Ben Shelton and Jakub Mensik are two of the tour’s rising stars, and they will headline third-round competition at the Madrid Masters on Monday. Shelton awaits Alexander Bublik, while Mensik meets Felix Auger-Aliassime.
(17) Alexander Bublik vs. (14) Ben Shelton
Shelton and Bublik will be going head-to-head for the second time in their careers and for the second time on clay when they clash in round three of the Mutua Madrid Open on Monday. Their only previous encounter came last spring at the Rome Masters, where Bublik prevailed 6-4, 1-6, 6-2.
The rematch figures to be much different. Shelton was a clay-court novice 12 months ago, but it’s safe to say that he has found his footing on this surface. The 15th-ranked American kicked off his dirt swing with a title in Houston and he opened in Madrid with a 6-0, 6-2 beatdown of an in-form Tomas Machac. Bublik, who openly despises clay, won a grand total of two games against Borna Coric in round one of the Monte-Carlo Masters. The 18th-ranked Kazakh did well to beat Roberto Carballes Baena 1-6, 6-2, 6-2 on Saturday, but dealing with Shelton in fast conditions is an entirely different kind of task.
Pick: Shelton in 2
Jakub Mensik vs. Felix Auger-Aliassime
Mensik is 18 years old and one of the top prospects in the game, just as Auger-Aliassime was five years ago. The Czech is up to No. 74 in the rankings and is projected to reach a career high of 65th even if he loses on Monday. Ten of his 13 main-tour match victories have come already in 2024, including two this week at the expense of Yannick Hanfmann and a red-hot Grigor Dimitrov.
Auger-Aliassime was living up to his massive expectations in the early stages of his career, but for more than a year now he has found himself in a slump. If not for back-to-back titles on the indoor hard courts of Basel, the 35th-ranked Canadian would really be reeling. Auger-Aliassime, who is a modest 13-10 this season, capitalized on friendly Madrid draw in the first two rounds with defeats of Yoshihito Nishioka and Adrian Mannarino. Mensik is a much tougher opponent, and even in quick conditions the rallies on clay will likely be too long for an inconsistent Auger-Aliassime’s liking.
Pick: Mensik in 2
