A couple of second round picks from Washington today, with temperatures around 74°F under partially cloudy skies. We've got Shelton on home soil and De Minaur against a serious longshot, so let's get into it.
Citi Open Predictions
Ugo Humbert vs Ben Shelton
Head-to-head: Shelton leads 1-0
Shelton is the clear favorite here and the Washington crowd will be fully behind him. Hard courts are where he's most dangerous, and Humbert comes in ranked 169th, well past his best form. Their only previous meeting went to Shelton, and there's not much in Humbert's recent results to suggest he's capable of flipping that.
That said, Humbert has always been a tricky opponent when he's serving well and hitting flat off both wings, and on a fast hard court he can cause problems for anyone on a given day. I think Shelton's power and crowd support get him through, all things considered, but don't be surprised if Humbert steals a set.
Prediction: Shelton in 3
Alex De Minaur vs Cruz Hewitt
Head-to-head: First meeting
Hewitt is ranked 612th in the world and hard to see this being competitive at all. De Minaur has been one of the most consistent players on the tour all season, and hard courts are comfortably his best surface. There's just no realistic path to an upset here.
Prediction: Minaur in 2
For full predictions on ATP and WTA matches today, check out Uppset.
Credit Image: © Debby Wong/ZUMA Press Wire