Acapulco 2021: Men's singles draw analysis, preview & prediction | Abierto Mexicano Telcel
While half of the top men's players are participating in the Dubai Tennis Championships this week, the other half are heading to Acapulco for the Abierto Mexicano Telcel Open. The ATP 500 event in Mexico features a 32-player singles draw.
The tournament was played on clay till 2013, after which it moved to hardcourts. Currently in its 28th edition, the Acapulco event offers 500 ranking points to the winner and a prize money pool of $1,053,560.
Whoever wins this year will join an elite club of former champions, which includes Thomas Muster, David Ferrer, Carlos Moya, Dominic Thiem and Rafael Nadal.
Nadal, who won his third Acapulco title in 2020, has chosen to skip the event this year as he continues to recover from his back injury. On that note, here's a closer look at how the draw is likely to unfold.
Top half: Stefanos Tsitsipas and Diego Schwartzman get top billing
Seeded players: [1] Stefanos Tsitsipas, [3] Diego Schwartzman, [5] Grigor Dimitrov, [7] Felix Auger-Aliassime
Expected semifinal: Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Diego Schwartzman
Dark horse: Sebastian Korda
Analysis: World No. 5 Stefanos Tsitsipas will be hoping to bounce back from his early exit in Marseille, where he lost to Pierre-Hugues Herbert.
In Acapulco, Tsitsipas opens aginst the struggling Benoit Paire. The Greek could then face the big-serving John Isner or Italy's Salvatore Caruso in the second round.
Tsitsipas has No. 7 seed Felix Auger-Aliassime as his projected quarterfinal opponent. The Canadian on his part begins against Tennys Sandgren, after which he could meet the winner of the match between Sebastian Korda and former US Open champ Marin Cilic.
Korda, who was ranked outside the top 200 before the 2020 French Open, has now climbed up to No. 92. The American reached the Delray Beach Open final in January, and has also claimed a Challenger title this year. Korda is one of the most exciting young prospects in the men's game, and the big names would do well to keep an eye on him in Acapulco.
After opening against a qualifier, No. 3 seed Diego Schwartzman will take on either Frances Tiafoe or former World No. 5 Kevin Anderson. Schwartzman is coming in on the back of a title run in Buenos Aires last week.
Grigor Dimitrov is the other seed in this section. The Bulgarian opens against Adrian Mannarino, before a possible second-round clash against Feliciano Lopez or Miomir Kecmanovic.
Semifinal prediction: Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Diego Schwartzman
Bottom half: Alexander Zverev and Milos Raonic look to get back to winning ways
Seeded players: [2] Alexander Zverev, [4] Milos Raonic, [6] Fabio Fognini, [8] Casper Ruud
Expected semifinal: Alexander Zverev vs Milos Raonic
Dark horse: Tommy Paul
Analysis: Alexander Zverev faces a tough first-round match, against 17-year-old wildcard Carlos Alcaraz.
Zverev was a finalist at Acapulco in 2019, and has a 8-3 lifetime record here. The German greatly prefers the conditions in the Mexican city to Rotterdam, where he suffered an early exit last week.
If he gets past Alcaraz, Zverev could meet either Laslo Djere or Steve Johnson in the second round. No. 8 seed Casper Ruud, meanwhile, is the German's projected quarterfinal foe.
Ruud starts against Daniel Elahi Galan, and could then meet a qualifier in the second round.
4th seed Milos Raonic has a tough first-rounder against the dangerous American Tommy Paul. Raonic also has sixth seed Fabio Fognini in his quarter-final section.
Fognini meets compatriot Stefano Travaglia in the first round, and could face either Cameron Norrie or a qualifier in the second.
Tommy Paul, sitting at a career-high No. 51 in the world, reached the quarters in Rotterdam recently. The American could pose some problems for the top players this week.
Note - With a cut-off of No. 77, the qualifying draw in Acapulco is also packed with some interesting names. Among those who have advanced to the second round at the time of writing are Lorenzo Musetti, Thanasi Kokkinakis and Nicolas Mahut.
Semifinal prediction: Alexander Zverev vs Tommy Paul
Prediction for final
Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Alexander Zverev
Predicted champion
Stefanos Tsitsipas