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Hubert Hurkacz vs Roberto Bautista Agut: ATP Monte Carlo – second round

Veteran Roberto Bautista Agut went all the way from the qualifiers to face Hubert Hurkacz in the second round of the  Monte Carlo Masters.

Hubert Hurkacz Profile

Hubert Hurkacz has the best ranking in his career, being No. 8 in the world. The Polish are 20-8 for the season and 5-0 on clay courts.

Hurkacz is coming off a 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 win over John Draper in the opening round in Monte Carlo.

Last week, Hurkacz won his first career title on clay in Estoril, defeating Pedro Martinez 6-4, 6-3 in the final. That was his eighth career title and the first one after Shanghai last year.

Besides the trophy in Estoril, Hurkacz made it to the semifinals in Marseille and the quarterfinals at the Australian Open and in Dubai.

This is his fifth appearance in Monte Carlo, and his best result is the quarterfinal in 2022.

Roberto Bautista Agut Profile

Roberto Bautista Agut was once No. 9 in the world and is currently in 90th place in the rankings. The Spaniard is 11-9 for the season and 4-1 on clay courts.

The 35-year-old is coming off a 6-2, 6-4 win against Facundo Diaz Acosta in the opening round of the main draw. Previously, he went past Lorenzo Sonego and Dominic Thiem in the qualifiers.

Last week, Bautista Agut lost to Pedro Martinez in the second round of Estoril after defeating Miomir Kecmanovic in the opener.

Earlier this season, Bautista reached the quarterfinals in Hong Kong and the second round in Miami.

This is his tenth appearance in Monte Carlo, and he has never gone further than the round of 16.

Head-to-Head – Bautista Agut leads 3-2

• Hurkacz vs Bautista Agut 6-3, 6-2 (2023 Paris Masters, second round)
• Hurkacz vs Bautista Agut 7-5, 6-7, 7-6 (2023 ATP Rotterdam, first round)
• Bautista Agut vs Hurkacz 7-6, 2-6, 7-6 (2022 ATP Cup)
• Bautista Agut vs Hurkacz 7-6, 5-7, 6-0 (2020 ATO Cologne, quarterfinal)
• Bautista Agut vs Hurkacz 7-6, 6-3 (2019 ATP Cincinnati, first round)

Prediction and Conclusion

Roberto Bautista Agut is far from the form he was in most of his career, but he has kept his competitive spirit and is not a player who should be underestimated despite his age. The Spaniard defeated two serious players in the qualifiers and made it to the second round, so he has a legit chance against world No. 8. Hubert Hurkacz recently won his first title on clay, so his confidence is at a high level. Bautista Agut leads in the head-to-head matches, but Hurkacz is the one who won the last two. The Polish are the major favorites in this match, but looking at their previous matches, in four of the five, there was at least one tiebreak. So this will be another tight battle that will last over 21.5 games in total.