Atlanta Open 2022: Jenson Brooksby vs. Mackenzie McDonald Tennis Pick and Prediction

TennisSection previews the 2022 Atlanta Open as Jenson Brooksby takes on Mackenzie McDonald in the Round of 16 on Thursday, July 28th, 2022.

Will Jenson Brooksby get the win? Will Mackenzie McDonald pull off the upset? This will be a fascinating one, where we have two unique styles coming to a clash. Who will triumph and move on to the quarterfinals at the 2022 Atlanta Open?

Jenson Brooksby got a very good win to return to the hard courts over Benoit Paire, taking him down 6-3 6-1. His game is very well suited for the conditions here, and I only expect that to continue as he looks to take down Mackenzie McDonald. McDonald has a solid game to actually counteract the Brooksby tactics, with his aggressive, net-rushing game, but ultimately, with the form he can bring in these conditions, I expect him to move on here at the 2022 Atlanta Open.

Mackenzie McDonald took down Denis Kudla 6-2 7-6 (8), not an easy win by any means, but an all important straight sets victory as he faces the very physical Jenson Brooksby. If he wants to win, he has a shot, but he will need to play as aggressively as possible, focusing on rushing the net and not allowing Brooksby to dictate him in these rallies. Unfortunately for him though, his recent results don’t really give me a lot of confidence that he’ll be able to step up to the line to have a chance at taking down Brooksby for a spot in the last eight at the 2022 Atlanta Open.

Jenson Brooksby and Mackenzie McDonald have never met before, with this being their first career meeting. It’s an interesting matchup, and I really do favor McDonald as he’s one of the few players with the weapons necessary to really disrupt Brooksby, and that’s why I’m giving him a set and a fighting chance, but at the end of the day, Brooksby knows what he’s doing right now and I would be surprised to not see him in the quarterfinals at the 2022 Atlanta Open.