A Heavyweight Battle

This is quite a great first round for an ATP 250, isn't it?

I think both players are trending in the right direction. Griekspoor found a bit of form during the American hardcourt swing before injuring himself. He did play Davis Cup at home in the Netherlands on 18 September, and managed a very clean win against Mejia. He also came off as in a great mood in the post-match interview, which is quite rare ;) His friend Botic has managed to become a bit more consistent and positive and is climbing the rankings as a result... perhaps that serves as a bit of inspiration for Tallon as well. Griekspoor and VDZ will play doubles here as well, flying in together after the Davis Cup victory... so vibes are great. Now, they will have to adjust to new conditions, coming from indoor hardcourt. However, we know that fast hardcourt suits Griekspoor; it's not a problem. Let's see how he handles coming from big crowds against Shelton at the USO and then playing Davis Cup at home... it should be a way quieter atmosphere here in this first round. Can he dig in and handle it, even if it won't be smooth sailing?

Honestly, the same goes for Shapovalov. He is coming off a really great summer hardcourt swing. More than anything, he has been consistently good ever since Los Cabos. I will say that I trust his ability to turn up here a little bit less. Shapovalov is someone who really likes crowds and some atmosphere, even if he is great at hyping himself up at any match and any place. I do have some memories of just how bad he was in his first match against Altmaier in Tokyo last year, which was his first match after the USO. However, he is coming into this in better form this time, so perhaps that will be the difference.

As for the matchup, it's quite straightforward. We have two players who serve big and play aggressively. I'm expecting to see a lot of holds unless one of the players doesn't "show up" for this match...