The final stop ahead of the third Grand Slam of the season, Wimbledon, next week, the Aegon International in Eastbourne provides some of the top men one final lead-up ahead of the grass courts of the All England Club.
Featuring two of the world’s top 20 including 12-time Grand Slam champion and three-time Wimbledon winner Novak Djokovic, the Aegon International in Eastbourne, where the men return to for the first time since 2014, serves as the final grass court lead-up event ahead of Wimbledon, with 250 ranking points on offer for the champion on the south coast of England at Devonshire Park.
First quarter
The top quarter of the draw is led by top-seeded wildcard Novak Djokovic, making his Eastbourne debut, and eighth seed Diego Schwartzman of Argentina. For Djokovic, the Serb begins his grass court season against either big-hitting Czech lefty Jiri Vesely, who upset Djokovic in Monte Carlo in 2016, or Canadian qualifier Vasek Pospisil in the second round. The former world number one could then face eighth-seeded Schwartzman, who plays American Next Gen star Jared Donaldson in the first round before a possible meeting with Donald Young or Brit Kyle Edmund in the second round ahead of a potential last eight meeting with Djokovic.
Despite the top seed’s struggles this season, the three-time Wimbledon champion has a very comfortable early draw in Eastbourne and if Djokovic can navigate his way past a potentially dangerous opening match against either Vesely or Pospisil, the Serb looks good to make the semifinals at Devonshire Park.
Semifinalist: Djokovic
Second quarter
The second quarter of the draw features two Americans, fourth seed Steve Johnson and fifth seed Sam Querrey. For Johnson, who made an emotional run to the third round of the French Open following the death of his father, the American opens against two qualifiers, either Thomas Fabbiano or Franko Skugor, while Querrey, who knocked out Djokovic in the third round of Wimbledon last year, begins his Eastbourne campaign against Russian Daniil Medvedev before a possible second round meeting with three-time ‘s-Hertogenbosch champion Nicolas Mahut or Dutchman Robin Haase.
If Johnson and Querrey can take advantage of a pretty straightforward quarter, they should be set for a quarterfinal collision, where former Aegon Championships winner Querrey would most likely be the favorite.
Semifinalist: Querrey
Third quarter
The third quarter is headlined by big-serving American and third seed John Isner and seventh-seeded Frenchman Richard Gasquet, a 2015 Wimbledon semifinalist. For Isner, the six-foot-11-inch American awaits the winner of Jeremy Chardy and Dusan Lajovic before a possible quarterfinal encounter with Gasquet. The former top ten Frenchman plays American Next Gen star Frances Tiafoe in the opening round before possibly meeting a difficult second round opponent in either Brazilian Thomaz Bellucci or 2015 Queen’s runner-up Kevin Anderson, another big server, of South Africa.
In this section with a few big servers, there is bound to be many close matches especially given the grass court surface here on the south coast of England. If Anderson can play consistent tennis, he should be the favorite to reach a quarterfinal meeting with Isner, and given the giant South African’s pedigree on this surface, he would likely be the favorite to reach the last four in Eastbourne.
Semifinalist: Anderson
Fourth quarter
The bottom quarter of the draw is by second-seeded French wildcard Gael Monfils and sixth seed of Germany, Mischa Zverev, who reached the final at the Mercedes Cup in Stuttgart a few weeks back to begin the grass court season. For Monfils, the always popular flashy Frenchman opens against either British wildcard Cameron Norrie or Horacio Zeballos before a possible matchup with Zverev in the quarterfinals. For the left-handed German, he has American Ryan Harrison in the first round ahead of a possible second round meeting with either qualifier Norbert Gombos or Australian Bernard Tomic.
While Zverev and Tomic do both pose a significant threat on the grass and could be an intriguing second round match here at Devonshire Park, this quarter seems to be primed for Zverev to keep up his impressive grass court form from tournaments in Germany in Stuttgart and Halle and to keep it up in Eastbourne and make himself a contender to make the second week at Wimbledon.
Semifinalist: Zverev
Predictions:
Semifinals: Querrey def. Djokovic, Zverev def. Anderson
Final: Zverev def. Querrey
