Nick Kyrgios will try to keep his momentum going when he kicks off his Montreal champaign against Sebastian Baez on Tuesday. First-round action is also wrapping up with a showdown between Botic van de Zandschulp and Miomir Kecmanovic.
Miomir Kecmanovic vs. Botic van de Zandschulp
Van de Zandschulp and Kecmanovic will be going head-to-head for the third time in their careers and for the third time this season when they meet again in round one of the National Bank Open on Tuesday. They have split their two previous encounters; Kecmanovic prevailed 7-6(3), 7-5 at the Indian Wells Masters before Van de Zandschulp got revenge via a 2-6, 7-6(4), 6-4 victory on the red clay of Munich.
Both players are in the midst of their best years on tour. Van de Zandschulp comes in at No. 25 in the rankings and Kecmanovic is also in good shape to be seeded at the U.S. Open (currently 35th). As he did in their first hard-court matchup, Kecmanovic probably has an edge on this surface and he is also coming off a solid week in Los Cabos–where he reached the semifinals in singles (lost to eventual champion Daniil Medvedev) and won the doubles title (with William Blumberg).
Pick: Kecmanovic in 2
Sebastian Baez vs. Nick Kyrgios
Kyrgios is playing the best tennis of his career right now. The 27-year-old Australian is 18-1 in his last 19 matches (singles and doubles combined), highlighted by a runner-up effort at Wimbledon, a title in Washington, D.C., and doubles triumphs in both D.C. and Atlanta. Although Kyrgios has been playing a lot this summer, his body appears to be holding up well and–perhaps even more importantly–his mental game is looking as sound as ever.
The latter point isn’t saying much, but it does inspire confidence that he can at least keep his head on straight for a while longer. Kyrgios’ first order of business in Montreal is to beat Baez on Tuesday, which would propel him into a showdown against No. 1 seed and defending champion Daniil Medvedev. Baez lost their only previous contest 6-4, 6-0 this spring in Indian Wells. The 32nd-ranked Argentine isn’t entirely hopeless on hard courts, but considering the surface and Kyrgios’ current form this will likely be a straightforward affair.
Pick: Kyrgios in 2
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