The future of French tennis will be in action on Monday at Wimbledon, with rising star Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard battling Lorenzo Musetti and countryman Arthur Fils taking on Alex de Minaur. Spots in the quarterfinals are at stake.
(LL) Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard vs. (25) Lorenzo Musetti
Don’t let the “lucky loser” next to Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard’s name fool you. The-20 year-old French player is having a meteoric rise to stardom in front of our eyes and if you think that the No. 25 seeding makes Lorenzo Musetti a prohibitive favorite, think again. First, there’s the fact that these two men played an absolute barnburner of a match in Stuttgart. Musetti won that one, but two important things to note is that the match was decided by a pair of tiebreakers that the Italian won by a razor-thin margin–and Mpetshi Perricard is already a better, more confident player than he was just a few weeks ago.
Of course, nobody can predict the future with perfect foresight. Injuries happen, inexplicable bad form happens because…well, tennis is an individual sport and it’s just unpredictable at times. But if there was ever a case to be made for burgeoning greatness, it’s here. Mpetshi Perricard is big, he’s fast(ish). Perhaps most importantly he is proving to be opportunistic and he seems to instinctively know how to ride the wave of momentum.
These aren’t “blockbuster” names (yet), but this is one you shouldn’t miss. I fully expect a battle royale with Mpetshi Perricard squeaking out the win.
Cheryl pick: Mpetshi Perricard in 5
Ricky pick: Mpetshi Perricard in 4
(9) Alex de Minaur vs. Arthur Fils
On the other side of the spectrum from Mpetshi Perricard is Australia’s Alex de Minaur. He is a player who uses his superior fitness and impressive consistency to wear down opponents. You won’t see 50 aces from De Minaur. In fact, he only has 24 aces through the first three rounds of play. But he is impressive for all of that, a player who has figured out how to make the most of his athleticism and with enough acumen to translate his strengths to each surface.
Like his compatriot, Arthur Fils is another young French player to watch. His rise up the rankings (he sits at world No. 34 right now) has been more traditional than Mpetshi Perricard’s, but he is another player promising to make noise on the men’s tour. Fils already has a win over De Minaur this year, but it came on clay and probably doesn’t say much about what to expect on Monday.
The Aussie is by far the more consistent of the two players and he has performed well in the best-of-five format this year. De Minaur hasn’t dropped a set yet at the All-England Club andheads into the round of 16 well rested thanks to a walkover in the third round when opponent Lucas Pouille withdrew.
Cheryl pick: De Minaur in 4
Ricky pick: De Minaur in 3