Top seed Ben Shelton will begin his Auckland campaign against Francisco Comesana in the second round on Wednesday. The winner will face either Sebastian Baez or Jenson Brooksby in the quarterfinals.
(1) Ben Shelton vs. Francisco Comesana
Shelton is looking to build on a stellar 2025 season that culminated in his first appearance at the Nitto ATP Finals. The 23-year-old American failed to win a single match in Turin, but will still enter this week ranked No. 8 in the world and as such has secured an all-important seed in the top eight at the Australian Open.
Shelton’s ASB Classic debut on Wednesday is a second-round match against Comesana, who he has never faced. The 68th-ranked Argentine lost his opening match in Hong Kong to Jerry Shang in straight sets but started with a win in Auckland by beating Valentin Royer 6-4, 6-4 on Monday. Unfortunately for Comesana, this is a big step up in competition – and he’s only won 32 hard court matches (indoor and outdoor combined) in his professional career (compared to 264 on clay).
Pick: Shelton at 2
Jenson Brooksby vs. (7) Sebastian Baez
Baez and Brooksby will meet again for the first time in their careers on Wednesday. It’s been a great start to the year for Baez, who has compiled a 3-0 record in the United Cup with wins over Jaume Munar, Taylor Fritz, and Stan Wawrinka. The 39th-ranked Argentinian is unbeaten as he defeated Emilio Nava 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 on Monday in Auckland.
Brooksby upset local wild card James Watt 6-4, 6-3 in his 2026 opener. The 25-year-old American has a lot of momentum after coming back from a 23-month layoff (suspension and injury) that saw him rise from the ranks to world number 48 last season. As Baez plays, the seventh seed still has an all-time losing record on hard outside courts (40-42). He has also had enough preparation for the Aussie Open, and Brooksby will be keen to get more matches under his belt.
Pick: Brooksby at 3
