A couple of intriguing first-round showdowns are on the schedule for Monday in Monte-Carlo. Sebastian Korda is going up against Botic Van de Zandschulp, while Marin Cilic faces the soon-to-be-retired Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
Sebastian Korda vs. Botic Van de Zandschulp
Korda and Van de Zandschulp will be going head-to-head for the second time in their careers when they clash in round one of the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters on Monday. Their only previous meeting came last fall on the indoor hard courts of St. Petersburg, where Van de Zandschulp prevailed 6-2, 7-5.
The surface should not matter too much, as both guys are quite capable on all courts. A slight edge on clay may go to Korda, who reached the fourth round of the French Open in 2020 and earned the first ATP title of his career last spring in Parma. The 21-year-old American is also in fine form right now; his losses in Indian Wells and Miami came to Rafael Nadal (in a three-set thriller) and Miomir Kecmanovic, respectively. Van de Zandschulp has cooled off a bit since his late-season hot streak in 2021, so this is a good opportunity for Korda.
Pick: Korda in 3
(WC) Jo-Wilfried Tsonga vs. Marin Cilic
Tsonga will begin the stretch run of his career on Monday in Monte-Carlo. Last week the 36-year-old announced his upcoming retirement at next month’s French Open. Tsonga has been plagued by injuries in recent seasons and he is a father now, so tennis has been down low on his priority list for a while at this point. The world No. 254 has won two matches on the main tour in 2022 (compared to four losses), so he at least remains somewhat competitive.
Up first for Tsonga this week is a ninth career ATP-level meeting with Cilic, who leads the head-to-head series 6-2–including 2-0 on clay. Cilic is still going relatively strong at 33 years old, as he comes in at 22nd in the rankings. The Croat has a huge edge in terms of form, head-to-head history, and the surface, so this will likely be a straightforward affair.
Pick: Cilic in 2
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Korda in a tough 3; Cilic in straight.