Pawel Andrachiewicz / PressFocus
Gael Monfils vs Roberto Carballes Baena: ATP Mallorca – Second round
Two players with completely different styles of play will face each other in the second round of the ATP Mallorca.
Gael Monfils Profile
The former world No. 6 Gael Monfils is currently 40th in the ATP rankings. The 37-year-old is 14-13 for the season and 1-0 on grass.
Monfils is coming off a 6-3, 7-6 win over Dominic Thiem in the first round. That was his first match after losing 7-5, 6-1, 6-4 to Lorenzo Musetti in the second round of Roland Garros.
Monfils’ best result this season was the semifinal in Doha, and he also reached the round of 16 in Indian Wells and Rotterdam.
This is his first appearance in Mallorca.
Roberto Carballes Baena Profile
Roberto Carballes Baena is 65th in the rankings, and his career high was No. 49 in the world. The Spaniard is 16-16 for the season and 1-0 on grass.
He is coming off a 7-6, 4-6, 7-6 win over Pablo Carreno Busta in the first round. That was his first match after losing to Novak Djokovic in the second round at the French Open.
Carballes Baena’s best result of the season was the final in Marrakech, where he lost to Matteo Berrettini.
This is his third appearance in Mallorca, and he has reached the second round for the second consecutive season.
Head-to-Head – Carballes Baena leads 1-0
- Carballes Baena vs Monfils 6-1, 3-6, 7-6 (2021 ATP Belgrade, round of 16)
Prediction and Conclusion
Both players are coming off victories over opponents who were dominating them in their careers, and that certainly gives them extra confidence for this match. Monfils has been very solid on grass through his career, with a 42-32 career record on this surface, while Carballes Baena is only 7-14. The Spaniard’s game is completely not adequate for this surface, and he has never won more than one match in a main draw on grass. Monfils has an impressive serve and moves much quicker than Carballes Baena, which will be more than enough for the Frenchman to win, probably in straight sets.
