TennisThis week’s ATP Tennis action at Sydney and Auckland will be down to the quarter-finals stage once the last few remaining matches are completed this morning. AT the time of writing top-seed Dominic Thiem was due to play his second round match against qualifier Gastao Elias and the winner will face Britain’s Dan Evans who knocked out eighth seed Granollers this morning.
Fourth seed Carreno-Busta (14/1) one of my outright selections this week is through to the quarter-finals and he will face the unseeded Kuznetsov and the dangerous young Russian leads the head-to-head 3-1, but the Russians three wins came on clay between 2009 and 2014 and Carreno-Busta won their last encounter on hard court last year at the quarter-final stage of Winston-Salem in straight sets.
Second seed Cuevas is through to the quarter-finals and he will face 2015 and 2016 semi-finalist Muller next up and at the time of writing one of my outright selections Troicki (10/1) was a set up against Lorenzi in their second round match. Fifth seed Kohlschreiber is also through to the quarter-finals after beating home hope Jordan Thompson who impressed at Brisbane last week and Kohlschreiber will face the winner of the Troicki and Lorenzi match.
Over at Auckland top-seed Bautista Agut withdrew prior to playing his first match against Vesely this morning and Vesely is through to the quarter-finals after beating Lucky Loser Statham where he will face veteran eight seed Baghdatis who leads the head-to-head 3-0, which all came on hard courts between 2014 and 2015. Second seed John Isner survived a scare in his first match against Jaziri saving a match point, but eventually won 6-3 3-6 7-6. Isner will now face compatriot and seventh seed Johnson in the quarter-finals and Isner leads the head-to-head 4-2, but Johnson did win their last encounter at Washington on hard courts last year 7-6 7-6.
Third seed David Ferrer crashed out at the first time of asking against Haase losing on a third set tiebreak and fourth seed Sock (11/2), one of my outright selections this week, was midway through his second round match against compatriot Harrison; Sock had won the first set on a tiebreak and will hopefully have progressed to the quarter-finals by the time you read this article, where he will face Chardy who benefitted from sixth seed Lopez retiring prior to their match this morning. Fifth seed Ramos-Vinolas lost at the first round stage against Sousa, who is now through to the quarter-finals after beating British qualifier Klien in straight sets this morning.
