Hangzhou Open: Mannarino, Tien Favored in First-Round Tennis Matchups

Hangzhou Tennis Open: Predictions for Mannarino vs. Wu, Tien vs. Navone

The Asian swing is underway with the Hangzhou Open on Wednesday. This article provides expert tennis picks for the first-round matches, focusing on Adrian Mannarino vs. Yibing Wu and Learner Tien vs. Mariano Navone.

Adrian Mannarino vs. Yibing Wu: Analysis and Prediction

Adrian Mannarino faces a challenging opening match against China's own Yibing Wu. This will be their second career meeting. Their previous encounter was at the Dallas Open two years ago, where Wu secured a 6-3, 6-4 victory, ultimately winning his first and only ATP title.

However, Wu's career has been hampered by injuries. Currently ranked No. 196 in the world, he needed a wild card to enter the tournament. Mannarino, still competitive at 37 years old and ranked 53rd, has won 19 matches since the start of Wimbledon. Considering Mannarino's consistent performance and Wu's uncertain fitness, Mannarino is the more reliable pick.

Pick: Mannarino in 2 sets

Learner Tien vs. Mariano Navone: Analysis and Prediction

Learner Tien and Mariano Navone are also set to compete for the second time. Their previous match occurred in Indian Wells this spring, with Navone winning 7-5, 6-4. Typically, surface type heavily influences this matchup, with Navone favored on clay and Tien on hard courts.

While Indian Wells arguably plays more like clay than other hard courts, the conditions in Hangzhou should favor Tien. Although Tien's momentum has cooled off since his impressive start to the season, he notably upset Andrey Rublev in Washington, D.C. and reached the fourth round in Toronto. Navone, ranked 82nd, has a lifetime record of 11-20 on outdoor hard courts. Expect Tien to win this match.

Pick: Tien in 2 sets