A couple of Americans are in first-round action in Acapulco on Tuesday, with Tommy Paul taking on big-serving Canadian Milos Raonic and Frances Tiafoe battling South African veteran Kevin Anderson.
(4) Milos Raonic vs. Tommy Paul
Milos Raonic has had a good though not spectacular start to the tennis season. The oft-injured Canadian advanced to the round of 16 at the Australian Open, where he ran into perennial favorite and 2021 champion Novak Djokovic–against whom he has a 0-12 record. The world No. 19 hasn’t played a tournament since Melbourne.
Tommy Paul’s season has been a mixed bag so far. The world No. 51 limped through his first few tournaments, going on a run of three second-round showings in a row. He picked up the pace a bit in Rotterdam a couple weeks ago, when he made the quarterfinals.
Acapulco features a relatively slow hard court, which will probably benefit the American. Unlike many Americans, Paul played on clay frequently as a junior (he won the 2015 boys singles title at Roland Garros) and the slower courts will help neutralize Raonic’s booming first serve a bit. Also, Paul has proven he plays well at this event; he came up through qualies last year and made the quarters–defeating Alexander Zverev along the way.
Despite the ranking disparity, this could be a real battle for the favorite. Raonic’s first serve is always a factor, but Paul may earn himself at least a look at the upset.
Cheryl pick: Raonic in 3
Ricky pick: Raonic in 2
Frances Tiafoe vs. Kevin Anderson
This could be another entertaining match on Tuesday. Kevin Anderson has been sidelined with injury woes over the past few years. He never re-discovered the form that saw him to No. 5 in the world back in 2018, but with his first serve and his experience he’s a dangerous player to come up against in the first round.
American Frances Tiafoe is looking for a resurgence of his own. In 2019, he rose to No. 29 in the world, but his form abandoned him in 2020. He finds himself ranked 56th in the world and he’s an even 5-5 on the season so far, although he hasn’t beaten any players ranked higher than he is.
Anderson and Tiafoe are not strangers on court. They’ve met four other times, with Anderson holding a 3-1 edge. Their last match was a battle at the Australian Open, which Tiafoe won in four. Anderson and his first serve might be enough to take a set, but Tiafoe should get through to the second round.
Cheryl pick: Tiafoe in 3
Ricky pick: Tiafoe in 3
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