Winston-Salem Open Preview: Favorites, Sleepers and The Deacon Report

Winston-Salem Open: ATP 250 Event

Where: Wake Forest Tennis Complex (next to BB&T Field)

When: August 16th-August 23rd

Top Seeds:

No. 1 John Isner

No. 2 Kevin Anderson

No. 3 Tommy Robredo

No. 4 Leonardo Mayer

No. 5 Guillermo Garcia-Lopez

No. 6 Joao Soua

No. 7 Lukas Rosol

No. 8 Marcel Granollers

Favorites:

John Isner: The Greensboro-native has two Winston-Salem Open titles and is undefeated in this event. His monstrous serve and powerful forehand play well on these fast surfaces. Combined with the fan support, the top American tennis player is the undisputed favorite at the event.

Kevin Anderson: The world's 17th ranked player took a wild card in the event last week, drawing concern from other top players. The 6-8 South African boasts a dominant serve and a great net game. If there's an Isner-Anderson final, expect the match to come down to tiebreakers.

Sleepers:

Steve Johnson: The 16th-seed has been on a roll this summer, reaching the Top 50 for the first time in his career.  Johnson, who led USC to four straight NCAA championships, is an all-court grinder and uses his mental game to his advantage. While he has a tough draw- with Sam Querrey looming in the second round and Kevin Anderson in the third round- the 24-year-old can make some noise.

Jerzy Janowicz: After breaking through to the 2013 Wimbledon semis, injuries and inconsistency leave the Pole outside the top 50. The 6-8 Janowicz displayed his heavy forehand and big serve last week in Cincinnati, defeating Top 10 player Grigor Dimitrov. After this monumental win, the 23-year-old flaked out in straight sets the following day. Janowicz has the game to make a deep run, but is his head there?

Jurgen Melzer: After missing several months due to left shoulder issues, the defending champion enters the tournament unseeded. Now ranked No. 67, the wily southpaw needs to rely on his adept volleys and his ground strokes. Usually a powerful server, Melzer said his shoulder is still only 90 percent.

The Deacon Report:

Noah Rubin: The much-anticipated ATP debut for the Wake commit is against No. 116 and former NCAA Singles Champion Bradley Klahn. While the lefty is a very tough test for the 18-year-old, Rubin has a good chance to win the match. If  he wins, the Junior Wimbledon Champion faces none other than John Isner.

Jon Ho: The junior became the first Demon Deacons to win a match in the history of the Winston-Salem Open, defeating Quinton Vega 7-5, 6-1 in the first round of qualifiers. Ho dictated play with heavy ground strokes and his one-handed backhand. Ho will face the winner of Jason Jung and Andre Begeman later today. He is the first Demon Deacon to win a match in the history of the Winston-Salem Open.

Anthony Delcore: The junior lost in the qualifiers to Nicholas Monroe 6-4, 6-1. Delcore was praised for his thinking on the court, but needs to improve his forehand.

Maksim Kan: The sophomore was defeated in the qualifiers 6-1, 7-6. Kan was a strong third singles player as a freshman and will be a major factor for the Deacs this season.

Adam Lee: The recent Wake graduate will play Spain's David Marrero later today.

BSD has the Winston-Salem Open covered all week. Check out the Winston-Salem Open website for the match schedule and tickets. And click here for live scores.