Tennis action this week moves onwards to Delray Beach Open in the United States, after the exciting week in Rotterdam which culminated in Gael Monfils winning his eighth career title. Juan Martin del Potro will finally be opening his 2019 season after being forced to extend his off-season on account of the knee injury, sustained in late 2018.<\/p>\n
As with all good things though, one has to wait to see the Argentine take to the courts. Meanwhile, the line-up of the first-round action to be played on Monday has a lot to offer. Here is rounding up the day\u2019s singles play:<\/p>\n
This will be the first meeting between the two. Lacko is ranked higher than his opponent, 133rd<\/sup> to the Japanese player\u2019s #181, but there is not much separating the two. From a broader perspective, the 31-year-old is yet to win a match this year, having lost two opening-round matches in the qualifiers, at the Australian Open<\/a> and in Sofia, and one first-round match at the New York Open. This puts him under pressure to do well against his 20-year-old rival for the day. On the other hand, it also presents Watanuki with a convenient opportunity to score an upset for himself.
\nPrediction: Lacko in 2<\/em><\/p>\n