Taylor Fritz will face a trial by fire in Basel on Wednesday with his first-round match against Shanghai Masters champion Valentin Vacherot. Sebastian Korda will also be in action against Ugo Humbert.
(1) Taylor Fritz vs. (WC) Valentin Vacherot
It’s unusual for the No. 1 seed to be the less interesting of the two players in a first-round matchup, but here we are. American top player Taylor Fritz will compete in qualifying against the player who took part in the Shanghai Masters as an alternate. Valentin Vacherot won nine matches, including a five-match winning streak against ranked players, culminating in a final against his cousin, Arthur Rinderknech. He won that too. Vacherot now has a record of 12-2 at the ATP level this season. It’s no exaggeration to call it one of the great Cinderella stories of all time.
That said, it’s almost impossible to quantify whether his out-of-nowhere superpowers will extend beyond the magnolia-shaped arena in Shanghai. Before two weeks ago, the Monaco man was having a season of limited success on the Challenger circuit. Now he holds the Masters 1000 title. Meeting Fritz is bad luck for Vacherot. Fritz is ranked No. 4 in the world and one of the most consistent players on the men’s tour. It will come as no surprise that this is the first meeting between the two men. And as tempting as it is to pick Cinderella because the story is so damn good, I don’t see lightning striking twice.
Cheryl’s pick: Fritz in 3
Ricky choice: Fritz in 2
Sebastian Korda vs. Hugo Humbert
This will be the second meeting between Sebastian Korda and Ugo Humbert, but the last time they played was way back in 2021 and neither player is the same today as they were four years ago. In fact, Korda is no longer the same player he was last year, due to an unfortunate series of injuries and even some illnesses. The American’s ranking has fallen to 56th in the world, from a record high of 15th just a year ago. The good news for Korda is that he comes to Basel on relatively fresh legs. His health issues mean he isn’t as exhausted from the season as he otherwise would be. He is also a solid indoor player with a game that translates well historically.
Humbert arrives in Basel after a run to the final in Stockholm a few days ago. The Frenchman owns four indoor titles in his career, so like Korda, playing indoors is up to him. But he’s also been playing a lot of tennis lately and fatigue could be a factor against such a strong first-round opponent. This match is a good chance for Korda to score some much-needed ranking points.
Cheryl pick: Korda in 3
Ricky pick: Korda in 3
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