After two days of qualifying, the Cincinnati Open's main draw begins Aug. 7 in Mason. Here are the top ATP matches to watch.
After two days of qualifying, the first round of the Cincinnati Open is slated to begin Aug. 7 at the Lindner Family Tennis Center.
The ATP main draw took place Aug. 5. Here are the top first-round men's matches to watch while the majority of the world's top players await in the Round of 64.
Will Gael Monfils notch another Cincinnati upset?
One year ago, Gael Monfils became the second-oldest player to defeat a top 3 player this century with an upset of Carlos Alcaraz in the Round of 32.
Monfils, 38, has reached the Round of 16 in Mason in each of his previous three appearances.
Monfils will face Nishesh Basavareddy in the first round. If the veteran can take out the American wild card, Monfils would get a second-round matchup with World No. 3 Alexander Zverev, the 2021 Cincinnati Open champion.
Monfils is 3-1 all-time against Zverev, though the two haven't met since 2021 (Indian Wells).
Americans Tristan Boyer, Brandon Holt square off in Cincinnati
Upon the initial release of the main draw, the only matchup featuring two Americans is between wild cards Tristan Boyer and Brandon Holt.
Of the 37 nations represented in Mason, the United States has the largest contingent with 24 players. With a combined 3-11 record between them, one will start the Cincinnati Open on the right foot.
Holt (0-3) has never won a singles match in an ATP Masters 1000 event, despite playing his way through qualifiers in Cincinnati last year and Miami in March. Boyer won a first-round tilt at Indian Wells in March and is making his Cincinnati debut.
Will former Cincinnati open champion Borna Coric face Taylor Fritz?
Borna Coric, who pulled off an improbable run to the Cincinnati Open title in 2022, is in danger of slipping out of the top 100 (No. 92).
Coric lost in the first round of qualifying last year in Mason and will face Christopher O'Connell in the first round. Should he advance, Coric would set up a matchup with No. 4 Taylor Fritz.
Coric is 4-1 all-time vs. Fritz, but the American rolled to a 6-3, 6-2 win over Coric in the United Cup in December.
Corentin Moutet begins Cincinnati Open vs. Mackenzie McDonald
Fans in Mason may not know much about Corentin Moutet, but they could be educated soon enough.
The 26-year-old Frenchman enters Cincinnati with a career-high ranking (No. 46). He has played his way through qualifying three times in Cincinnati but has yet to break through in the main draw (0-3).
Moutet is coming off a semifinal run in Washington, a first-round win in Wimbledon and a runner-up finish in an ATP 250 (Mallorca, Spain).
He'll face American Mackenzie McDonald, who reached the Cincinnati Open Round of 16 in 2023, in the first round.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Best ATP matchups in 1st round of Cincinnati Open
Category: Tennis