First-round previews and predictions: Cilic vs. Lopez, Goffin vs. Coric

Marin Cilic and Feliciano Lopez are set for an intriguing opener at Queen’s Club on Monday. The first day of action is also getting underway in Halle, where David Goffin is going up against Borna Coric.

AEGON Championships: Feliciano Lopez vs. (5) Marin Cilic

Cilic and Lopez will be squaring off for the sixth time in their careers and for the second time at Queen’s Club when they meet again during first-round action on Monday. Cilic is leading the head-to-head series 3-2 and he beat Lopez 4-6, 7-6(5), 7-5 in round two of this same event in 2013. They have not faced each other since the 2014 Cincinnati Masters, where the 13th-ranked Croat got the job done 6-3, 6-4.

After taking care of Lopez in Cincinnati, Cilic went on to triumph in stunning fashion at the U.S. Open. Since then, however, the 27-year-old has been slowed by injuries and that is part of the reason why he is now outside the top 10. Cilic is just 16-12 this season and he is coming off a disastrous first-round French Open loss to Marco Trungelliti. Lopez is a modest 14-15 for his 2016 campaign and he fell to Mikhail Youzhny right away in Stuttgart this past week. But that setback can be chalked up to a long fortnight at Roland Garros, where the 21st-ranked Spaniard reached the third round in singles and lifted the doubles trophy with Marc Lopez. Now well-rested and presumably still playing with confidence, Lopez should take advantage of a favorable surface to extend Cilic’s woes.

Pick: Lopez in 2

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Gerry Weber Open: Borna Coric vs. (5) David Goffin

Goffin and Coric will be going head-to-head for the fourth time in their careers when they kick off their Halle campaigns on Monday. All three of their previous encounters have gone the way of Goffin, who most recently beat Coric 6-3, 6-2, 2-6, 3-6, 6-3 in a clay-court Davis Cup rubber between Belgium and visiting Croatia earlier this season. The world No. 11 also prevailed on the indoor hard courts of Basel in 2014 (6-4, 3-6, 6-3) and last year in Miami (6-0, 6-4).

Playing by far the best tennis of his career, Goffin is on the brink of the top 10 and he came within one win (when he faced Dominic Thiem in the French Open quarterfinals) of soaring all the way to No. 7 in the world. His 26-11 record this season is highlighted by back-to-back semifinal runs in Indian Wells and Miami. Coric is a decent 16-15 for the year and he is coming off a third-round performance in Paris. The world No. 49 is a mere 2-3 lifetime at the ATP level on grass, so it is safe to say that he is inexperienced at best on the green stuff. A red-hot Goffin should have no trouble taking advantage.

Pick: Goffin in 2

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