The ATP’s U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship tournament stays with the second round action at the River Oaks Country Club and so do our tennis picks. We had a productive day on Wednesday by going 2-1 with our tennis picks. John Isner was one of our picks that cashed in as he won in straight sets. He did get the job done in the smallest amount of sets necessary but he needed a tiebreaker in each set. As for Hyeon Chung, he also cashed for us. He dropped the first set against Tommy Paul but bounced back quickly and took the next two sets 6-2, 6-2. Our lone loss was by Benoit Paire. We had him against Juan Monaco but he never really delivered for us. Paire lost the first set 6-3 and then the second one 7-5.
How will the Friday quarterfinals be filled out? We’ll get answers on Thursday. Here is a look at our tennis picks for Thursday:
Jack Sock vs. Matthew Barton
Betting Odds: Sock -667
There is not a lot of drama attached to this specific match. Barton is a qualifier who then got through the first round. He has logged a lot of tennis and must find a way to deal with Sock’s explosive serve and forehand combination. Sock is not a great claycourt player, but he did win a couple of French Open matches last year, and what’s more is that he has plenty of experience playing in Houston in front of what is a generally supportive home-nation crowd. This is a comfortable place for Sock, and with a matchup against a less-tested qualifier, everything’s set up for him to do well. This should be a routine match for Sock, so take him with your tennis picks.
Pick: Sock in straight sets
Lukas Lacko vs. Feliciano Lopez
Betting Odds: Lopez -435
This matchup of veterans should move in the direction of Lopez. It’s true that Lopez’s frequent slices make him more suited to grass and hardcourts more than clay. He is a Spaniard who is not a natural on this surface, compared to a lot of contemporaries such as David Ferrer and especially Rafael Nadal. There are no debates about Lopez’s weaknesses on clay and his normal inconsistencies. However, is Lacko the kind of opponent who is likely to beat him. Lacko is a player who rarely if ever gets past the first or second match at a Grand Slam event, and is normally not found in the Masters 1000 series, either. Lopez, no matter what the surface, has a hard lefty serve which is difficult to handle. That alone should generate a lot of free points for Lopez during the course of the match. Lacko will need to play at a special level to be able to thwart Lopez in the match. This might go to a tiebreaker or two, but Lopez is very familiar with tiebreakers and has a serve which can carry him through that pressure situation. Even if the match and the scoreline are close, Lopez is the player who is more likely to win the handful of points that will swing the match. Take Lopez in straights, probably with a score of 7-6, 6-4. He’s the better choice for your tennis picks.
Pick: Lopez in straight sets
Donald Young vs. Tim Smyczek
Betting Odds: Young -182
This is a match in which two American veterans will go at it. Young has found some occasional moments when he’s been able to win a few matches at a Grand Slam event or a 250 event. This is an opportunity for him, but Smyczek will make him work for every point. Smyczek runs a lot and covers the court, not conceding points very easily. Young could implode, but he does have more power, especially from his forehand side. As long as he’s reasonably patient and doesn’t lose focus completely, he should be able to eventually get through this match in three.
Pick: Young in three sets
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