Gael Monfils will try to continue his recent hot streak on Thursday, as he bids for a Vienna quarterfinal spot against Frances Tiafoe. Second-round action also includes a showdown between Andrey Rublev and Matteo Arnaldi.
(7) Frances Tiafoe vs. (PR) Gael Monfils
It will be one of the most entertaining matchups in tennis when Tiafoe and Monfils collide in round two of the Erste Bank Open on Thursday. Surprisingly, they have faced each other only twice in their careers; Tiafoe prevailed 7-6(7), 6-3 at the 2019 Cincinnati Masters before Monfils got the job done 6-1, 7-6(2) at the 2021 Toronto Masters.
Although there is a big difference in ranking (Tiafoe is 14th, Monfils is 89th), Monfils should probably be considered the favorite in this matchup. By his own admission, Tiafoe generally loses interest after the U.S. Open. This year is no exception, as the American went 0-2 in Davis Cup and lost right away in both Shanghai and Tokyo. Tiafoe seemed to be heading for another loss on Tuesday in Vienna, but Dan Evans was forced to retire with a calf injury while leading 4-1 in the first set. Monfils, on the other hand, looks extremely motivated this fall. The 37-year-old Frenchman won Stockholm last week and got right back in gear to beat Daniel Altmaier 6-4, 6-4 on Wednesday. It may take something special to beat Monfils right now, and Tiafoe doesn’t appear to have it.
Pick: Monfils in 2
Matteo Arnaldi vs. (3) Andrey Rublev
At No. 5 in the race to the Nitto ATP Finals, Rublev is next in line to clinch a spot in Turin. Depending on other results in Vienna and Basel, the Russian probably can’t mathematically secure it with a win on Thursday–but he will if he reaches the semifinals. Rublev’s week is off to a strong start, as he took care of Alexei Popyrin 7-6(5), 6-4 on Monday. The 26-year-old is now 51-21 this season, which includes his first Masters 1000 title in Monte-Carlo and an additional Masters final appearance (lost to Hubert Hurkacz in Shanghai).
Up next for Rublev is a first-ever meeting with Arnaldi, who is also in great form. The 22-year-old has climbed to 46th in the rankings by earning all 19 of his lifetime main-tour match victories in 2023. He made a run to the U.S. Open fourth round and has not looked back, with successful qualification and a second-round result in Beijing followed by a third-round performance in Shanghai. Arnaldi opened in Vienna by defeating Albert Ramos-Vinolas in a pair of tiebreakers. Unfortunately for the Italian, he is not exactly at home on an indoor hard court–whereas indoor ATP 500 tournaments are basically Rublev’s stomping grounds. Count of Rublev having too much firepower for Arnaldi.
Pick: Rublev in 2
WWW?