While the Olympics are going on at Wimbledon, the ATP show marches on with a welcome 500 level hard court stop, in Washington D.C.
A great opportunity to earn some big money and ranking points while the big dogs are going for gold.
Let’s break it down:
ATP Level: 500
Surface: Outdoor Hard
Defending Champion: Radek ‘The Worm’ Stepanek – At the Olympics, so not playing.
Nasty Floater: ‘Professor’ Xavier Malisse – A hard court warrior and playing well this summer.
Veteran Watch: Paul Henri Mathieu – On the comeback trail and still has the tools to be dangerous.
Up and Coming: Ricardas Berankis – A nice run in L.A. from the former junior number 1 earns him a wild card.
Slumping: Brian Baker – A 1st round hiccup in L.A. so needs a quick recovery this week.
On Fire: Tommy ‘Gun’ Haas – Defies expectations, injuries and age. Gets a nice draw here too.
My pick: Sam Querry – On a hard court roll and with Fish looking a little shaky recently, this could be a great opportunity for him.
Did You Know? The event is one of only eleven ATP World Tour 500 tournaments worldwide.
Thanks for reading and check back next week for more picks and amusement!