Goffin vs. Shapovalov, Davidovich Fokina vs. Cazaux

Wild cards Denis Shapovalov and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina will open Monday in Atlanta with intriguing first-round matchups. Shapovalov awaits David Goffin, while Fokina will face Arthur Cazaux.

(WC) Denis Shapovalov vs David Goffin

Goffin and Shapovalov will face each other for the third time in their careers in the first round of the Atlanta Open on Monday afternoon. They have split their two previous meetings, both on hard courts; Goffin prevailed in two tiebreakers at the 2019 Tokyo tournament before Shapovalov prevailed 6-7(0), 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 at the 2020 US Open.

Both players could really do with a win and a good run in Atlanta. Goffin is ranked 98th, with a dismal 3-10 record on the main circuit in 2024. The 33-year-old Belgian’s last match was a complete disaster, as he squandered a 5-0 fifth-set lead against Tomas Machac in the first round of Wimbledon. Shapovalov’s ranking is even worse (139th), but he’s in much better shape. The 25-year-old Canadian has advanced at least one round in each of his last four starts on the circuit, including third-round performances at both Roland Garros and Wimbledon. Shapovalov appears to be playing well enough to take advantage of a struggling opponent.

Choice: Shapovalov in 3

Arthur Cazaux vs (5) Alejandro Davidovich Fokina

Like Shapovalov and Goffin, Davidovich Fokina and Cazaux are making their Atlanta debuts, the final year of the event. Davidovich Fokina’s participation makes sense because he has few wins – and few matches in general – with just over a month to go before the U.S. Open. The Spaniard, ranked 41st in the world, hasn’t played more than one match in any tournament since Dubai in February and has made only one start (a first-round exit at the Queen’s Club) since Roland Garros because of a back injury.

Cazaux started the 2024 season strong, winning a Challenger title in Noumea and then reaching the fourth round of the Australian Open. The 21-year-old Frenchman has made a name for himself on the circuit. Although he has cooled off a bit since then, he did manage to secure a main draw victory at Wimbledon, overcoming Zizou Bergs in a fifth-set tiebreak. That’s not saying much, but Cazaux has more momentum than either of them heading into the hard-court trip to the United States.

Choice: Cazaux in 3