Montreal Masters 2022: Alexander Bublik vs. Jenson Brooksby Tennis Pick and Prediction

TennisSection previews the 2022 Montreal Masters as Alexander Bublik takes on Jenson Brooksby in the first round on Monday, August 8th, 2022.

Will Alexander Bublik get the win? Or Will Jenson Brooksbycontinue his near-perfect start to his North American hard court summer season? This should be a fascinating first-round battle at the Montreal Masters. Who will come out on top?

Since he burst onto the scene on the ATP tour a few seasons ago, Alexander Bublik continues to be as unpredictable as ever. But one trait you can always associate with the Kazakh is that he is a formidable and competitive challenger regardless of the surface. Bublik’s array of flashy shots and swashbuckling style has finally reaped dividends this season. He won his first ATP title in Montpellier where he stunned Alexander Zverev in the final. The 25-year-old came close to adding to his trophy cabinet in Newport but lost in agonizing fashion to Maxime Cressy in the final. The Kazakh World No. 42 will make his main draw debut at the Montreal Masters when he faces the fast-rising Jenson Brooksby.

Jenson Brooksby, for his part, is preparing for a strong finish to his 2022 season. The American World No. 37 reached his second ATP final of the season in Atlanta. In the run up, he defeated compatriot and six-time champion John Isner, but fell to Alex de Minaur in the final. Less than 48 hours later, Brooksby was back competing in Washington, but he had little gas in the tank to quell the threat of Yoshihito Nishioka in the first round.

Alexander Bublik and Jenson Brooksby have not clashed on the ATP Tour. Monday’s match at the Montreal Masters will be their first official meeting. The oddsmakers have instilled Brooksbyas the favorite in this matchup and there is a valid case for that. Bublik is playing his first match in three weeks. The Kazakh shouldn’t require much playing time to get in the groove on hard courts, but I feel Brooksby has hit a higher ceiling at the start of the American hard court season.