Novak Djokovic is set to face off against Alex De Minaur in what promises to be an exciting match at the ATP Monte Carlo Masters 2024. Djokovic’s experience and skill on the court make him a formidable opponent, but De Minaur’s speed and agility could pose a challenge.
On the other hand, Jannik Sinner will be up against Holger Rune in another thrilling match. Sinner’s powerful groundstrokes and aggressive playstyle could give him the edge, but Rune’s determination and hunger for victory should not be underestimated.
Our predictions for these matches are based on carefully analyzing each player’s strengths and weaknesses. To find out more about our insights and analysis, continue reading.
Novak Djokovic vs Alex De Minaur
In Friday’s quarterfinal round at the 2024 Monte-Carlo Masters, world number one Novak Djokovic will face off against Alex de Minaur.
Djokovic advanced to the third round with a 6-2, 6-1 victory against Roman Safiullin. He will face Lorenzo Musetti in his next round. His previous tournament appearance resulted in a loss to the Italian at this precise juncture.
Head-to-head and previous games
In the opening game of the encounter, Musetti once again showed his full potential by breaking Djokovic’s serve. A 4-2 lead was ultimately established by the 22-year-old, but the Serb quickly restored parity.
After losing the opening set, Djokovic quickly turned the tables and won the next five games to take the first set. Despite his two service breaks, Musetti returned on serve twice in the second set.
With a 5-3 lead in the second set, Djokovic took advantage of another break. In the following game, he served the match without incident, winning 7-5, 6-3, and advancing to the quarterfinals at this venue for the first time since 2019.
See our French Open 2024 Predictions
De Minaur started by defeating Stan Wawrinka, and then in the second round, he fought from a set down to beat Tallon Griekspoor 2-6, 6-2, 6-3. In the third round, he met with Alexei Popyrin, another Australian.
The opening set went to him after de Minaur won four consecutive games, beginning at 3-2. With a service break, he took a 5-3 lead in the second set, but Popyrin denied him the chance to seal the deal, allowing him to remain in the match.
Even though Popyrin had a little respite, de Minaur broke his serve again and defeated him 6-3, 6-4. The Australian has advanced to the final eight at this tournament for the first time in his professional career.
The head-to-head matchup is at 1-1 after both players split their last two encounters. This year’s United Cup was their most recent meeting, and De Minaur came out on top in straight sets.
Our Predictions
Djokovic won in a straight set.
Even though Musetti was a demanding customer for Djokovic, the Serb stepped up his game when it counted best. He’ll be looking to exact revenge after losing to de Minaur earlier this year—the first Australian player to beat him since 2018—in a major tournament.
De Minaur’s flat hitting on a surface like clay could be better. Compared to other surfaces, his footwork on red dirt could be better, and he has a 1-10 record versus the top 20 players on clay.
After getting off to a rocky start this season, two-time winner Novak Djokovic is now finding his form at this tournament. Despite de Minaur’s dismal record on clay, he remains one of the sport’s most successful players. Given the Serbs’ clay court prowess, they are the heavy favorites in winning this match.
Jannik Sinner vs Holger Rune
The seventh seed On Saturday, for a spot in the Monte-Carlo final, Jannik Sinner battles against Holger Rune, the sixth seed. Friday, the eighth-ranked Sinner defeated his fellow Italian Lorenzo Musetti, a 21-year-old, in a match that Sinner lost by a score of only four games. His overall record is 24-5, including a 7-2 in the Principality.
Head-to-head and previous games
The season for Sinner has been remarkable. The Italian had a strong year, advancing to the quarterfinals at the Australian Open, Adelaide-1, and Montpellier, where he won his first championship. Sinner advanced to the quarterfinals in Indian Wells and the final in Miami before losing to Daniil Medvedev in the Rotterdam final.
On the other hand, Sinner has had a more spectacular season than World No. 9 Rune. Still, he improved to 17-7 in 2023 and 4-2 in Monte-Carlo after a straight-set victory against an in-form Medvedev.
Since winning the Paris Masters last year, Rune’s career has been lackluster, as she has failed to get to a final. The adolescent Dane advanced to the quarterfinals in Montpellier and Acapulco after her fourth-round performance at the Australian Open. He made it to the Principality after advancing to the semifinals in Miami.
In their one matchup last year in the Sofia semifinals, Rune came out on top. They had never faced each other on clay before.
Our Predictions
Sinner to win in three sets
With comparable playing styles—serving well, hitting hard, and moving well—Sinner and Rune are classic baseliners. But with his better claycourt background and expertise, the Italian takes the lead. The surface scores for Sinner are 38-17, while Rune’s are 20-18. The Italian served like a pro against Musetti, winning every point on the second serve and connecting on 92% of first serves.
While Medvedev won 81% of his net points and converted 3 of 5 break points, Rune was dominant. While Rune may have won their one encounter, Sinner has been consistent this year, making it to the semifinals of the Masters 1000 for the third year in a row. The inexperienced Rune, who breezed over Matteo Berrettini in the quarterfinals, should be no match for Sinner’s stamina.