Atlanta Open: Ricardas Berankis vs. Jack Sock 7/27/21 Tennis Prediction

Ricardas Berankis of Lithuania will face American Jack Sock in the First Round of the Atlanta Open. The match is scheduled to be played on Tuesday July 27th, 2021 at 3:00pm EST.

A very even contest is expected as ATP Tour veterans Jack Sock and Ricardas Berankis do battle in the First Round here at the 2021 Atlanta Open. Both men have had very long and successful careers, and will be eager to do well here in Atlanta to revive their inconsistent 2021 seasons. Will the higher-ranked Berankis get the win here? Or can the local favorite Jack Sock cause the upset on home soil, advancing to the Round of 16 here at the Atlanta Open?

Ricardas Berankis is unseeded here at the Atlanta Open and is ranked #81 in the world. The Lithuanian has had an inconsistent season so far this year, with a losing 11-12 record. He will be aiming to turn his fortunes around here in Atlanta after losing in the First Round in Hamburg to Benoit Paire, having to retire towards the end of the first set. It remains to be seen if he has fully recovered from that injury, and while he is the favorite here against Jack Sock, knows that it will be difficult for a few reasons, most notably the fact that Sock is highly experienced and is a former top 10 player, and that he is playing on home soil with lots of support. Berankis certainly has an excellent chance of winning here, but will have to be at his best.

Jack Sock is also unseeded here in Atlanta and is ranked a lowly #201 in the world rankings. The American has struggled mightily with loss of form and multiple injuries over the past few years, and while it is nice to see him back on the tour, it is evident that he is no longer the player that he one was. His serve and forehand have lost some of their power, but remain serious weapons and he will be looking to those to bring him to victory here over his opponent Ricardas Berankis. He enters this match as the underdog, but will be backing himself here and will rely on the home support to push him towards an upset victory.

This is the second time that the two players have faced each other on the Tour, with Ricardas Berankis leading the head to head 1-0. However, that result doesn’t have much bearing on this match if any since it was all the way back in 2013. I am expecting a very close contest that can go either way, with Sock having more firepower and Berankis being the steadier more controlled player. After considering everything, I am going with Jack Sock to get the win here. While still not at his best, he has been improving steadily and I think the fact that he is playing at home will be the difference here. Berankis has a chance for sure, but I am backing Jack Sock to get the close win and advance to the Round of 16 here at the 2021 Atlanta Open.