Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports/Sipa USA

Gael Monfils vs Alexei Popyrin: ATP Cincinnati – First round

Veteran Gael Monfils will face off Alexei Popyrin in the opening round of ATP Cincinnati.

Gael Monfils Profile

The former world No. 6 Gael Monfils currently is 46th in the ATP rankings. The Frenchman is 18-17 for the season and 9-7 on hard surface.

Monfils is coming off a 6-3, 6-3 loss to Thanasi kokkinakis in the opening round of Montreal.

His best results this season were the semifinals in Doha and Mallorca.

Monfils made his debut in Cincinnati in 2005 and his best result was the quarterfinal in 2011.

Alexei Popyrin Profile

Alexei Popyrin has the best ranking in his career being No. 23 in the world. The Australian is 23-16 for the season and 13-4 on hard.

He is coming off his biggest win of his career defeating Andrey Rublev 6-2, 6-4 in the final in Montreal which was his first ATP Masters title.

This is his fifth appearance in Cincinnati and last year he reached the quarterfinals.

Head-to-Head

This will be the first match between Gael Monfils and Alexei Popyrin.

Prediction and Conclusion

Alexei Popyrin is living the best moments of his career after winning his first Masters title and reaching the highest career rankings. The Australian is definitely in great form, but it is a huge question: can he transfer that play to Cincinnati after celebrating a title in Montreal? Geal Monfils is a veteran who can still play at the top level, and he has a lot of experience on this court. The Frenchman is better prepared for this challenge and will win today.