Hey there, fellow tennis enthusiasts It’s your girl Mia Johnson-Carter here, living the dream in Miami. I’m super excited to share some awesome news with you all about the upcoming matches at the ATP 500 event in Beijing. The first round is heating up, and we’ve got some thrilling matchups to look forward to.
Andrey Rublev vs. Pablo Carreno Busta
First up, we have the No. 4 seed Andrey Rublev facing off against Pablo Carreno Busta. This will be their fourth meeting, with Rublev leading the series 3-0, but all three of their previous encounters have required final sets. Rublev has been quite the rollercoaster ride this year, with a Madrid Masters win and a Montreal Masters runner-up finish, but his recent results have been quite varied. He’s coming off a decent fourth-round effort at the U.S. Open, where he fell to Grigor Dimitrov in five sets.
Carreno Busta, on the other hand, is making an encouraging comeback from elbow problems. He advanced to the Cincinnati third round and the Winston-Salem semifinals before more recently posting a solid Davis Cup win over Australia’s Jordan Thompson. Carreno Busta is known for his solid baselining, which could make things tough for Rublev, especially if he’s not in top form.
Francisco Cerundolo vs. Jakub Mensik
Next up, we’ve got Francisco Cerundolo facing off against the rising star Jakub Mensik. Mensik has been one of the ATP Tour’s breakout stars this year, showing no signs of slowing down as he approaches the finish line of the season. He reached the third round of the U.S. Open and successfully qualified for Beijing by beating Hugo Gaston and Arthur Rinderknech. With 19 out of his 22 main-tour match victories this year, Mensik has propelled himself to 66th in the rankings.
Cerundolo, meanwhile, is a bit more pedestrian at 28-25 this season and has slipped to No. 31 in the world. He played pretty well in Davis Cup action earlier this month but generally isn’t comfortable on hard courts. Given Mensik’s better form and the more favorable surface for his game, it’s likely that the youngster will come out on top.
Predictions
For the first match, I’m going to take a chance and predict that Carreno Busta will win in three sets. His solid baselining could give Rublev a tough time, especially if Rublev isn’t at his best.
For the second match, I’m predicting that Mensik will win in two sets. His strong performance this year and the more favorable surface should give him an edge over Cerundolo.
Why These Matches Matter
These matches are significant because they showcase the depth and talent in the tennis world. The Asian swing is always exciting, and these early-round matches set the stage for what could be an incredible tournament. As fans, we get to see some of our favorite players in action and discover new stars like Mensik.
If you want, you can check out the news where I found it here.
Yours truly,
Mia
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