. Lastly, we had Pablo Carreno Busta – our least-known player from our picks – to move past Inigo Cervantes and he did exactly that. He took the first set 6-2 before outlasting him 6-4 in the second.
The Wednesday card has some matches which might not be compelling in terms of the actual level of play and the closeness of the scoreboard, but feature some well-known names who have done some good things in tennis.
Federico Delbonis vs. Thomaz Bellucci
Bellucci has become a player who has gained a measa re of momentum in the European clay swing. He became one of the few players to take a set off Novak Djokovic this year, and he became one of the very few players to win a bagel set (6-0) over Djokovic in tennis history. He did so in Rome last week. Bellucci moved through the first round here in Geneva, so if there was a worry about a letdown after his encouraging performance in Rome, he has shot them down. Delbonis did pick up a tournament win earlier this spring in Marrakech, beating Borna Coric in the final. He looked very good in that event, and he’ll put up a good fight here. However, Bellucci is a rhythm player who has found a good groove on court. He played into the middle of the past week in Rome, but he didn’t make the weekend, so he’s not that tired this week. Bellucci should be able to maintain form to the point that he can withstand whatever Delbonis throws at him, but it will be close, and it might turn on a first-set tiebreaker outcome. Take Bellucci with your tennis picks.
Pick: Bellucci in three sets
Ernests Gulbis vs. Marin Cilic
This is a matchup of players who have hit great heights in tennis, just not very often. Cilic is the 2014 U.S. Open champion, a player who did something which he hasn’t come close to repeating at any other point in his career. He won that tournament in New York by playing three virtually perfect matches in the final three rounds: quarterfinals, semifinals and final. In no other major tournament did Cilic even get past the semifinals. He has that one moment, and it stands alone. It is a reminder of how hard it has been to replicate that standard, not as a sign of how regularly good he has been.
Gulbis made the semifinals of the 2014 French Open before losing to Djokovic. That was the greatest moment of his career, and he’s had a few points in his existence when he’s gotten hot and gone on a run in a tournament, including a previous French Open when he made the quarterfinals. However, he goes into long, long slumps. He is currently immersed in one. Cilic isn’t necessarily doing great, but Gulbis is doing a lot worse. Take Cilic with your tennis picks.
Pick: Cilic in straight sets
Denis Istomin vs. David Ferrer
This is a match which should go to Ferrer. He’s on the downside of his career, but Istomin is even more in the dumps than Ferrer is. Ferrer should be able to scratch out wins versus lower-level opponents, and this is just such a case. Go with Ferrer and be confident about your tennis picks here.
Pick: Ferrer in straight sets
