Andy Murray will kick off his bid at the Toronto Masters against Italian Lorenzo Sonego as first-round action wraps up on Tuesday. Meanwhile Casper Ruud battles tricky opponent Jiri Lehecka in the round of 32.
Andy Murray vs. Lorenzo Sonego
Andy Murray has boosted his ranking thanks to a string of successes on the Challenger Tour this spring. The former world No. 1 and current world No. 40 played well in Washington last week, but he eventually succumbed to top seed Taylor Fritz in three tough sets. Murray is at home on North American hard courts and specifically the courts in Toronto.
Lorenzo Sonego is a more traditional clay courter. The world No. 39 elected to stay on European clay following a disappointing grass-court swing in which the Italian won two matches in four tournaments. Sonego reached the semis in Umag a couple weeks ago. He had some success on hard courts earlier this season, but as with many other Europeans who stayed on clay, he hasn’t played on hards since the Miami Masters.
Murray holds a 1-0 head-to-head over Sonego–a win he picked up this year in Doha. With the veteran’s decent form, inevitable crowd support, and with plenty of rest from losing in the third round last week, this one should go to Murray.
Cheryl pick: Murray in 2
Ricky pick: Murray in 2
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(3) Casper Ruud vs. Jiri Lehecka
This is a tricky opening match for Casper Ruud. The world No. 5 has enjoyed some of his best success on clay, but he’s no one-trick pony. Ruud made the final of the U.S. Open in 2022, although his results on hards this year are notably unimpressive. The Norwegian hasn’t won two matches in a row on hard courts all season–a surprise given his run to the final at least year’s Nitto ATP Finals.
Jiri Lehecka of the Czech Republic has been sporadically inspired in 2023. The world No. 36 made the quarters at the Australian Open but lost the first round of the Phoenix Challenger. He made the semis in Doha (which he lost to Murray) but lost in the first round in Dubai.
It’s tempting to pick Ruud and it wouldn’t be a surprise if the No. 3 seed were to advance, but given current hard-court form and his disappointment on hards this season, this will likely be an upset for Lehecka.
Cheryl pick: Lehecka in 3
Ricky pick: Lehecka in 3
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