Vienna 2024: Alex de Minaur vs Jakub Mensik preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick | Erste Bank Open
Match Details
Fixture: (2) Alex de Minaur vs (Q) Jakub Mensik
Date: 25 October 2024
Tournament: Erste Bank Open 2024
Round: Quarter-final
Venue: Wiener Stadthalle, Vienna, Austria
Category: ATP 500
Surface: Hard-court (Indoor)
Winner's Prize Money: €2,470,310
Live Telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Sky Sports | Canada - TSN
Alex de Minaur vs Jakub Mensik preview
Second seed Alex de Minaur will face Czech teenager Jakub Mensik in a tantalizing quarterfinal clash at the 2024 Erste Bank Open on Friday, October 25.
De Minaur has been battling a hip injury in the second half of the season, which has limited him to just three tournaments since Wimbledon. He reached the quarterfinals at the US Open, where he lost to Jack Draper, and suffered a surprising defeat last week in Antwerp, falling to Hugo Gaston in a close three-set quarterfinal battle.
De Minaur kicked off his campaign in Vienna this week with a hard-fought 2-6, 6-2, 6-2 win over Jan-Lennard Struff in the first round. He looked more assured in his second-round match against Flavio Cobolli, as he won a tight opening set and led 3-1 in the second before Cobolli was forced to retire due to injury.
Mensik, fresh off a quarterfinal run in Shanghai where he pushed Novak Djokovic to three sets, made the main draw in Vienna this week through qualifying. He defeated Alexander Ritschard and Alexandre Muller to secure his berth.
Mensik pulled off a 6-3, 6-4 upset over eighth seed Alexei Popyrin in the first round, followed by another strong performance, beating Miomir Kecmanovic 6-3, 7-6 (7) to reach the quarterfinals.
Alex de Minaur vs Jakub Mensik head-to-head
Alex de Minaur and Jakub Mensik have yet to face off in professional competition so their head-to-head stands locked at 0-0.
Alex de Minaur vs Jakub Mensik odds
(Odds to be added once available)
Alex de Minaur vs Jakub Mensik prediction
Alex de Minaur started his Vienna campaign slowly but showed much more solidity in his second match. Despite limited match play recently due to injury, the Australian appeared comfortable on the court, especially while serving and on the return.
Jakub Mensik, in contrast, has been in excellent form recently and shows no signs of slowing down in Vienna. The Czech teen has yet to drop a set in his four matches this week, showcasing powerful serving and dominating ball-striking. He's also been impressive at the net, reaping rewards every time he's gone forward.
De Minaur heads into this encounter with a 43-14 match record this season, compared to Mensik's 25-16. The Australian has also been more successful on hard courts and indoor surfaces, boasting a 31-10 record against Mensik's 19-9. It is, however, important to note that Mensik has enjoyed a better spell recently, while De Minaur has been sidelined with an injury.
Despite his time away from the court, De Minaur is still favored to come out on top in this clash, thanks to his superior match record this season and his strong track record against players ranked outside the top 50.
Pick: De Minaur to win in three sets.