A few first-round picks from Cincinnati today, and honestly a pretty interesting trio of matchups across the board. Let's get into it.
Cincinnati Open Predictions
Denis Shapovalov vs Adrian Mannarino
Head-to-head: Shapovalov 2-1 Mannarino
Shapovalov leads the head-to-head, and on a fast hard court in Cincinnati I think that gap feels even wider than 2-1 suggests. Mannarino is a clever player, great with slice and angles, but those tricks lose a lot of their bite when the conditions don't slow the ball down for him.
Shapovalov's serve and forehand on this surface are just a different level to what Mannarino can bring, and this one feels like it'll be tight before Shapovalov eventually closes it out in three.
Prediction: Shapovalov in 3
Tomas Machac vs Pablo Carreno-Busta
Head-to-head: First meeting
Carreno-Busta has been around long enough to know exactly what he's doing on hard courts, and Machac, for all his talent, is still a work in progress at this level. The Czech has flashes of brilliance but hasn't yet shown he can grind through a full three-setter against a seasoned opponent when things get uncomfortable.
Hard to see this being competitive at all, and Carreno-Busta should still find a way to get through here, all things considered.
Prediction: Carreno-Busta in 3
Corentin Moutet vs Hubert Hurkacz
Head-to-head: Moutet 0-1 Hurkacz
Moutet is one of the most entertaining players on tour, and his lefty angles and defensive scrambling will make this annoying for Hurkacz at times. But Hurkacz's serve on an indoor-style fast hard court, which is about as close to a home surface as he gets, is basically a free point machine and Moutet just doesn't have the firepower to go toe-to-toe once Hurkacz gets comfortable at the net.
To make things worse for Moutet, Hurkacz has beaten him before and the conditions here suit Hubi about as well as anywhere on the calendar. I feel like this one follows a predictable path.
Prediction: Hurkacz in 3
For full predictions on ATP and WTA matches today, check out Uppset.
Credit Image: © Yannick Legare/ZUMA Press Wire