Seeds Holger Rune and Denis Shapovalov will continue their Acapulco campaigns when second-round action takes place on Wednesday night. They will go up against Brandon Nakashima and Alex Michelsen, respectively.
(9) Denis Shapovalov vs. Alex Michelsen
Having recovered from a knee injury and armed with a clean bill of health, Shapovalov has rounded into form in a big way dating back to last fall. The 32nd-ranked Canadian wrapped up 2024 with a title in Belgrade and he is coming off an ATP 500 triumph a few weeks ago in Dallas. Shapovalov extended his winning streak to six matches by beating Nishesh Basavareddy 7-5, 6-2 in round one of the Abierto Mexicano Telcel.
Up next for the left-hander on Wednesday is a first-ever showdown against Michelsen. The 34th-ranked American endured a much tougher test on Tuesday night, outlasting Bu Yunchaokete 2-6, 7-6(5), 7-6(5) in two hours and 53 minutes after Bu served for a straight-set victory. Michelsen is now 10-5 this season, although he did not play particularly well in either Dallas or Delray Beach. With Shapovalov on fire and Michelsen surely fatigued, this is a good spot for the No. 9 seed.
Pick: Shapovalov in 2
(4) Holger Rune vs. Brandon Nakashima
Rune and Nakashima will be going head-to-head for the fourth time in their careers. Nakashima has won all three of their previous meetings; in four sets at the 2021 NextGen ATP Finals and in straights at the 2023 Shanghai Masters and 2024 U.S. Open.
It’s worth noting that Rune had been 1-2 against Roberto Carballes Baena and 0-1 on outdoor hard courts but defeated the Spaniard in straight sets in his Acapulco opener. The 13th-ranked Dane has always played well at this tournament, as each of his previous two appearances ended in the semifinals. Nakashima did well to beat Benjamin Bonzi 7-6(6), 7-5 on Tuesday, but he is still under .500 for the year (4-5). This is a great opportunity for Rune to finally get over the hump in this matchup.
Pick: Rune in 3
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