By Chris Oddo | Monday February 27, 2017
Novak Djokovic’s decision to take a last-second wild card into the Abierto Mexicano Telcel in Acapulco has landed the 12-time major champion in a bit of a difficult draw.
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The Serb is the top seed at the event that will also be attended by Rafael Nadal (seeded second) and Juan Martin del Potro (unseeded), and he will start his week with a first-round encounter with the dangerous Martin Klizan.
The Slovak, currently ranked No.62 in the world, owns a 0-2 lifetime record against Djokovic but he did take a set from Djokovic in their first meeting in 2015 at Miami.
Djokovic, who has played only once since his shock upset at the hands of Denis Istomin at the Australian Open, could then face Juan Martin del Potro in the second round, if the Argentine can get by American Frances Tiafoe.
Del Potro famously upset then World No.1 Djokovic last year at the Olympics, and owns a lifetime 4-11 record against him.
Nadal opens his week in Acapulco with a tricky encounter as well—the Spaniard will face Mischa Zverev in the first round. Nadal defeated Zverev 6-1, 6-1 at Brisbane this January, but the German would make a name for himself several weeks later when he upset Andy Murray en route to his first major quarterfinal at this year’s Australian Open.
Other participants in this week’s event at Acapulco include last week’s Rio champion (and defending Acapulco champion) Dominic Thiem, Marin Cilic, David Goffin and Nick Kyrgios.
See the complete men’s singles draw here: