Huge serves will undoubtedly be on display when Reilly Opelka and Nick Kyrgios collide in round one of the Toronto Masters on Monday. Dan Evans and Alexander Bublik are also headlining the first day of main-draw action.
(WC) Nick Kyrgios vs. Reilly Opelka
Due to injuries and also inactivity as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, Kyrgios is struggling down at No. 77 in the world heading into the National Bank Open. Barring a title in either Toronto or Cincinnati, the 26-year-old will almost certainly be unseeded for the U.S. Open. Kyrgios tried to pick up momentum by playing in Atlanta and Washington, D.C., but he won a grand total of one match in those two tournaments combined.
The Australian does not have an easy opener on his hands in Canada, where Opelka awaits in the first round. It goes without saying that their first-ever meeting can be expected to come dow to just a few key points, as breaks will likely be few and far between. In fact, Opelka played five total sets in Atlanta and every single one required a tiebreaker. The 36th-ranked American proceeded to advance one round in the district before falling to John Millman. Opelka is slightly more confident at the moment and wields an even bigger serve, so those factors should bail him out in the pressure situations.
Pick: Opelka in 3
Dan Evans vs. Alexander Bublik
Evans and Bublik will be squaring off for the fourth time in their careers on Monday. The head-to-head series is officially tied up at one win apiece, but Bublik also prevailed 6-4, 6-4 during qualifying competition at the 2019 Miami Masters. He went on to win 5-7, 6-4, 6-1 in the Davis Cup Finals at the end of that season before Evans scored a 7-5, 6-2 victory at the 2020 Adelaide event.
Both players have been in stellar form for the most part this year. Bublik has done damage on all three surfaces, while Evans excelled on clay–which is normally the worst kind of court for his game. The 27th-ranked Brit will be well-rested for Toronto, as he has not played since reaching the last 32 at Wimbledon. Bublik, on the other hand, advanced to the Newport semifinals and then lost right away at the Tokyo Olympics to Daniil Medvedev. That is a lot of travel for little results. It may take a while for Evans to get going, but once he gets in gear he is generally a far more reliable player than Bublik.
Pick: Evans in 3
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