Monte Carlo Masters 2021: Grigor Dimitrov vs Jan-Lennard Struff preview, head-to-head & prediction

Match details

Fixture: (14) Grigor Dimitrov vs Jan-Lennard Struff

Date:12 April 2021

Tournament: Rolex Monte Carlo Masters 2021

Round: First round (Round of 64)

Venue: Monte Carlo, Monaco

Category: ATP Masters 1000

Surface: Claycourt

Prize money: €2,082,960

Match timing: Approx. 5 pm local time, 8.30 pm IST

Live telecast: USA - ESPN / Tennis Channel | UK - Europsport

Grigor Dimitrov vs Jan-Lennard Struff preview

14th seed Grigor Dimitrov is set to open his 2021 Monte Carlo Masters campaign with a first-round encounter against Germany's Jan-Lennard Struff on Monday.

Dimitrov, who is a former semifinalist here in Monte Carlo, will be keen on moving past his disappointing first-round exit at the Miami Masters last month. But the Bulgarian faces a potentially tricky opening-round opponent in the big-serving Struff.

Jan-Lennard Struff

Struff has had a bit of a mixed start to the season. He opened with a couple of impressive wins at the ATP Cup, but hasn't quite managed to post too many big results at other tournaments. That said, Struff did come close to a bit of an upset at the Miami Open, where he led Roberto Bautista Agut by a set.

The 30-year-old possesses a big game, and is more than capable of going toe-to-toe with the best when it comes to baseline rallies. Most of Struff's best showings have, however, come on hardcourts, and he will enter this contest as an underdog.

Grigor Dimitrov vs Jan-Lennard Struff head-to-head

Grigor Dimitrov

Grigor Dimitrov and Jan-Lennard Struff have split their prior four meetings on tour, so their current head-to-head stands at a 2-2 deadlock. Interestingly, the two men have also played twice in Monte Carlo; while the German took their first meeting in 2017, his opponent managed to exact revenge two years later.

Grigor Dimitrov vs Jan-Lennard Struff prediction

Despite his ranking edge Jan-Lennard Struff's inconsistent form leading up to the tournament, Grigor Dimitrov cannot afford to take his opponent lightly. Struff plays a power-packed game that's not much different from that of his higher-ranked counterpart, and he has managed to trouble the Bulgarian in the past.

The key for both men will lie in how well they manage to play on return. Neither is likely to drop too many points behind the first delivery, and it will likely come down to their ability at pouncing on the opportunities as and when they present themsleves.

This could well end up going down to the wire, and we can even expect a couple of tiebreaker sets. All things considered, Dimitrov remains a slight favorite given his varied arsenal and level of experience. He will, however, have to be at his sharpest to avoid another early upset here.

Prediction: Grigor Dimitrov to win in three sets.