The ATP 500 Vienna tournament has provided some thrilling and high-intensity matches, and it should come as no shocker that the quarterfinal match between Jakub Mensik and Alex de Minaur will be nothing short of an exception to such rule. Young Czech sensation Jakub Mensik has blown his way into the top 50 with some scintillating performances and comes into this match in great form, riding a remarkable winning streak. He will go up against battle-hardened Australian Alex de Minaur, presently world-ranked 10th. De Minaur brings experience and consistency, known for his remarkable defensive skills and the ability to cover the court. It's going to be a complete contrast in styles: Mensik with the powerful serve and aggressive baseline against de Minaur's tactical finesse and resilient defense.
The match between Mensik and de Minaur will be the first encounter on the ATP tour, in their quarterfinal meeting in Vienna. Neither player has prior matches to gauge their opponent's game style, so both players will most likely rely heavily on their natural playing style and make tactical changes where possible.
Claim Welcome BonusJakub Mensik
Coming into this match, the powerful-serving, heavy-baselines hitter, ranked 51 in the world, had made strong inroads into the ATP tour. 18-year-old Mensik of the Czech Republic came into this match 8-2 in his last 10 matches, and he had won his last four without dropping a set. That was quite evident when in his last outing, he hit 23 aces in a highly effective 2-0 win over Miomir Kecmanovic. This sets the perfect example of how cool and composed he is under pressure, further reiterated with his perfect 100% break-point save rate against Kecmanovic.
The aggressive style of Mensik is built around a booming first serve that lets him get into the rhythm early in service games and to set up quick points. That fact is furthered by his serve statistics in this match against Kecmanovic, having hit 73% of his first serves in and slamming 23 aces. His second serve can be a bit of a liability, though Mensik tries balancing things out by attempting to finish out the points with strong, deep groundstrokes and an aggressive, forehand-heavy baseline game. Against de Minaur, Mensik wants to try and take advantage of the short returns, staying on the front foot and not allowing de Minaur to settle into long rallies.
Alex de Minaur
Alex de Minaur is ranked number 10 and possesses quick feet, defense, and a game that is tactical. His last match ended early as his opponent, Flavio Cobolli, retired, but de Minaur was in for a tough battle, showing fight and experience. He enters this tie with a 7-3 mark in his last 10 and back-to-back wins entering just in time. Some of his strong suits are return games, as he stands at 53% on second-serve returns, allowing him to remain competitive when his opponent serves well.
With his counter-punching game, De Minaur has all the good ingredients to disrupt big-hitting opponents like Mensik. His strategy is to extend rallies, absorb Mensik's power, and force him into unforced errors. Indeed, the stunning 53% win on second-serve returns so far from De Minaur could prove quite crucial against Mensik, who has shown some signs of vulnerability on his second serve. Again, de Minaur will be looking to make Mensik side-to-side and use any weak play to move him out of position before returning deep and consistently backhand to offset the power in Mensik's aggressive forehands.
Expert Betting Tips
Coming into the match, Mensik has loads of momentum, having won eight of his last ten matches and on a four-game winning streak. The way he has been playing lately, most notably his first serve and clutch points when it has counted, gives him a big advantage in power and confidence. He will be up against someone in de Minaur, though, who presents a different kind of challenge-one that could negate a lot of the strengths of Mensik.
Grinding opponents, being efficient at counter-punching, and pouncing on the opponent's second serve-all this constitutes de Minaur's game. While his 53% win rate on second-serve returns could prove telling, especially if Mensik's accuracy does slip as the match wears on, de Minaur is ranked, has excellent recent form, and experience in high-stake matches.
- Over 21.5 Games @ 1.6 Odds
- Alex de Minaur Wins @ 1.70 Odds
- Alex de Minaur Wins 2-1 @ 3.75
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