Frances Tiafoe just barely missed out on a first-round bye in Toronto and as a result he will take the court on Monday against Milos Raonic. Opening-day action also includes a showdown between Chris Eubanks and Gael Monfils.
(PR) Gael Monfils vs. Chris Eubanks
Eubanks and Monfils will be going head-to-head for the first time in their careers when they clash in round one of the Rogers Cup on Monday. It has already been a breakout summer for Eubanks, who captured his first ATP title on the grass courts of Mallorca and then made a run to the Wimbledon quarterfinals. At No. 29 in the world, the former Georgia Tech star is in position for a seed at the U.S. Open.
The story has been a much different one for Monfils, who continues to be plagued by injuries and has played only eight ATP-level matches in 2023. However, the 36-year-old is showing some encouraging signs. He lost to Thanasi Kokkinakis in a third-set tiebreaker in Atlanta and then upset Alexander Bublik in Washington, D.C. before falling in three sets to eventual finalist Tallon Griekspoor. Meanwhile, Eubanks lost in the Atlanta quarterfinals to Aleksandar Vukic and got blown out in his opening match in D.C. by Jordan Thompson. The 27-year-old American seems to have hit a bit of a wall following his success on grass and Monfils is playing well enough to take advantage.
Pick: Monfils in 3
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(WC) Milos Raonic vs. (9) Frances Tiafoe
Raonic will get night-session treatment on Monday for his first appearance at his home Masters 1000 tournament since 2019. The 32-year-old Canadian has dealt with injuries throughout his career and his most recent struggles kept him on the sidelines from July of 2021 to June of 2023. He has played two tournaments in his comeback, reaching the second round in ‘s-Hertogenbosch and at Wimbledon. Toronto marks Raonic’s first stop on the 2023 hard-court swing.
Up first for the former world No. 3 is Tiafoe, who won their only previous meeting in round two of this same event in 2018 (7-6(4), 4-6, 6-1). The 10th-ranked American has been playing the best tennis of his career dating back to a semifinal showing at the 2022 U.S. Open, and his summer already includes a grass-court title in Stuttgart and a quarterfinal performance in Washington, D.C. Even if Raonic serves extremely well, this will likely be too difficult of a test for the rusty veteran.
Pick: Tiafoe in 2
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