First-round action continues in ‘s-Hertogenbosch on Tuesday, when Emil Ruusuvuori and Brandon Nakashima take the court. Alexander Bublik and David Goffin are also getting their grass-court campaigns underway.
Emil Ruusuvuori vs. Brandon Nakashima
Ruusuvuori and Nakashima will be going head-to-head for the third time in their careers when they clash in round one of the Libema Open on Tuesday. They have split their two previous encounters; Nakashima prevailed 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 in the 2021 Atlanta semifinals before Ruusuvuori got the job done 6-3, 6-3 at last year’s Phoenix Challenger.
Both guys are decent on grass, but Nakashima should be feeling especially good about his prospects for the upcoming weeks following his Wimbledon fourth-round run in 2022. The 54th-ranked American even came within one set of the quarterfinals but lost to Nick Kyrgios in five. Nakashima also has momentum after finishing runner-up on the red clay of Lyon prior to Roland Garros. Ruusuvuori has been superior overall this season, but Nakashima may have slight edge based on his recent results and his past success on the lawn.
Pick: Nakashima in 3
Alexander Bublik vs. (Q) David Goffin
Bublik is a horrendous 7-18 this year, but his least favorite part of the season is finally in the rearview mirror and the five-week stretch that gives him the best opportunity for success has arrived. The grass-court swing is so short that Bublik does not have time to mess around and waste tournaments, so he should be motivated in ‘s-Hertogenbosch.
Up first for the 47th-ranked Kazakh is Goffin, who also owns just seven victories at the ATP level in 2023. The 126th-ranked Belgian has struggled and his comeback has been slow going, with no trips past the second round in six consecutive events on the main tour. Goffin did well to qualify for the main draw this week and that could give him an early edge with two matches already under his belt, but overall Bublik is the better grass-court player at this point in time.
Pick: Bublik in 3
WWW?
Naka in 2….Bublik in 2.