ATP Washington prediction: Bet on underdog Gael Monfils to upset Alexander Bublik Wednesday

Two of the most entertaining players in tennis will meet on Wednesday in the second round of the ATP Citi Open in Washington, D.C. Gael Monfils, who hinted that he could be playing one of the last tournaments of his career after his win on Monday night, will take on Alexander Bublik in what should be a wild contest.

Bookmakers have installed Bublik, last seen in the Round of 16 at Wimbledon to cap off a terrific grass season, as a -155 favorite over his French counterpart. Does that price flatter the big-serving Kazakh?

Both Monfils and Bublik are among the most entertaining players on the ATP Tour for very different reasons. While Monfils is known for his outrageous athleticism, balletic movement and ability to defend, Bublik has a massive serve, big temper and a flair for the dramatic.

Monfils, 36, has battled injuries for years and has been limited to just nine matches in 2023, but he is coming off a straightforward win over Bjorn Fratangelo on Monday night. Monfils wasn’t broken in the match and looked like his old self for the duration of the contest. It was the second match of the North American hard-court swing for Monfils, who lost a tight match to Thanasi Kokkinakis in the first round of ATP Atlanta.

Although he didn’t get the win against Kokkinakis, the fact that Monfils was able to take a set and take the big-serving Australian to a third-set tiebreaker bodes well for the Parisian against Bublik, who also relies on his first serve to get results.

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While Monfils has already played a couple of matches during this current hard-court swing, this is Bublik’s first competitive match since he lost to Andrey Rublev in the Round of 16 at the All England Club. That result ended a terrific grass-court season for Bublik, who won the title at ATP Halle in June.

In a vacuum, you’d say that Bublik’s form would make him a deserving favorite in this match, but the switch in surfaces could be an issue for the capricious Kazakhstani. Bublik is just 4-10 this season on hard courts and was eliminated in the first round in six of the eight hard-court tournaments he’s played in 2023.

Monfils should absolutely be up for this match considering where he’s at in his career and he should fancy his chances against an opponent that is playing his first hard-court match in five months.

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