Last year's Wimbledon quarterfinalist Vasek Pospisil takes on veteran Spaniard Guillermo Garcia-Lopez in the first round of the Ricoh Open in s-Hertogenbosch.
Pospisil currently ranked at 46 in the ATP rankings will be relieved to be on the grass courts again as he endured a torrid clay court season. The former world number 25 reached has had some good moments on grass especially at Wimbledon.
Pospisil and his doubles partner Jack Sock commonly known as "Pospisock" won the Men's Doubles championship at Wimbledon in 2014 upsetting the defending champions the Bryan Brothers in the final.
The Canadian number two reached the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam in singles for the first time in his career at Wimbledon last year but he fell to 2013 champion Andy Murray.
Garcia-Lopez is now 33 years old and coming towards the end of his career and he has been ranked as high as 23 in the ATP World Tour rankings but he has dropped down the rankings to 53.
Possible route to the final
The winner of this intriguing first round encounter will face home favorite Robin Haase or 7th seed Gilles Muller in the second round. Muller's serve is a nightmare on grass and he would pose a threat to Pospisil or Garcia-Lopez.
Top seed David Ferrer is a possible quarterfinal opponent and Ferrer has already won three matches over his compatriot Garcia-Lopez this year in Madrid, Rome, and Geneva.
Third seed Ivo Karlovic or sixth seed Andreas Seppi is a projected semifinal opponent for the Canadian or the Spaniard. Karlovic's movement isn't very good but his serve is a powerful weapon on grass and he could take the match out of your racquet because of his serve.
There are some quality opponents in the bottom half of the draw and if Pospisil or Garcia-Lopez make it to the final they could play the eighth seed and defending champion Nicolas Mahut, second seed Bernard Tomic and the fourth and fifth seeded Americans Sam Querrey or Steve Johnson.
Their history
Pospisil and Garcia-Lopez have only faced off once and it was in the third round of the Australian Open in 2015. The Spaniard won that match in straight sets with a 6-2, 6-4, 6-4 scoreline.
Who wins
Garcia-Lopez may have won their previous meeting on hard courts but Pospisil is a better player than the veteran on grass courts.
Pospisil's movement for a tall man is very good and his serve isn't like Isner or Karlovic's but he still serves a ton of aces on this surface.
Garcia-Lopez's best surface is hard courts and clay courts and the third round of Wimbledon back in 2008 was his best result on this surface.
Pospisil will look at this tournament as a chance to try and build some momentum on a favoured surface of his and as he is most likely to be unseeded for Wimbledon, his ranking could plummet if he loses in the early rounds there.
Both players had disappointing clay court seasons and they will be desperate to kick-off their grass court seasons with a victory.
Prediction: Pospisil in straight sets.