The grass-court season is underway and continues on Tuesday at Queen’s Club, where Brandon Nakashima is taking on Marton Fucsovics. Jiri Lehecka is going up against a red-hot Kamil Majchrzak, the ‘s-Hertogenbosch winner.
Brandon Nakashima vs. Marton Fucsovics
Nakashima goes off as the favorite on paper as the world No. 32, but this is one of those first-round draws that looks easier than it really is. Fucsovics is a legitimate grass-court player — he made the Wimbledon quarterfinals in 2021 and owns a 4-2 record on the surface over the past year. He comes into the HSBC Championships with some match rhythm, too, having beaten Hubert Hurkacz in the opening round at ‘s-Hertogenbosch last week before Felix Auger-Aliassime sent him packing. He is the kind of flat baseline player who keeps the ball deep, doesn’t give you easy points, and knows how to compete on fast courts.
Nakashima has put together a solid grass resume of his own. He advanced to the Queen’s Club quarterfinals a year ago before losing to Jack Draper, and his career record on the surface sits at 30-19. His flat, penetrating ball-striking translates well to grass. Nakashima is ranked well above Fucsovics (No. 76), but this isn’t a gimme. Fucsovics will make him earn it — and if the Hungarian is clicking, he can make it a long day for the American.
Cheryl pick: Nakashima in 3
Ricky pick: Nakashima in 3
(2) Jiri Lehecka vs. (SE) Kamil Majchrzak
On the surface, this looks like a manageable first-round draw for the second seed. Lehecka is the defending finalist here, having beaten a tonsillitis-riddled Jack Draper in the semis last year before losing to Carlos Alcaraz in the final. He showed up in Stuttgart this past week, too, making the semifinals before Ben Shelton survived two match points to edge him out in three sets. Lehecka is sharp, he knows this club, and nobody in the draw will be looking forward to seeing his serve-and-forehand combination on grass.
The problem for Lehecka is that Kamil Majchrzak just had a banner week in ‘s-Hertogenbosch. The 30-year-old Pole went through Felix Auger-Aliassime, Daniil Medvedev, and Alex de Minaur — three top-10 players -0 to win his first-ever ATP title. He shows up to Queen’s Club as a first-time ATP champion, on grass, on the back of the best week of his career. Given Majchrzak’s recent efforts, you have to figure fatigue will play a factor. As such, I can’t pick against Lehecka — but I think the world No. 47 has enough in the tank to take a set.
Cheryl pick: Lehecka in 3
Ricky pick: Lehecka in 2