The Cincinnati Open gets its Round of 128 underway on Sunday, August 16, with a pair of matches that offer contrasting storylines. The ATP Masters 1000 hard-court event features a well-documented Dutch rivalry alongside a first-ever meeting between two tour veterans.
Botic Van De Zandschulp vs. Tallon Griekspoor - Round of 128
These two Dutch rivals have met six times, with Griekspoor holding a 4-2 advantage in the head-to-head. Looking at their five most recent encounters, Griekspoor has won three of them, including a straight-sets victory at the Australian Open (6-4 6-4 6-4) and wins at the Amersfoort Challenger Final (6-1 3-6 6-1) and in Montpellier (7-5 6-3). Van De Zandschulp has answered with wins at the Hamburg Challenger (6-0 ret.) and at the Winston-Salem Open (7-6(5) 6-3), demonstrating he is capable of competing against his compatriot on hard courts specifically. Griekspoor enters ranked 41st on tour compared to Van De Zandschulp at 55th, giving the slight edge to the higher-ranked Dutchman entering this Round of 128 clash.
Prediction: Tallon Griekspoor, in three sets.
J.J. Wolf vs. James Duckworth - Round of 128
This Round of 128 matchup marks the first career meeting between J.J. Wolf and James Duckworth, so there is no head-to-head history to draw from. Duckworth is currently ranked 79th on tour, while Wolf does not hold a current ranking in the provided data. With no prior meetings and limited ranking data on Wolf, Duckworth's established tour ranking gives him the clearest measurable edge heading into this contest.
Prediction: James Duckworth, in two sets.
