The Estoril Open is serving up some cracking contests! Check out Damien Kayat’s selected round of 16 and round of 32 matches taking place between 30 April – 1 May 2019.
2019 ATP Tour | ATP 250 Series
Estoril Open | Club de Tenis du Estoril (Clay)
Selected Round of 16 & Round of 32 Matches
30 April – 1 May 2019
Round of 32
Frances Tiafoe (13/20)
vs Mikhail Kukushkin (23/20)
American Frances Tiafoe really burst onto the scene last year following a promising junior career. He won his first title at the Delray Beach Classic prior to a real surprise in Estoril. He reached the final here last year on a surface that wouldn’t seem to ideally suit the big-serving American. He never really fulfilled his potential throughout the rest of the year. This season has been quite strange for Tiafoe. There have been two excellent results dispersed in a sea of mediocrity. He reached the quarter-finals at the Aussie Open and the Miami Open. But he also has five opening round defeats already this season. So there certainly does seem to be a mercurial dimension to Tiafoe. But he will no doubt feel quite confident returning to an event that helped launch his 2018.
The quintessential journeyman pro, Kazakhstan tennis pro, Mikhail Kukushkin is of Russian descent and is a tricky customer in the early stages of events. He won his one and only ATP Title when he claimed the St Petersburg Open crown in 2010. But a massive hip injury in 2012 really curtailed his smooth progress up the ranks. But he does have the inalienable knack of picking up results. He reached semi-finals in Eastbourne and Vienna last year and already has a final to his name this year. He went all the way to the championship match of the Open 13. He also lost a Challenger final in Phoenix earlier this year. He has traditionally been better on the harder surfaces and will need to weather Tiafoe’s prodigious serve.
This will only be their second ever meeting, with Tiafoe claiming a four-set victory at the 2017 Australian Open. I think that Tiafoe just needs to harness some of the energy that he clearly utilizes during the bigger events. He was immense here last year and should be good value to win in straight sets at 13/20.
Round of 16
Reily Opelka (27/20)
vs Gael Monfils (11/20)
Eight time ATP Tour winner Gael Monfils has always been one of the great entertainers on tour. Many have derided him for perhaps not fully realizing his potential. I personally think that he has navigated this immense period in men’s tennis with a fair amount of grace. And he has enjoyed a superb 2019 thus far. He reached the semi-finals of the Sofia Open and in Dubai either side of winning in Rotterdam. He has withdrawn from his previous two events and some may question his physical readiness this week. Monfils is a player made for the particular rigours of clay-court tennis. He has a 73.33% win-loss rate at Roland Garros compared to his overall Grand Slam win-loss rate of 67%. The 2008 French Open semi-finalist endured a poor 2018 on clay and will be looking to convert that early hard-court success into clay-court gold.
From one physically impressive specimen to another; Reily Opelka is the tallest player to ever play on the ATP Tour and nearly seven feet tall. The young American clearly utilizes that height to his advantage, with a serve that can render the returner essentially helpless. He beat Sousa in straight sets in the opening round and now has the 3rd seed to face. But he will be feeling confident after claiming his maiden title in New York earlier this season. He also lost to current wunderkind Danil Medvedev in a super tight three-setter in Miami. If he manages to get his serve rolling, even the hyper-athletic Monfils will have his hands full. But his consistency has certainly been a major concern.
The two have never met in singles play though they have played this year in doubles. Opelka and MacDonald defeated Monfils and compatriot Adrian Mannarino at Indian Wells. That means that Monfils will have gotten a decent look at what Opelka is all about. Back Monfils for the win.
