Ivo Karlovic vs. Gilles Muller

Anyone thinking the 1990s are long gone hasn’t seen the tennis in Newport.  Since Newport falls after Wimbledon, pressure is minimal to make the grass play like that at the All England Lawn Tennis Croquet Club (those courts slowed down in 2002).  Ivo Karlovic is 37 years old and is a Croatian ace machine who is 6’11”.  Gilles Muller is 6’4″, left-handed, and 33 years of age.  Karlovic is playing in his 6th career grass court final (his record is 2-3 at the moment) and has reached his 3rd consecutive Newport final (0-2 over the past two finals).  Muller is in his 5th career final and second grass court final of the year.  Muller is 0-4 in career finals. Something has to give as either Ivo will finally win a Newport title or Muller will finally win a singles title on the main tour.

What to Expect – Short points and a fair number of aces and service winners

My Prediction – Muller beat Dr. Ivo 7-6, 7-6 on grass in the Netherlands roughly 5 weeks ago. That might bode well for Muller, but I think Ivo is due to win a title in Newport.

Ivo Karlovic d. Gilles Muller 7-6, 7-6