Mensik J. – Bolt A.: Bolt wins the set – yes

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July 16, 2024

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Our pick: Mensik J. – Bolt A.: Bolt wins the set – yes

16.07.2024 19:40

Jakub Mensik will spend the grass part of the season in Newport, USA, where the ATP 250 event takes place this week. The eighteen-year-old Czech talent will enter it against Alex Bolt, thirteen years older.

Menšík is ranked 79th in the rankings, making him the favourite in the eyes of the bookmakers. The Prostejov native drew the most attention at the beginning of the year in Doha, where he played his first ATP final. In Qatar he defeated tennis players such as Andy Murray, Andrey Rubljov and Gael Monfils.

The last few months have been weaker for Mensik. At one point, he even went on a streak of four straight defeats. The improvement came just before Wimbledon in Mallorca, where he grabbed two career opening wins on grass and reached the quarterfinals. Then in London, he failed to hold a 2-0 set lead over Kazakhstan’s Bublik in the first round.

Bolt is currently ranked as high as 210 in the rankings, and had to qualify in Newport. He did not lose a set in his bouts against South Korea’s Hong and the home-grown Krueger. He has already played 23 matches on grass this year, winning 20 of them. In March, he dominated two ITF events on the green grass. At the end of July, he passed the Wimbledon qualification and dropped out in the first round to Norwegian favourite Ruud, the ninth player in the world rankings.

What to bet on:

Fast grass can pretty much erase quality differences. Bolt feels like a fish out of water on it thanks to his serve, while Mensik is gaining his first experience on this surface. Moreover, the Australian will go into the match more rangy, and may well have his eye on the favourite’s scalp. Bolt should take at least a set.

Confidence:

6/10

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