The first round in Auckland wraps up on Tuesday, with Frenchmen Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard and Gael Monfils taking the court. They face Roberto Bautista Agut and Fabian Marozsan, respectively.
(WC) Roberto Bautista Agut vs. Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard
Bautista Agut has not played since the 2025 US Open and withdrew from the Brisbane qualifier last week, so he enters the ASB Classic as a big question mark. The 37-year-old Spaniard was included in Auckland in the qualifiers, but ended up receiving a wild card. To say that this is the perfect place for Bautista Agut’s comeback would be an understatement. He is 13-3 lifetime in Auckland with two titles (2016, 2018).
World No. 90 on Tuesday is Champion Perricard, whom he has never faced. Mpetshi Perricard is coming off a quarterfinal appearance in Brisbane, where he defeated both Tommy Paul and Rinky Hijikata in third set sets before losing to Aleksandar Kovacevic in three sets. While Bautista Agut will not be discounted in Auckland, the 22-year-old Frenchman’s preparations for Tuesday’s match have been far better.
Pick: Peaches Perricard at 3
Fabian Marozsan vs. Gael Monfils
Marozsan and Monfils will be fighting each other for the fourth time in their careers on Tuesday. If past meetings are any indication, the Auckland fans will be in for a treat. All three of their previous meetings required a final set, with Marozsan winning the ‘third set’ at the same Auckland event in 2024 before Monfils did the job twice in the spring of 2025 (Miami and Monte-Carlo).
This marks the first game of Monfils’ final season on the road. The 39-year-old Frenchman is ranked No. 110 in the world, but – when healthy – his results are always respectable. Marozsan enters 52nd in the rankings after reaching several quarterfinals last fall (Beijing, Almaty). The 26-year-old Hungarian suffered a shock defeat in Hong Kong last week to Yibing Wu, but at least he has a game under his belt. Given the age difference and the rustiness of Monfils who hasn’t played a game since September, Marozsan is the more reliable of the two contenders.
Pick: Marozsan at 3
