It’s time for the ‘Co. Show’ yet again at the 2024 French Open! After having a spicy encounter at the Court Simonne-Mathieu on Sunday (May 26) against Chile’s Nicolas Jarry, Corentin Moutet is all set to step onto the same court against Kazakhstan’s Alexander Shevchenko. Both of them secured a hard-fought victory in the first round. Are we going to see an equally long match in the second round as well?

Shevchenko didn’t look too impressive in his first-round match, but he held his nerve till the end. Keeping his calmness while facing a Frenchman in front of the Parisian crowd will be a tougher challenge. Moutet, on the other hand, has a good chance to proceed into the next round, but for that, he needs to get a good start in the match.

Corentin Moutet vs Alexander Shevchenko: Preview

Moutet has reached two SFs of his previous tournaments this year. In his previous match against Jarry, Corentin Moutet showcased his determination and resilience to outclass the Chilean. He defeated Nicolas Jarry by 6-2,6-1,3-6,6-0. If we look at the numbers from that match, the Frenchman hit four aces and committed just a single double fault. Her first-serve win percentage was 77% while on the second-serve it was just 52%. He converted seven of his nineteen breakpoints against Jarry.

The 25-year-old left-handed French tennis star has hit 21 aces this season and committed 16 double faults. He has won 74% of his service games and 25% of his return games this year. Moutet had a different kind of adrenaline rush in his previous match against Nicolas Jarry. Can he repeat a similar grit in his next match?

Well, Alexander Shevchenko has the answers in his hands. If he converts his half chance into winners against Moutet right from the word go, then it’s going to be very difficult for the Frenchman. Shevchenko has reached three QFs in his previous tournaments this year. In his previous match, he took five sets to defeat Russia’s Aslan Karatsev. Shevchenko defeated Karatsev by a 6-4,4-6,1-6,6-1,6-4 margin. He fired thirteen aces against the Russian and committed just four double faults in the entire match. His first-serve win percentage was 61% and his second-serve win percentage was 49%. Alexander Shevchenko converted nine of his fifteen breakpoints against Aslan Karatsev.

He has hit quite a few aces (134) this season and has committed 59 double faults so far. Shevchenko has won 75% of his service games and 16% of his return games this year. But who between these two tennis stars has the edge in the H2H?

Moutet vs Shevchenko: Head-to-Head

Well, there is nothing much to look out for from their H2H records. They have met each other only once in their careers so far. It was in the SF of the 2022 Szczecin Open. In that match, Corentin Moutet clinched a comfortable 6-4,6-2 victory over Alexander Shevchenko. Both the players failed to hit even a single ace in the entire match but committed one double fault each. Moutet’s first serve win percentage was 64% and on the second serve, it was 50%. For Shevchenko, it was 54% and 45% respectively. The Frenchman converted eight of his nine breakpoints in that match, but the Kazakhstani tennis star could only manage three out of his seven breakpoints.

Prediction: Moutet to win in four sets

Although Alexander Shevchenko (59) is currently ahead of Corentin Moutet (79) in the men’s singles ranking. But ruling out the Frenchman on his home turf will be a really bold call! Moutet’s best record in this tournament came in 2019 when he reached the third round, but for Shevchenko, it was reaching the second round in the 2023 season.

Moutet’s current win-loss record is 6-7 but for Shevchenko, it’s 13-15. The Frenchman showcases an unorthodox brand of tennis with some really crafty shots. He’s extremely creative on the court and has some extraordinary forehand lob and backhand slices in his armory. Corentin Moutet’s favorite shot is his drop-shot and volleys, and his favorite tournament is the Roland Garros. Alexander Shevchenko loves to bring variation to his game and really mixes up well with his shots during the matches. But looking at the surface and the experience of playing in high-octane matches, Moutet looks to be slightly ahead of Shevchenko at the moment.