Andrey Rubleve faces Jakub Mensik while Ugo Humbert goes up against Gael Monfils in the quarter-finals of the ATP Tour’s Qatar Masters. Damien Kayat previews.
2024 ATP Tour
ATP 250
Qatar Open
Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex, Qatar
Selected Quarterfinals – 22 February
Andrey Rublev 1/7 | Jakub Mensik 46/10
Andrey Rublev must be one of the most psychologically intriguing figures in men’s tennis. A perennial figure in the world’s top 10, Rublev is obviously haunted by the fact that he has lost a staggering ten Grand Slam quarter-finals.
However, the Russian is one of the most consistent regular tour players, amassing more than 22 million dollars in career prize money. It would be interesting to know how successful he feels his career has been. Ok, let me stop being Sigmund Freud for a moment.
The Russian baseliner just dispatched veteran Frenchman Richard Gasquet in pretty routine fashion, improving his record for the season to 11-2. The two people who have beaten him this season- Jannik Sinner and Alex de Minaur- are arguably two of the most in-form players in men’s tennis right now.
Rublev doesn’t mind these somewhat slower surfaces, finishing runner-up in 2018 before claiming the title in 2020. He is a past master in ATP 500 and ATP 250 events and he will intimidate anyone in this draw.
Make no mistake: Jakub Mensik is a player on the rise. The 18-year-old Czech looks a prodigious talent and his round of 16 victory over Andy Murray showcased admirable grit and resilience. He held off the Scot in three arduous sets (the game would go down as the longest in the history of the event).
Mensik plays big-man tennis for a teenager, serving well and hitting with thunder off both wings. He showed glimpses of his quality as a junior, losing in the final of the 2022 Aussie Open junior event. But he really made a name for himself by reaching the third round of last year’s US Open (his maiden Slam).
In the process, Mensik became the youngest player since Coric in 2014 to win a Grand Slam match. And he looked destined for yet another Grand Slam third round run in Melbourne, throwing away a 2-1 lead against Hubert Hurkacz.
He has reached the semi-final and finals of two Challenger events this year and he will be coming into this match with absolutely no fear. Also, he beat fifth seed Davidovich Fokina in straight sets to open his account this week.
Verdict: Rublev to win in straight sets 9/20
This will be their first career meeting. Sure, Mensik has shown commendable durability in his brief career (especially as an 18-year-old). But I think it’s going to be a lot to expect him to be competitive against Rublev after that Murray marathon. I think this should prove comfortable for Rublev as he goes in search of both his second Qatar title and second title of the year.
Ugo Humbert 54/100 | Gael Monfils 14/10
Reigning French No.1 Ugo Humbert is really picking up plenty of under-the-radar steam. The big-serving lefty just annihilated Kotov in straight sets to take his 2024 record- in completed matches- to 12-2.
His exceptional form actually stretches back to a commendable quarter-final run at last year’s Shanghai Masters. In fact, he has been 19-5 since the start of that Masters event, winning titles in Meta and Marseille in the process.
Victory over Monfils will take him to his fourth semi-final in his last eight events. Humbert looked really assured against Kotov, adapting to the slower pace of these surfaces with aplomb. He actually moves remarkably well for a tall guy and he does have an impressive array of off-speed options in his arsenal.
Humbert will need to go deep in tournaments such as this if wishes to edge himself towards the top 10 in the world.
Gael Monfils seems to be finding his rhythm following a pretty subdued start to the season. The ever-popular Frenchman burst into life in the latter stages of last season, picking some fabulous results in Cincinnati and Toronto.
That really laid the groundwork for him to claim a 12th career ATP title in Stockholm. He started this year in pretty sedate fashion but he seems to have been buoyed by his excellent performance against Sinner last week.
He pushed tennis’ current wunderkind to three sets in a fabulous display of all-court tennis. He beat van de Zandschulp in his opener this week before coming from behind to take down the indefatigable Zhang. Monfils has a formidable record here, finishing runner-up in 2014 before claiming the title in 2018.
The Mr. Fantastic of tennis, Monfils is still a superior athlete and he uses that to his advantage on these relatively stodgy surfaces.
Verdict: Humbert to win in three sets 11/4
Humbert has won both clashes in this Gallic rivalry. Monfils withdrew injured in both of those matches (notably withdrawing in the 5th set of their first-round Wimbledon clash in 2019). Monfils looks comfortable on these slower surfaces and his versatility will be a challenge for Humbert. But I still think that Humbert’s power-based game will wear Monfils down in the end.
