First-round action in Auckland wraps up on Tuesday, when Frenchmen Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard and Gael Monfils take the court. They are facing Roberto Bautista Agut and Fabian Marozsan, respectively.
(WC) Roberto Bautista Agut vs. Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard
Bautista Agut has not played since the 2025 U.S. Open and he withdrew from Brisbane qualifying last week, so he heads into the ASB Classic as a major question mark. The 37-year-old Spaniard had been entered in Auckland qualifying, but he ended up getting a main-draw wild card. To say that this is a perfect spot for Bautista Agut’s comeback would be a gross understatement. He is 13-3 lifetime in Auckland with two titles (2016, 2018).
Up first for the world No. 90 on Tuesday is Mpetshi Perricard, whom he has never faced. Mpetshi Perricard is coming off a quarterfinal performance in Brisbane, where he defeated both Tommy Paul and Rinky Hijikata in third-set tiebreakers before losing to Aleksandar Kovacevic in three sets. Although Bautista Agut can never be discounted in Auckland, the 22-year-old Frenchman’s preparation for Tuesday’s match has been far superior.
Pick: Mpetshi Perricard in 3
Fabian Marozsan vs. Gael Monfils
Marozsan and Monfils will be squaring off for the fourth time in their careers on Tuesday. If the previous meetings are any indication, the Auckland fans are in for a fun one. All three of their previous encounters have required a final set, with Marozsan prevailing in a third-set ‘breaker at this same Auckland event in 2024 before Monfils got the job done twice during the spring of 2025 (Miami and Monte-Carlo).
This marks the first match of Monfils’ final season on tour. The 39-year-old Frenchman is down at No. 110 in the world, but — when healthy — his results remain decent. Marozsan comes in at 52nd in the rankings after reaching a couple of quarterfinals last fall (Beijing, Almaty). The 26-year-old Hungarian lost right away in Hong Kong this past week to Yibing Wu, but at least he has a match under his belt. Given the age difference and Monfils’ rust having not played a match since September, Marozsan is the far more reliable of the two competitors.
Pick: Marozsan in 3
WWW?
GMP in 2; Marz in 2