No. 2 seed Ben Shelton begins his Nexo Dallas Open campaign against Gabriel Diallo on Tuesday. Fellow American Alex Michelsen faces veteran Grigor Dimitrov in the first round of the ATP 500 tournament.
(2) Ben Shelton vs. Gabriel Diallo
Ben Shelton, coming into this week off the back of a run to the quarterfinals at the Australian Open, will be looking to improve on his second round finish at the event last year. The American has the right type of game to play well on the fast courts in Dallas and beat Gabriel Diallo with ease in the only time he played.
Diallo has endured a rough start to the year. The Canadian has won two matches in four events played, although his first-round exit at the Australian Open is understandable – he ran into semi-finalist Alexander Zverev. Shelton should get into the second round without difficulty.
Cheryl picks: Shelton at 2
Ricky pick: Shelton at 2
Grigor Dimitrov vs. Alex Michelsen
Grigor Dimitrov will be looking to right the ship on the heels of a disappointing start to the 2026 season. The world number 43 lost in the first round at the Australian Open to Tomas Machac after winning one match at the Aussie Open tune-up event in Brisbane.
Dimitrov’s first-round opponent is 41st-ranked Alex Michelsen, an American who has plenty of talent but is still waiting for his first breakthrough. Dimitrov was very upset at Wimbledon last summer and has only recently returned to fitness after missing almost the entire second half of 2025. Given the Bulgarian’s slow recovery, this is a winnable game for Michelsen.
Cheryl picks: Michelsen at 2
Ricky’s pick: Michelsen at 3
