ATP Houston, Casablanca: Preview and Predictions

Here is a quick round-up of the two ATP 250 draws this week in Houston, USA and Casablanca, Morocco.

ATP Houston

Nicolas Almagro and Tommy Haas headline the clay court event in Houston.  Almagro, who receives a bye into the second round, faces a sticky opening match against either James Blake or Gael Monfils, which is the pick of the first round matches.  Haas will face Ricardo Berankis or Jesse Levine in the first round and is on course to meet John Isner in the quarter-finals.  Isner meets Ryan Harrison in the first round in a battle of the slumping Americans.

Sam Querrey is also in the draw, but following his Davis Cup exploits and previous results on the clay, he will susceptible to an early upset.  Fernando Verdasco was horrendous in the Indian Wells-Miami double, so things can only get better.  His draw is actually reasonable and he has always done pretty well on the clay.  Juan Monaco won a match in Davis Cup action, his first since the last round of Davis Cup; having yet to win a match on the ATP tour in 2013, he has a really favourable draw and should make the semi-finals.

1st Round Predictions:

Monfils to beat Blake in 2 tight sets

Pella to beat Williams in 2 sets

Verdasco to beat Johnson in 3 sets

Alund to beat Hewitt in 3 sets

Isner to beat Harrison in 2 very tight sets

Berankis to beat Levine in 3 sets

Final Prediction: Nicolas Almagro d. Tommy Haas

Full Predictions for Houston HERE

 

ATP Casablanca

Stanislas Wawrinka and Kevin Anderson headline the ATP's event in Morocco this week.  Wawrinka is likely to meet Blaz Kavcic in round two and then a Spaniard in the quarter-finals.  Anderson could face Pablo Andujar in round two; the Spaniard has had a rough 2013, but recorded good results on the clay in previous years.  Benoit Paire and Jurgen Melzer headline the second section; Melzer is my pick this week.  The Austrian number 5 seed will either bomb out in round one or go all the way.  Robin Haase and Martin Klizan are the top seeds in the third section, but I see Ricardo Bautista-Agut coming through and making the semi-finals.

1st Round Predictions:

Montanes to beat Roger-Vasselin in 3 sets

Garcia-Lopez to beat Gimeno-Traver in 2 tight sets

Melzer to beat Kamke in 3 sets

Bautista-Agut to beat Haase in 2 sets

Final Prediction - Jurgen Melzer d. Kevin Anderson

Full predictions for Casablanca HERE