ATP Toronto outright tips: Daniil Medvedev set for National Bank Open glory
- Derek Bilton
- 11 August 2023
Sports writer and tennis guru Derek Bilton has had his say on the National Bank Open in Toronto and suggests backing Daniil Medvedev to claim the crown.
Plenty of seeds have already fallen at the National Bank Open, with Stefanos Tsitsipas, Holge Rune, Andrey Rublev and Felix Auger-Aliassime among the early big-name casualties.
Indeed, it does not feel like two minutes ago that Auger-Aliassime was being touted as a young Phenom and perhaps the future of the sport. You know how it goes though. One minute you are young and wild. Next, you are into air fryers.
To be completely fair to Auger-Aliassime he only turned 23 this week and has been hampered by a few injury problems in 2023 (after winning his first four career ATP Tour titles last year).
Suggested betting tip: Daniil Medvedev to win ATP Toronto (National Bank Open)
The Canadian's early defeat will have come as a blow to organisers but we move, and the National Bank Open is beginning to heat up as the North American hard court swing goes up a notch.
This is a rather unique Masters 1000 event, given that it switches annually between Toronto and Montreal. We are back in Toronto this year, and while Novak Djokovic has swerved 'Hogtown' citing fatigue, the new darling of the ATP Tour is strutting his stuff at the Sobeys Stadium.
In beating Djokovic in that extraordinary Wimbledon final that somehow already feels like it happened ages ago Carlos Alcaraz - the future of the men's game - suddenly became the present too and is now perhaps the face of the sport.
The World No. 1 made his Toronto debut on Wednesday night against another youngster in American Ben Shelton, winning in straight sets. It was not all plain sailing for the Spaniard however, who is as short as 5/4 with Planet Sport Bet to win the forthcoming US Open.
It is not all about the 'Next Gen' stars, however. Gael Monfils turned back the clock by stunning No. 4 seed Tsitsipas in Toronto earlier this week. His 6-4 6-3 victory was one for the old guard and was his 350th career win on the hard court. Bien joue, Gael.
The Frenchman delivered a truly dazzling display, proving at the age of 36 that there is many a good tune played on an old fiddle.
It takes some doing to stay competitive on Tour these days, with the sport without question becoming more physical than ever.
If you fancy Gael Monfils to continue the fairy tale and go all the way, he can still be backed at Planet Sport Bet for his first-ever Masters 1000 success.
With Alcaraz and Djokovic dominating the headlines for very different reasons, it feels like Daniil Medvedev might be flying under the radar a little bit.
The Russian is currently ranked No. 3 in the world and has already had another strong season, picking up tournament wins in Rotterdam, Doha, Dubai, Miami and Rome. The second seed is also 8-1 in Toronto after beating Italian Matteo Arnaldi 6-2 7-5 earlier this week and looks a realistic alternative to Alcaraz in the betting.
He loves this type of surface and seems to return better than most on this type of track due to his penchant for standing deep behind the baseline.
The 2021 US Open is a real box of tricks on the court and has already proven he gets the trip to Toronto and can handle the sizzle of a hot North American summer.
Backers might be worried (with good reason) that he has not taken a set-off Alacaraz in either of their last two meetings, but there is enough to like about his current price with Planet Sport Bet about him going back-to-back in Toronto.
Suggested betting tip:
Danil Medvedev to win ATP Toronto (National Bank Open)
