The Canadian Open in Toronto has plenty of great matches in store for us, and it will start out in spectacular fashion with a match between Christopher Eubanks and Gael Monfils.
Wimbledon breakout star Christopher Eubanks will face human highlight reel Gael Monfils in the opening round of the Canadian Open. It's a very fascinating match between two players that showed a pretty solid level in recent weeks.
Eubanks is living on cloud nine right now with the way his career took a turn for the better, while Monfils is simply enjoying being back on a tennis court. It's going to be the first time they play against each other because Eubanks spent much of his career on the ATP Challenger Tour while Monfils has been more injured than active in recent years.
Being a hard court event should ensure that both of them will be pretty comfortable. Very few players move as quickly around a court as Monfils does, but his form is not quite there yet. He's been playing far more aggressively in recent years compared to many years ago, and that's something he'll see from Eubanks as well.
The serve will be crucial for both players as it gives them a chance to set up rallies and finish off points quickly. Being tall aids Monfils in that but not more than it does for Eubanks as he's even taller. The American would be generally wise to avoid long rallies with Monfils as his chance should diminish in those.
In the past, the two have never met on the ATP Tour before, with their first-round match at the 2023 Canadian Open in Toronto being their first-ever meeting.
Overall, Eubanks has been in solid form recently and should feel confident in his ability to win the match. Monfils will give it his all, that's a given any time he plays, and he's still pretty solid and capable of winning matches.
The two are expected to deliver a show, and that should certainly happen given their qualities. Eubanks has the firepower, but Monfils has the experience and that should ultimately prevail over the youth.
Prediction: Gael Monfils to win in three sets.