Joao Fonseca will get his Montreal Masters campaign underway with a blockbuster matchup against qualifier Stefanos Tsitsipas on Wednesday. Second-round competition also includes an all-American showdown between Ben Shelton and Jenson Brooksby.
(Q) Stefanos Tsitsipas vs. (22) Joao Fonseca
Fonseca and Tsitsipas will be going head-to-head for the second time in their careers when they clash in round two of the National Bank Open on Wednesday. Their only previous meeting came last September in Davis Cup rubber on an outdoor hard court in Greece, with Fonseca prevailing 6-4, 3-6, 7-5.
The Brazilian heads into this rematch as a considerable favorite. He is up to No. 27 in the world after reaching the quarterfinals at Roland Garros and the third round at Wimbledon. Whereas Fonseca has not played an ATP event since leaving the All-England Club, Tsitsipas has been busy. The 53rd-ranked Greek captured a title on the red clay of Gstaad before losing to Alex de Minaur in the Washington, D.C. first round. Tsitsipas qualified for the Montreal main draw with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Keegan Rice and then beat Martin Damm 6-4, 6-4 on Tuesday. The 27-year-old is starting to find some confidence, but it’s hard to see his backhand standing up to Fonseca’s forehand on a relatively quick hard court.
Pick: Fonseca in 3
Jenson Brooksby vs. (5) Ben Shelton
Shelton is the defending champion of this tournament — even if it was held in Toronto last year. It may be a new venue in Montreal, but any event this time of year is favorable for Shelton. This is the 10th-ranked American’s favorite stretch of tennis, culminating at the U.S. Open later this month. It did not start particularly well, as Shelton advanced two rounds in Washington, D.C. before getting upset by Alejandro Tabilo in the quarterfinals. With 1000 points to defend and coming off an early loss in the district, it goes without saying that Shelton will be extremely motivated for a fortnight in which plenty of other players do not seem overly invested.
Photo credit: Courtesy of The Atlanta Cup/Jared Wickerham
Up first for the fifth seed on Wednesday is Brooksby, whom he has never faced. The 74th-ranked American is just 11-17 at the ATP level this season, although he did well to defeat Adam Walton 6-3, 6-4 on Monday. Brooksby is a tricky opponent, but his serve generally is not good enough to go the distance without getting broken even against a mediocre returner like Shelton. And when you are getting broken by Shelton, you rarely have much of a chance to even force a tiebreaker.
Pick: Shelton in 2