Looking for Tennis and Racket Sports International News?
Predictor Picks: Shelton, Mpetshi Perricard seek points bonanza in Washington
The competition for PIF ATP Rankings points will be fierce at the Mubadala Citi DC Open in Washington next week, where Andrey Rublev, Ben Shelton and Karen Khachanov will be the top three seeds.
Since there are no points up for grabs at the Paris Olympics, the Washington competitors have an opportunity to make a move with a deep run.
Before each tournament week, ATPTour.com looks at three players who might be good selections for fans in the PIF ATP Rankings Predictor.
Ben Shelton — replacing 0 points
Shelton lost his opening match of the American summer on Thursday in Atlanta, but there is reason to believe the lefty is positioned well for a bounceback week in Washington.
Firstly, Shelton is on the opposite half of the ATP 500 draw as #NextGenATP lefty Shang Juncheng, who has defeated him in the past two years in Atlanta and last year in Washington. The second-seeded Shelton will face Facundo Diaz Acosta or a qualifier in his opening match.
Despite his early exit in Atlanta, the 21-year-old will still be confident after reaching the fourth round at Wimbledon and pushing World No. 1 Jannik Sinner to a tie-break in the final set of their clash. Shelton's booming lefty serve should help him hold serve on the quick Washington courts and find his match rhythm as he tries to pick up steam on home soil.
Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard — replacing 0 points
One of the biggest stories of Wimbledon was the emergence of 21-year-old Mpetshi Perricard, who entered the main draw as a lucky loser and took advantage by advancing to the fourth round.
The Frenchman, who claimed his first ATP Tour title in May in Lyon, showed that his serve is already one of the most dangerous weapons on the Tour. He crushed 51 aces to defeat Sebastian Korda in the first round of The Championships.
Already No. 47 in the PIF ATP Rankings, Mpetshi Perricard has room to continue pushing forward because he is replacing a zero-point tournament in his rankings breakdown.
[ATP APP]Alex Michelsen — replacing 16 points
Michelsen will be one of the most confident players in Washington on the back of his run to the Newport final.
Last year, the #NextGenATP American did not compete in the United States' capital. The 19-year-old is the 15th seed and will play countryman Mackenzie McDonald or a qualifier in his opening match.
Michelsen has earned 16 of his 23 tour-level wins this season and will try to add to his tally.
Bonus Ball — Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard
One year ago, Mpetshi Perricard had not yet cracked the Top 200 in the PIF ATP Rankings. Now he is Top 50 and signs point towards a continued ascent.
The Frenchman will face a tough test in his opening match against former Top 10 player Borna Coric or big-hitting Finn Emil Ruusuvuori. But if the ninth seed brings the same level to Washington he did to Wimbledon, he will be a difficult man to beat at the ATP 500 event.
[NEWSLETTER FORM]
When you subscribe to the blog, we will send you an e-mail when there are new updates on the site so you wouldn't miss them.
