John Isner vs Christopher Eubanks Prediction & Betting Tips - ATP Delray Beach Open

Prediction published on 13/02/2023, 06:42  by Steve Ashfield | Modified on 13/02/2023 at 08:02 in Tennis Predictions

John Isner faces qualifier Christopher Eubanks in the Delray Beach Open first round. Waiting for the winner in round two are unseeed Radu Albot or wildcard Fernando Verdasco. Isner begins this tournament ranked 37th so he'll be keen to get back into the top 32 and be seeded at future Grand Slam tournaments. The big-hitting American made a slow start to the new year, losing in the first round in Auckland and the Australian Open. Last week saw much better form though as he made it all the way to the final in Dallas. He lost to Yibling Wu in a match where all three sets were decided by tie-breaks. Isner has played seven matches this year and every single one has had at least one tie-break (12 in total) plus two 7-5 sets. A bet on a tie-break in this match is one that just has to be made. He's had one previous match against Eubanks and his opponent beat him three years ago. That was in the All-American Cup and was played on clay not a hard court as is the case this week.

Christopher Eubanks had to play two qualifiers to get to this main draw. He had a battle in the second of his matches needing three sets to get past Aleksandr Vukic, winning just one game in the second set. The American began this event ranked a career high 102nd in the world. Reaching the main draw has seen him rise to 100th so that's a big landmark for the 26-year-old who has been on the ATP Tour since 2017. He began this year ranked 123rd but started his climb up the ladder when reaching the last 16 in Auckland last month but didn't beat anyone ranked in the top 80. Eubanks beat the then world number 52 soonwoo Kwon in the Australian Open first round but lost to Jiri Lehecka in four sets. Last week saw him beaten in the first round in Dallas by Oscar Otte.  Look for another early exit this week as Isner is our tip to win.