Alex de Minaur is preparing to face Jakub Menšík in the third round of the French Open. The Australian enters the match following an inconsistent run on clay. He received a walkover in the last round after Alexander Blockx suffered an injury.
Menšík goes into this match after a grueling five-setter against Mariano Navone.
Head-to-Head Advantage for De Minaur
This will be the sixth meeting between these two players on the ATP Tour. De Minaur holds the head-to-head lead at 5-0. He defeated Menšík thrice last year and also at the Untied Cup earlier this year. This will be their first meeting on clay.
De Minaur’s Clay Court Form
The clay-court season hasn’t gone according to plan so far for de Minaur, who holds a 7-5 win-loss record on the red dirt this year. He suffered back-to-back second-round exits in Madrid and Rome, but showed glimpses of his ability in Hamburg with a run to the semifinals.
In the first round of the French Open, de Minaur enjoyed a comfortable 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 win over Toby Samuel. He was then given a second-round bye after Blockx suffered an injury.
Menšík’s Season So Far
Menšík is enjoying a strong season with an 18-9 overall record and one title to his name. He missed the early part of the clay-court swing and came into the French Open with a 3-2 record on the red dirt this year.
The 20-year-old started his Roland Garros campaign by defeating Titouan Droguet in straight sets. He then overcame heat exhaustion to defeat Navone 6-3, 2-6, 4-6, 6-1, 7-6 (11) in a thrilling contest.
A Compelling Contest Expected
This match has all the ingredients to be a compelling contest between one of the most exciting young players in the world and a seasoned competitor who tends to struggle on the red dirt.
Menšík is an aggressive baseline player who dominates on hard courts with his flat groundstrokes. Clay is not necessarily his favourite surface, but he does hold a decent 17-11 record on the red dirt.
De Minaur made a decent start to his French Open run. He looked confident on his serve and was solid defensively after an uncertain start to his clay-court swing.
Menšík will present his opponent with a much tougher test. The 20-year-old has a massive first serve and is capable of dictating matches by shortening rallies.
The eighth seed will take confidence from his head-to-head advantage and will look to use a similar blueprint, absorbing the early pressure and wearing down his opponent. He is also more experienced in playing best-of-five matches, which could prove invaluable against Menšík, who is playing the French Open for only the second time.
The match has all the ingredients to go down to the wire. If Menšík can start strongly, he will fancy his chances of pulling off the upset. Fatigue might be an issue for the youngster against the much fresher de Minaur.