Familiar foes Stefanos Tsitsipas and Ugo Humbert will face each other again on Tuesday as second-round action at the Toronto Masters gets underway. The opening round is wrapping up with a meeting between John Isner and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.
Ugo Humbert vs. (3) Stefanos Tsitsipas
It will be rematch of a Tokyo Olympics showdown when Tsitsipas and Humbert square off in round two of the National Bank Open on Tuesday night. Humbert scored a 2-6, 7-6(4), 6-2 upset to reach the quarterfinals and improve to 2-0 lifetime in the head-to-head series. They previously met at the 2020 Paris Masters, where the Frenchman survived a 7-6(4), 6-7(6), 7-6(3) battle after three hours and 17 minutes.
Another fun one is likely in the cards. Humbert is in stellar form, having won the Halle title before his Olympic exploits and then beating Lorenzo Sonego 6-3, 6-4 on Monday in Toronto. Tsitsipas is 42-12 this season and has lost his opening match at a grand total of one tournament (Wimbledon). The third-ranked Greek reached the final in his only previous Toronto appearance (2018), so he has to feeling good about a return trip to this event.
Pick: Tsitsipas in 3
John Isner vs. Alejandro Davidovich Fokina
The North American hard-court swing has always been Isner’s favorite time of year, and even when he isn’t playing particularly well in previous weeks and months it hardly seems to matter. The 36-year-old American had no momentum of any kind heading into Atlanta two weeks ago, but his most successful tournament–by a country mile–proved to be just what the doctor ordered. Isner rolled to a sixth Atlanta title and he will be well-rested for Toronto after skipping the Washington, D.C. event.
Up first for the world No. 30 on Tuesday is Davidovich Fokina, whom he has never faced. Davidovich Fokina fared well on clay–his preferred surface–and made a run to the French Open quarterfinals. He actually did well to reach the third round at the Olympics, too, but that means this will be relatively quick turnaround for him. Fast and relatively high-bouncing conditions in Toronto are perfect for Isner, who should blast the Spaniard off the court.
Pick: Isner in 2
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