We've got three picks from the opening round of the HSBC Championships at Queen's Club today. Plenty of interesting matchups here, so let's get into it.
HSBC Championships Predictions
Cameron Norrie vs Alejandro Davidovich Fokina
Head-to-head: Norrie 0-2 Fokina
Norrie at Queen's is always a talking point given the home crowd and his generally solid grass-court record, but Fokina has beaten him twice already and there's no reason to think this goes differently. Norrie's had a pretty inconsistent year and hasn't looked close to his best in recent months, while Fokina brings genuine variety and the kind of awkward, aggressive lefty game that really disrupts rhythm on grass.
The crowd will be into it, but hard to see this being competitive at all. Fokina's the better player right now and he's already proven he can handle Norrie on the big occasions.
Prediction: Fokina in 2
Alex De Minaur vs Gabriel Diallo
Head-to-head: De Minaur 2-0 Diallo
De Minaur is quietly one of the best grass-court players in the world and Queen's has been a happy hunting ground for him. Diallo has a big serve that can cause problems on this surface, but De Minaur's speed and consistency in returning make that weapon a lot less scary than it would be against most opponents. He's won both previous meetings and this one shouldn't be any different.
Prediction: Minaur in 2
Jakub Mensik vs Adrian Mannarino
Head-to-head: First meeting
Mannarino is a sneaky dangerous opponent on grass. His slice-heavy, low-bouncing game causes all kinds of problems and he's beaten higher-ranked players here before. That said, Mensik is talented and his big serve will help, but he's still young and this is a tricky first-round draw, not a gimme. I feel like Mensik has enough to come through, all things considered, but Mannarino will make it uncomfortable and we might well be looking at three sets.
Prediction: Mensik in 3
For full predictions on ATP and WTA matches today, check out Uppset.
Credit Image: © Oscar J. Barroso/AFP7 via ZUMA Press Wire