The ATP’s U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship tournament moves into second round action at the River Oaks Country Club and so do our tennis picks. We had a decent day on Tuesday as we cashed in with all three of our picks. Our first was a simple one as we had Marco Baghdatis against Diego Schwartzman. The match couldn’t have been any easier for Baghdatis, who won 6-0, 6-0. Next we had Fernando Verdasco, who also won in straight set but still lost a total of seven games to Carlos Berlocq. Lastly, we had Sam Querrey in his match against Reilly Opelka. It was a close one as Opelka pushed him in both sets, winning four games in the first set while losing in a tiebreaker in the second set. However, the American still prevailed and will move on.
What should we expect in the three singles matches which will take place on Wednesday?
Juan Monaco vs. Benoit Paire
Betting Odds: Monaco -149
There is a history of Juan Monaco doing well in Houston. He won this tournament in 2012, so it’s not as though he’ll be uncomfortable in his surroundings. However, Monaco has been injured a lot in recent years. He has not been able to play a lot of matches, and as a tennis player, not being able to play lots of matches means that when one is ready to play (in terms of health), it is not easy to find the rhythm needed to win a first-round match at a tournament. That causes yet another lack of match play, and this cycle – not being healthy enough; not playing matches enough; not being sharp enough to win a first match in a tournament – just keeps repeating itself. After a lot of first-round losses, the player has no more rhythm compared to when he first started. It’s a compound problem, and this is what Juan Monaco is up against. He’s just 2-4 in main-draw singles matches this year. He just hasn’t been able to play that much. His ranking is 148, which keeps him outside the Masters 1000 events. He can’t play those, so his lack of match play accumulates. Paire is a very volatile player, as everyone who follows men’s tennis knows quite well, but with Monaco not in form and not having many matches under his belt (he did win in the first round against Gerald Melzer), Paire is still very much the favorite in this match. He might have some ups and downs, but he should be able to take the upper hand. Take Paire with your tennis picks.
Pick: Paire in three sets
John Isner vs. Denis Kudla
Betting Odds: Isner -435
This matchup of Americans should go to Isner. Big John won Houston in 2013, and his kick serve is hard to handle, especially when it goes wide to the corner of the service box in the ad court. Isner should enjoy a large comfort margin on his serve. It will be very hard for Kudla to break him. Isner might get taken to one or two tiebreaks, but his serve should be able to carry him through. If he can break Kudla’s serve just once, that should be decisive in this match. Lay the juice with Isner for your tennis picks.
Pick: Isner in straight sets
Heyon Chung vs. Tommy Paul
Betting Odds: Chung -135
This is a match in which two young players will go at it. Paul is a wild card to this tournament, so he didn’t go through the qualifying rounds. Chung is still a work in progress, but he has played the likes of Stan Wawrinka and Novak Djokovic in recent major tournaments. That kind of experience should really pay off for him in situations such as this one. Chung is a little more tested, and that’s something young players really need in their careers. If you had to lean one way, Chung is the right choice for your tennis picks in this spot.
Pick: Chung in straight sets
