The 2024 Monte Carlo Masters continues with the eye-catching tennis action as players adapt to clay. The third round is just around the corner, and Ugo Humbert will play against Zhang Zhizhen in the hopes of continuing his fantastic stint. Both players will step into the third round after a three-set match against their previous opponents on the red clay.

Humbert and Zhizhen have had a different track record this year, which clearly sets them apart. One player will be the victor, and the statistics of their previous games will help us understand who they can be.

Ugo Humbert vs Zhang Zhizhen: Preview

Humbert began 2024 with disappointments in Brisbane International and the Australian Open. However, he more than made up for it by winning the Open 13 and the Dubai Tennis Championships. In the Monte Carlo Masters second round, Humbert beat Federico Coria in three sets, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2. Humbert.

He managed to put three aces past Coria, with no double faults, and won 67% of points on his first serve. He also managed to win five out of seven break points against Coria and also won five games back-to-back, despite losing the first set.  

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 Zhizhen stepped into 2024 and has mostly faced first or second-round exits. The only exception came in the Open 13, where he was eliminated by Karen Khachanov in the quarterfinal. In the first round of Monte Carlo, Zhizhen played against Marcos Giron and won the bout 6-4, 4-6, 6-3. He hit five aces with two double faults. He won 68% of the points in the first serve and stole three out of the five break points he pushed Giron to.

Humbert vs Zhizhen: Head-to-Head

Humbert and Zhizhen played against each other for the first time in the 2024 Australian Open earlier this year. The clash saw the Frenchman emerge victorious after four sets. Humbert shut down Zhizhen 6-25-7, 7-6, 6-2, showing the Chinese player had some fire throughout the match to push Humbert in sets two and three.

They have only played each other on the hardcourt of the Australian Open, which is much faster than the red clay of Monte Carlo. The two will have to rely on strength over speed to overcome the challenges. Who will have the last laugh?

Prediction: Humbert set to win the match

Although the two players have not played against each other on clay, Humbert’s momentum is sky-high at the moment. Zhizhen has fought hard against his opponents this year but has not managed to win many matches. Humbert has won 50% of the matches he has played on clay overall. Zhizhen has more experience on the surface, winning 60.85% of his bouts in his career.

The Chinese have played almost double the number of matches as Humbert on clay, but their current momentum will set them apart. Zhizhen has not shown us any reason in the year so far to make us believe he can take the win. Both players come into the match with complete focus and healthy bodies, which brings down the result of their eventual clash to purely tennis abilities, which favors the Frenchman heavily.

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