Rotterdam R1 previews and predictions: Musetti vs. Griekspoor, Auger-Aliassime vs. Cressy

Tallon Griekspoor will be playing in front of the home crowd in Rotterdam when he takes the court against Lorenzo Musetti on Monday. First-round action also includes a showdown between Felix Auger-Aliassime and Maxime Cressy.

Tallon Griekspoor vs. Lorenzo Musetti

Musetti and Griekspoor will be going head-to-head for the second time in their careers when they clash in round one of the ABN AMRO Open on Monday night. Their only previous meeting came three years ago in the final round of Australian Open qualifying, where Griekspoor got the job done 6-4, 7-6(8).

Both players have improved substantially since then, but it is Griekspoor who is playing especially well at the moment. The 27-year-old has climbed to No. 30 in the world thanks to a title last summer in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, a runner-up showing in Washington, D.C., and multiple quarterfinal efforts during the fall swing. Musetti has lost his second match at each of his three events this year, including a five-setter against Luca Van Assche at Melbourne Park. This will probably be a tough one for the Italian, as Griekspoor has home-court advantage and should also have the edge on an indoor hard court.

Pick: Griekspoor in 2

(Q) Maxime Cressy vs. Felix Auger-Aliassime

Auger-Aliassime is nowhere close to his best level these days, but he is at least playing decent tennis again. The 28th-ranked Canadian successfully defended his Basel title late in 2023 and he won two matches at the Australian Open and this past week in Marseille.

Up first for Auger-Aliassime on Monday is a third meeting with Cressy. The head-to-head series tied at one win apiece; Cressy prevailed 6-7(5), 6-4, 7-6(9), 7-6(5) at Wimbledon in 2022 before Auger-Aliassime scored a 7-6(4), 3-6, 6-3 victory last year in Dubai. Cressy is struggling down at No. 128 in the world, but he did well to qualify for the Rotterdam main draw by beating Arthur Rinderknech and Pablo Llamas Ruiz. This is a tough matchup for Auger-Aliassime because just one careless service game against an effective server like Cressy–especially indoors–can mean the loss of a set. Still, Auger-Aliassime has restored some confidence in his game and should be able to advance.

Pick: Auger-Aliassime in 3