The tennis season has just begun and the top men’s players in the world are getting ready once again. This year kicks off in Delray Beach and plenty of big names are scheduled to play in this event. However, some top notch players withdrew from the tournament, but the field that remains is a pretty good one nonetheless. Here are the biggest names still playing at the Delray Beach Open.
John Isner
The American is coming off a quiet year. He will try to bounce back and start off in the right form in a tournament where he has reached the semifinals four times. Isner will prepare himself for the Australian Open, so he is no doubt looking to start the year right. With his big serving game he will look dangerous in this tournament and the big names who withdrew from the tournament see Isner as a heavy favorite.
Cristian Garin
The Chilean is producing some great tennis as of late and will try to keep performing at a high level. He reached a career high ranking of No.18 and he is currently world No.24. He will try to upset as many in form players in the tournament. As the top seed in this tournament all eyes will be on him to perform well every time he plays.
Frances Tiafoe
The young American will try to start the season well as last year he had some up and downs throughout the season. He will play on Donald Young in his opening match and will try to go up in their head to head meetings. Last time these two met was in 2016 in the Queens Open on grass courts. They have never played against each other on hard courts so it will be interesting how they will perform. No doubt Tiafoe has grown into a top solid player since then and will look to win this match. He has won this tournament in the past and will try to repeat what he did in 2018.
Sam Querrey
The veteran American will look to have a better year as he will start the season against fellow American Mackenzie McDonald. Querrey has never played against McDonald so it will be interesting how he will approach this match. Nonetheless, Sam is the heavy favorite in this clash and will try to have a big run in this tournament like he did when he won it in 2016.
Adrian Mannarino
The French player had a good run at the US Open last year and is seeded third in this tournament. He awaits the winner of the match between Cameron Norrie and JC Aragone. Indeed the French player has a great style of play that can trouble anybody. Mannarino will try to have a deep run in the tournament and start the year on the right path.
Pablo Andujar
The Spanish veteran will kick off his season against Croatian Ivo Karlovic. They have only played once in which the Spaniard took the match in straight sets. he will try to have a better year as last year he did not play that very well. He is the clear favorite in this match and will try to beat the 41 year old Croatian to advance into the next round.
Big Names Withdrew From The Tournament
Indeed many big names have withdrew from this tournament. The biggest names are Andy Murray, Milos Raonic, Reilly Opelka, Kei Nishikori, Vasek Pospisil, and Dan Evans. Some of these players withdrew due to health risks of Covid-19 and others whose reasons are unclear.
Competitive Field
Event though there are big names who will not be playing in this tournament this year, the field of players is still very competitive. There are former champions and players who are on the rise. There are others who are trying to elevate their game to where it once was. All in all the tournament is a very competitive one that will no doubt have some great matches along the way.
Main Photo from Getty.
