Eastbourne draw is kind to top seed Taylor Fritz and Queen’s finalist Alex de Minaur
Taylor Fritz has been handed an ostensibly kind draw for the Rothesay International at Eastbourne.
Fritz is 2-2 on grass this season and hasn’t looked terribly settled on the surface.
However, his quarter of the draw appears to be devoid of serious threats to the championship.
In recent weeks though Fritz has lost matches to world No 86 Marton Fucsovics and world No 46 Adrian Mannarino at Stuttgart and Queen’s respectively.
At Eastbourne, Fritz will enjoy top seeding with a number of top ten players opting to rest the week before Wimbledon.
With that top seeding comes a bye into the Round of 16 where Fritz will face either Italy’s Marco Cecchinato or compatriot Mackenzie McDonald for a place in the quarter-finals.
If seeding holds sway in his quarter, Fritz will take on No 5 seed Nicolas Jarry in the last eight.
Jarry starts his tournament in the Round of 32 and will face Sweden’s Mikael Ymer for a place in the second round and a meeting with either home hope Liam Broady or a qualifier.
Fourth seed Francisco Cerundolo will be out to continue a hot run of form as he also enjoys a bye into the Round of 16.
The Argentineans first assignment at Eastbourne will be either British wildcard Ryan Peniston or a qualifier.
If seeding holds in Cerundolo’s quarter he will face Italian seventh seed Lorenzo Sonego in the quarter-finals.
Sonego opens his campaign against China’s Zhizhen Zhang with the winner of that clash going on to face either Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp or American Maxime Cressy in the Round of 16.
The Eastbourne draw is anchored by another American in Tommy Paul who is seeded second for the Rothesay International.
Paul enjoys a first round bye before a round of 16 opener against either Portugal’s Nuno Borges or Argentina’s Sebastian Baez.
His projected last eight foe according to seeding is another Argentine in sixth seed Tomas Martin Etcheverry.
Etcheverry opens his campaign against Paul’s countryman J.J. Wolf with the winner moving on to a round of 16 match against either British wildcard George Loffhagen or a qualifier.
Third seed Alex De Minaur is on a hot run on grass and can see his path to another final opening up from his round of 16 opener.
De Minaur starts against either Frenchman Gregoire Barrere or Finn Emil Ruusuvuori.
Should seeding hold in the Aussie’s quarter he will face Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic in the last eight.
Kecmanovic will need to get beyond China’s Yibing Wu to book a last 16 date with either American Brandon Nakashima or a qualifier.
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