Each day during Wimbledon, we'll select three of the most intriguing matches on the schedule and offer our predictions.
John Isner vs. Nicolas Mahut (No. 3 Court, fourth match)
What did they say about last year's Isner-Mahut match, that there were no losers? Well, Mahut, the actual loser of the 183-game epic, looked pretty devastated afterward and has only recently appeared to embrace his historic defeat/achievement. I think the Frenchman is rather pleased with this divine draw, probably more so than Isner, who was about ready to put it behind him until:
No, Isner will never escape the shadow of the legendary match; it's even longer than his own. This "Really?" rematch only confirms that further.
You know what else is amazing? Isner almost beat Rafael Nadal in the first round of the French Open. Since turning pro in 2007, the Georgia grad has continued to improve, posted some impressive results?none greater than the Battle of 70-68, of course?and sometimes comes off as the best American in men's tennis. We cite his movement as a weakness, but as he just showed at Roland Garros, he's well ahead of the curve for a man his size. Isner is a great player; Mahut can be on certain days, and he was from June 22-24, 2010. But as Isner eventually proved, he's the better one. One can only assume he'll do so in quicker fashion (20-18, maybe?) this time around.
The Pick: Isner in five (what else?)
Serena Williams [7] vs. Aravane Rezai (Centre Court, first match)
No matter how far a player falls, it's tough to forget their shining moments. Why else do we hold out hope for David Nalbandian? One of the best examples I can give is Rezai, who's endured a trying year on and off the court. Still, whenever her name is mentioned, I always remember her title run at last year's Madrid Open, when she pummeled the ball all week and upset Venus Williams in the final. She's one of the few players who could outhit Serena, though she's no match in every other category of consequence. There's questions surrounding Serena, of course, but even with just two matches under her belt since she last stepped on Centre Court, it's tough to see the two-time defending champ letting Rezai get the best of her.
The Pick: Serena in two.
Nikolay Davydenko [29] vs. Bernard Tomic (Court 14, third match)
Assuming there's no further rain, Day 2 should be quite the spread for fans, with matches running into the late hours on every court. Here's a potentially good one you might miss with a cursory glance at the extensive order of play. The quirky Tomic surely won over some fans in Melbourne, where he reached the third round and gave Rafael Nadal a good match. Since then, the Aussie has just one win at the ATP level, but he did reach the semis of two grass-court Challengers recently in Birmingham. His first-round opponent, the always-dangerous Davydenko, barely secured a seed and has had little success on grass. All of which adds up to a very competitive match.
The Pick: Davydenko in four.
Ed McGrogan is the online editor of TENNIS.com.
Source: http://feeds.tennis.com/~r/tenniscom-features/~3/2rRB238TkhI/
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