2015 ATP Draw Challenge Week 29 (Washington, Kitzbuhel)
Staff, Tennis Atlantic

A 500 series on hard court as the US Open Series rolls on, and the final ATP stop of the season on clay in Kitzbuhel, a 250, are on the calendar this week.

Washington

2015 Citi Open Predictions

Steen Kirby’s picks

Round 2 matches: Murray vs. Becker, Berankis vs. Cuevas, Pospisil vs. Haas, Estrella vs. Isner, Gasquet vs. Muller, Bemelmans vs. Sock, Tomic vs. Johnson, Pella vs. Dimitrov, Anderson vs. Nishioka, Dolgopolov vs. Karlovic, Querrey vs. Soeda, Sela vs. Cilic, Lopez vs. Hewitt, Groth vs. Troicki, Mayer vs. Kudla, Harrison vs. Nishikori
Round 3 matches: Murray vs. Berankis, Pospisil vs. Isner, Muller vs. Sock, Tomic vs. Dimitrov, Anderson vs. Karlovic, Querrey vs. Cilic, Lopez vs. Troicki, Kudla vs. Nishikori
Quarterfinals: Murray vs. Isner, Muller vs. Tomic, Anderson vs. Cilic, Troicki vs. Nishikori
Semifinals: Murray vs. Muller, Cilic vs. Nishikori
Final: Murray vs. Cilic
Champion: Murray

Niall Clarke’s picks

Round 2 matches: Murray vs. Becker, Lu vs. Cuevas, Pospisil vs. Young, Estrella vs. Isner, Gasquet vs. Muller, Bemelmans vs. Sock, Tomic vs. Johnson, Baghdatis vs. Dimitrov, Anderson vs. Zverev, Smyczek vs. Karlovic, Querrey vs. Soeda, Sela vs. Cilic, Lopez vs. Hewitt, Groth vs. Troicki, Mayer vs. Kudla, Harrison vs. Nishikori
Round 3 matches: Murray vs. Cuevas, Pospisil vs. Isner, Gasquet vs. Sock, Johnson vs. Dimitrov, Anderson vs. Karlovic, Querrey vs. Cilic, Lopez vs. Troicki, Mayer vs. Nishikori
Quarterfinals: Murray vs. Isner, Gasquet vs. Dimitrov, Karlovic vs. Cilic, Lopez vs. Nishikori
Semifinals: Murray vs. Gasquet, Karlovic vs. Nishikori
Final: Murray vs. Nishikori
Champion: Nishikori

Joe Craven’s picks

Round 2 matches: Murray vs. Becker, Lu vs. Cuevas, Pospisil vs. Young, Estrella vs. Isner, Gasquet vs. Muller, Matosevic vs. Sock, Tomic vs. Johnson, Baghdatis vs. Dimitrov, Anderson vs. Nishioka, Dolgopolov vs. Karlovic, Querrey vs. King, Chung vs. Cilic, Lopez vs. Hewitt, Groth vs. Troicki, Mayer vs. Kudla, Harrison vs. Nishikori
Round 3 matches: Murray vs. Lu, Pospisil vs. Isner, Gasquet vs. Sock, Tomic vs. Dimitrov, Anderson vs. Dolgopolov, Querrey vs. Cilic, Hewitt vs. Groth, Mayer vs. Nishikori
Quarterfinals: Murray vs. Isner, Sock vs. Dimitrov, Anderson vs. Cilic, Hewitt vs. Nishikori
Semifinals: Murray vs. Dimitrov, Anderson vs. Nishikori
Final: Murray vs. Nishikori
Champion: Murray

Chris de Waard’s picks

Round 2 matches: Murray vs. Becker, Lu vs. Cuevas, Pospisil vs. Haas, Estrella vs. Isner, Gasquet vs. Muller, Bemelmans vs. Sock, Tomic vs. Johnson, Baghdatis vs. Dimitrov, Anderson vs. Zverev, Dolgopolov vs. Karlovic, Querrey vs. Soeda, Sela vs. Cilic, Lopez vs. Smith, Groth vs. Troicki, Mayer vs. Kudla, Duckworth vs. Nishikori
Round 3 matches: Murray vs. Lu, Pospisil vs. Isner, Gasquet vs. Sock, Tomic vs. Dimitrov, Anderson vs. Dolgopolov, Querrey vs. Cilic, Lopez vs. Troicki, Kudla vs. Nishikori
Quarterfinals: Murray vs. Isner, Gasquet vs. Dimitrov, Anderson vs. Cilic, Troicki vs. Nishikori
Semifinals: Murray vs. Gasquet, Cilic vs. Nishikori
Final: Murray vs. Nishikori
Champion: Nishikori

Jeff McMillan’s picks

Round 2 matches: Murray vs. Gabashvili, Lu vs. Cuevas, Pospisil vs. Young, Estrella vs. Isner, Gasquet vs. Muller, Matosevic vs. Sock, Tomic vs. Johnson, Baghdatis vs. Dimitrov, Anderson vs. Zverev, Dolgopolov vs. Karlovic, Querrey vs. King, Sela vs. Cilic, Lopez vs. Hewitt, Groth vs. Troicki, Mayer vs. Kudla, Harrison vs. Nishikori
Round 3 matches: Murray vs. Lu, Pospisil vs. Isner, Gasquet vs. Sock, Johnson vs. Dimitrov, Anderson vs. Karlovic, Querrey vs. Cilic, Lopez vs. Troicki, Kudla vs. Nishikori
Quarterfinals: Murray vs. Isner, Gasquet vs. Dimitrov, Anderson vs. Cilic, Troicki vs. Nishikori
Semifinals: Murray vs. Dimitrov, Anderson vs. Nishikori
Final: Murray vs. Nishikori
Champion: Murray

Murray is the favorite in D.C., and Nishikori or a big server could make the final.

Kitzbuhel

2015 Generali Open Predictions

Steen Kirby’s picks

Round 2 matches: Thiem vs. Haider-Maurer, Montanes vs. Ramos, Fognini vs. Bedene, Giraldo vs. Kohlschreiber, Haase vs. Carreno Busta, Mathieu vs. Klizan, Vesely vs. Melzer, Lajovic vs. Seppi
Quarterfinals: Thiem vs. Ramos, Fognini vs. Giraldo, Carreno Busta vs. Mathieu, Vesely vs. Seppi
Semifinals: Thiem vs. Fognini, Mathieu vs. Vesely
Final: Fognini vs. Mathieu
Champion: Fognini

Niall Clarke’s picks

Round 2 matches: Thiem vs. Haider-Maurer, G. Melzer vs. Ramos, Fognini vs. Bedene, Giraldo vs. Kohlschreiber, Monaco vs. Carreno Busta, Mathieu vs. Klizan, Almagro vs. Gimeno-Traver, Lajovic vs. Seppi
Quarterfinals: Thiem vs. Ramos, Fognini vs. Kohlschreiber, Monaco vs. Klizan, Almagro vs. Seppi
Semifinals: Thiem vs. Fognini, Klizan vs. Seppi
Final: Fognini vs. Klizan
Champion: Klizan

Chris de Waard’s picks

Round 2 matches: Thiem vs. Haider-Maurer, G. Melzer vs. Ramos, Fognini vs. Bedene, Giraldo vs. Kohlschreiber, Monaco vs. Carreno Busta, Mathieu vs. Klizan, Vesely vs. Gimeno-Traver, Lajovic vs. Seppi
Quarterfinals: Thiem vs. Ramos, Fognini vs. Kohlschreiber, Carreno Busta vs. Klizan, Vesely vs. Seppi
Semifinals: Thiem vs. Fognini, Klizan vs. Seppi
Final: Fognini vs. Seppi
Champion: Fognini

Jeff McMillan’s picks

Round 2 matches: Thiem vs. Haider-Maurer, Montanes vs. Schwartzman, Fognini vs. Bedene, Giraldo vs. Kohlschreiber, Monaco vs. Delbonis, Mathieu vs. Klizan, Vesely vs. Gimeno-Traver, Lajovic vs. Seppi
Quarterfinals: Thiem vs. Schwartzman, Fognini vs. Kohlschreiber, Delbonis vs. Klizan, Vesely vs. Seppi
Semifinals: Thiem vs. Fognini, Klizan vs. Seppi
Final: Fognini vs. Seppi
Champion: Fognini

Fabio Fognini a clear favorite in Kitzbuhel, with Dominic Thiem likely fatigued.

Week 28 standings

Hamburg
1: Jeff (124 points) (+500 points overall)
2: Steen (92 points) (+300 points overall)
3: Niall (84 points) (+180 points overall)
4: Chris (80 points) (+180 points overall)
5: Joe (0 points) (+0 overall)

Gstaad
1: Chris (106 points) (+250 points overall)
2: Jeff (98 points) (+150 points overall)
3: Steen (74 points) (+90 points overall)
4: Niall (62 points) (+90 points overall)
5: Joe (50 points) (+45 points overall)

Atlanta
1: Steen (96 points) (+250 points overall)
2: Jeff (76 points)  (+150 points overall)
3: Niall (44 points)  (+90 points overall)
4: Chris (28 points)  (+90 points overall)
5: Joe (26 points) (+45 points overall)

Overall standings (after week 27) 

1: Steen: 13,080 ranking points (+640 points overall)
2: Niall: 11,500 points (+360 points overall)
3: Joe 10,730 points (+90 points overall)
4: Chris: 9,765 points (+520 points overall)
5: Jeff: 9,390 points (+800 points overall)

Jeff gains to tighten the standings as Steen again expands his lead a bit.