The 2023 champion of the Croatia Open, Alexei Popyrin, starts his campaign this year against the Czech tennis star, Jakub Mensik. The 18-year-old Mensik has showcased his potential on multiple occasions this year. Can he disrupt all the equations of the defending champion at the Goran Ivanisevic Stadium on Monday (July 22)?

Although Popyrin won the tournament in 2023, this year he has struggled to perform on the clay. Mensik will be keen to take advantage of this and start this intriguing contest on the front foot. Grabbing the chances right from the word go, will be the key to success for both of these tennis stars in this match.

Jakub Mensik vs Alexei Popyrin: Preview

Jakub Mensik has already played two finals, one SF and one QF this season. He is entering this match after his first-round exit from the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships at the hands of another Australian, Alex Bolt. Mensik was outclassed in every department in that match which ultimately ended in a 2-6,4-6 scoreline. He hit 4 aces and committed 6 double faults against Bolt. His first serve win percentage was 69% but on the second serve, it dropped to 45%, and in the breakpoints, he recorded 1/1.

Mensik has fired 203 aces this season and has committed 80 double faults. He has won almost 80% of his service games and 16% of his return games. But how are his numbers compared to Alexei Popyrin?

Well, Popyrin’s best result this season also came at the Qatar Open where he reached the SF. However, after that, he failed to make a mark in the rest of his tournaments. The 24-year-old Australian tennis star was recently defeated by France’s Ugo Blanchet in the first round of the German Open. He hit 14 aces and committed 4 double faults in that three-set thriller. His first-serve win percentage was 71% but on the second-serve, it was around 45% and in the breakpoints, he could only manage 3/7.

If we take a look at his numbers from his season, Alexei Popyrin has scored 250 aces committing just 69 double faults. He has 85% of his service games and 16% of his return games.

Mensik vs Popyrin: Head-to-Head

Jakub Mesnik hasn’t yet played against Alexei Popyrin in his career. This will be their first meeting and this is what makes this contest more interesting! Both of these tennis stars have a lot of potential to thrive on the bigger stages of the game and now it’s time to prove who’s better than the other. Who will have the upper hand in this contest, though?

Prediction: Mensik to win this match in three sets

Surprise, Surprise! Well, there are definitely some reasons behind this pick. Although Jakub Mensik is currently ranked 81 in the world compared to Alexei Popyrin’s current ranking of 46, the Czech has been in a better form this season. It’s true that Popyrin is entering this event as the defending champion but his win-loss record (12-13) is relatively poor when compared to Jakub Mensik’s 7-2. So, the current form is definitely one of the factors that would keep the teenager ahead of the experienced campaigner.

Both of these players are aggressive baseliners, however, Jakub Mensik’s game consists of commanding serves along with precise drop shots as well. He loves serving big and is also a big returner. This is what makes him one of the most formidable opponents on the court. And yeah, don’t forget his incredible backhands as well! What does Popyrin have to counter all these weapons?

Alexei Popyrin is someone who loves to play from the back of the court using his venomous groundstrokes. He loves to dictate the game from there and can also come up with stellar volleys, but is it enough to diminish the mighty challenge of Jakub Mensik in Croatia? No, perhaps not this time!