Andrew Patron/Delray Beach Open
A massive schedule of second-round action is set for Wednesday in Montreal, including a showdown between Learner Tien and Gael Monfils. Alex Michelsen tries to continue his hot streak at the expense of Francisco Cerundolo.
(12) Learner Tien vs. (WC) Gael Monfils
Monfils is retiring at the end of 2026, so this is his final trip to the National Bank Open. The 39-year-old Frenchman is 25-13 all time at this tournament (Montreal and Toronto combined) with semifinal performances in 2016 and 2019 plus three other quarterfinal efforts. A struggling Monfils had been 3-7 on the main tour this season before picking up his first win since Monte-Carlo by beating Kamil Majchrzak 6-4, 6-4 on Monday night.
Up next for the world No. 347 on Wednesday is first-ever meeting with Tien, who was less than 100 percent during a Wimbledon second-round loss to Marton Fucsovics and then lost right away in Washington, D.C. to Adrian Mannarino. The good news for the 19th-ranked American is that he is well rested heading into back-to-back Masters 1000 events in Montreal and Cincinnati. This probably isn’t a good matchup for Monfils. Tien massages the ball around the court with precision and does not give away many free points, so the veteran’s physicality will be tested.
Pick: Tien in 2
Alex Michelsen vs. (16) Francisco Cerundolo
Cerundolo and Michelsen will be going head-to-head for the third time in their careers on Wednesday. Michelsen won their first encounter 2-6, 7-5, 6-4 on the grass of Halle in 2025 before Cerundolo rolled to a 6-3, 6-1 victory on the indoor hard courts of Vienna at the end of the season.
The rubber match will likely go Michelsen’s way. After building confidence with a Challenger title last month in Bloomfield Hills, the 21-year-old American advanced to the Washington, D.C. quarterfinals and pushed eventual champion Taylor Fritz to a third-set tiebreaker. Michelsen also has a win under his belt this week, defeating Jan-Lennard Struff 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 in the opening round. For Cerundolo, it has been rough sledding since he lifted the Queen’s Club trophy. The 23rd-ranked Argentine lost in the Wimbledon first round to Jaume Munar and then fell to eventual champion Arthur Gea in the Los Cabos quarterfinals. On a relatively quick hard court, an in-form Michelsen should have the edge.
Pick: Michelsen in 2
