We've got three first round picks from Los Cabos today, where it's 86°F and climbing toward a high of 90°F under partial cloud cover. Hard court, heat, and a few intriguing matchups to get through. Which of these do you think produces a surprise?
Mifel Tennis Open Predictions
Jenson Brooksby vs Corentin Moutet
Head-to-head: Moutet leads 1-0
Moutet won the only previous meeting between these two, and I think he does it again here. He's the higher-ranked player and has been the more consistent presence on tour this season, while Brooksby has had a difficult stretch putting results together at this level.
That said, Moutet can be his own worst enemy when the match drags into a third set, and Brooksby is clever enough to create problems if he gets a foothold. Still, Moutet's variety and ability to change pace on hard courts should be enough to see him through, all things considered.
Prediction: Moutet in 3
Denis Shapovalov vs Rinky Hijikata
Head-to-head: Shapovalov leads 1-0
Shapovalov holds the H2H, but his form lately has been all over the place, and Hijikata is a dangerous floater at this level on hard courts. The heat in Los Cabos, which has a way of making even routine baseline exchanges feel like a grind, can really drag out rallies, and that's where Hijikata's consistency becomes a real problem for someone like Shapo, who needs things to happen quickly and on his terms.
Shapovalov can obviously be brilliant when it clicks, but he's been dropping matches he shouldn't be losing and Hijikata is good enough to stay in it long enough to capitalize on that. Hijikata takes this one.
Prediction: Hijikata in 3
Michael Zheng vs Martin Landaluce
Head-to-head: First meeting
Landaluce is the higher-ranked player and the expected favorite here, but Zheng has been pushing into the top 120 with some solid results and shouldn't be written off on a fast hard court. I feel like the conditions in Los Cabos, with the heat compressing points and rewarding flat hitting, actually suit Zheng's game reasonably well, and Landaluce hasn't been putting up eye-catching numbers on tour this season. First meetings are always a bit of a wildcard and this one feels tighter than the rankings suggest.
Prediction: Zheng in 3
For full predictions on ATP and WTA matches today, check out Uppset.
Credit Image: © Oscar Manuel Sanchez/ZUMA Press Wire