Canadian Open 2024 Day 1: Men's singles predictions ft. Kei Nishikori vs Alex Michelsen

The Canadian Open 2024 will begin on Tuesday, August 6. The tournament has a delayed start this year to accommodate the late arrivals of the participants from the Paris Olympics. A few of the qualifying matches couldn't be completed due to the weather yesterday and will be wrapped up today.

Holger Rune is one of the biggest names in the fray on the first day of the event. It's a high-profile opening-round contest for him, as he's up against home favorite and former Wimbledon runner-up Milos Raonic. Their previous showdown at the Indian Wells Masters was called off after the Canadian's withdrawal.

Former top-10 players Kei Nishikori and Pablo Carreno Busta, both on the comeback trail, are also in action. As the preparation for the US Open heats up, players will be keen to garner some momentum heading into the season's final Major.

On that note, here are the predictions for some key singles matches lined up on Day 1 of the Canadian Open:

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#1 - Kei Nishikori vs Alex Michelsen

Nishikori's comeback hasn't gone as per his plans, and he has only one win from his five matches this year. Recurring injuries have also played their part in his predicament.

Michelsen reached the final in Newport this year, and more recently made the quarterfinals of the Citi Open in Washington last week. He lost to eventual finalist Flavio Cobolli in three sets.

This will be Michelsen's debut at the Canadian Open, while it will be Nishikori's first appearance at the venue since 2021. The latter finished as the runner-up here back in 2016, going down to Novak Djokovic in the final. Given the Japanese's injury woes and lack of form, the young American will be favored to make it through this clash.

Predicted winner: Alex Michelsen

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#2 - Karen Khachanov vs Gabriel Diallo

Karen Khachanov is the 16th seed at the Canadian Open 2024. (Photo: Getty)

Khachanov's best results this year have been on hardcourts, and he has a 12-7 record on the surface. He won the Qatar Open in February and reached the fourth round of the Australian Open and the Miami Open.

Following the conclusion of the clay and grass swing, Khachanov returned to compete on hardcourts at the Citi Open. He was stunned by qualifier Seong Chan Hong, ranked 175th, in his opener.

Diallo received a wildcard to participate in the Canadian Open. He mainly competes on the Challenger circuit and has only five career wins on the ATP Tour. He defeated Dan Evans in the first round of last year's Canadian Open to record his first-ever main draw win on the main tour.

Playing in front of his home crowd could cause Diallo to raise his level once again. However, he will still start as the underdog against Khachanov, despite the Russian's early exit from Washington last week.

Predicted winner: Karen Khachanov

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#3 - Nicolas Jarry vs Tomas Martin Etcheverry

Both players have a disappointing record on hardcourts this year. Jarry is 7-5 on the surface, while Etcheverry's record stands at 2-4. The former's best result is a quarterfinal appearance at the Miami Open, while the latter counts a third-round showing at the Australian Open as his best performance on hardcourts.

The two have split their previous four meetings evenly to tie the head-to-head at 2-2. Etcheverry won their most recent encounter at this year's Monte-Carlo Masters in straight sets. However, all four of their matches have been on clay so far.

This will be the second appearance at the Canadian Open for both players, and they lost in the first round last year. Jarry has performed better than Etcheverry on hardcourts, so he will be favored to win this clash.

Predicted winner: Nicolas Jarry

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#4 - Pablo Carreno Busta vs Fabian Marozsan

Pablo Carreno Busta at the Canadian Open 2022. (Photo: Getty)

The Canadian Open remains a special place for Carreno Busta as he won his only Masters title here two years ago. He's on the comeback trail following a series of health issues and has played only two matches this year, losing both of them.

Marozsan has a 17-21 record for the season and has gone 11-9 on hardcourts. He made the quarterfinals of the Miami Open and reached the fourth round of the Indian Wells Masters as well.

Marozsan has reached at least the fourth round of all Masters tournaments on hardcourts he has participated in so far. Given Carreno Busta's recent results, it's unlikely that his streak will come to an end at the hands of the Spaniard.

Predicted winner: Fabian Marozsan