Stefanos Tsitsipas will be back in action for the first time since reaching the Australian Open semifinals when he faces Egor Gerasimov on Tuesday in Rotterdam. Meanwhile, an all-French affair pits Ugo Humbert against Jeremy Chardy.
(SE) Egor Gerasimov vs. (2) Stefanos Tsitsipas
Tsitsipas and Gerasimov will be squaring off for the third time in their careers (second time at the ATP level) when they clash in round one of the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament on Tuesday. The head-to-head series is tied up at one win apiece, with Gerasimov winning 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 at the 2016 Andria Challenger before Tsitsipas cruised 6-3, 6-1 two years ago in Dubai.
Gerasimov got into the Rotterdam field with a special exemption after making a run to last week’s Montpellier semis (lost to eventual champion David Goffin in three sets). It was a big improvement for the 76th-ranked Belarusian, who lost to Aslan Karatsev 6-0, 6-1, 6-0 in round two of the Australian Open. Still, Montpellier was a far cry from what is on display in Rotterdam. A well-rested and in-form Tsitsipas should have little against an opponent who hasn’t beaten anyone in the Top 50 other the Benoit Paire at the Aussie Open since last year’s U.S. Open.
Pick: Tsitsipas in 2
(Q) Jeremy Chardy vs. Ugo Humbert
While Gerasimov played his way into Rotterdam by winning three matches in Montpellier, Chardy by winning two qualifying matches. The 64th-ranked Frenchman needed three sets to get past both Tallon Griekspoor and Antoine Hoang. Thus continues a strong start to 2021 for Chardy, who reached back-to-back semifinals in Antalya and at a Melbourne 250 before getting the worst possible draw at the Australian Open (lost to Novak Djokovic in the first round).
The only previous encounter between these two Frenchmen came at the 2019 Aussie Open, when Chardy survived a four-hour and four-minute thriller 3-6, 7-6(6), 6-4, 6-7(4), 7-6(6). Humbert is a much different player two years later, with his first two ATP titles coming in 2020 and helping him up to No. 31 in the world. On a surface that is probably playing too slow for him, Chardy’s qualifying performances were not particularly impressive and Humbert represents a steep step up in competition.
Pick: Humbert in 2
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