'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Match Details
Fixture: (12) Frances Tiafoe vs Jiri Lehecka
Tournament: Monte-Carlo Masters 2023
Round: First round (Round of 64)
Venue: Monte Carlo, Monaco
Category: ATP Masters 1000
Surface: Outdoor clay
Prize money: €5,779,335
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video
Frances Tiafoe vs Jiri Lehecka preview
Frances Tiafoe and Jiri Lehecka are set to clash in the first round of the 2023 Monte-Carlo Masters.
Trending
Tiafoe remained undefeated during his United Cup campaign, winning all five of his singles ties to help the US clinch the title. His winning streak came to an end in the third round of the Australian Open.
Following consecutive quarterfinal runs in Dallas and Acapulco, Tiafoe reached the semifinals of the Indian Wells Masters. He, however, suffered a rather early exit from the Miami Open, losing to Lorenzo Sonego in the third round.
Tiafoe commenced his clay season by participating in the U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships in Houston. The tournament has unfortunately been greatly affected by the weather. Following a first-round bye, the 25-year-old will play his second-round match against Steve Johnson on Saturday morning.
Meanwhile, after a couple of mixed results to start the season, Lehecka reached his maiden Grand Slam quarterfinal at the Australian Open before losing to Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets. The Czech youngster won both of his Davis Cup ties against Portugal after that.
Lehecka then made it to the semifinals of the Qatar Open. Up against Andy Murray, he held five match points but still ended up losing. He then crashed out in the first round of the Dubai Tennis Championships.
At the Indian Wells Masters, Lehecka lost to Andrey Rublev in the second round. He went a step further at the Miami Open, making it to the third round where he came up short against Karen Khachanov. He's now set to begin his clay season in Monte Carlo.
Frances Tiafoe vs Jiri Lehecka head-to-head
This will be the first meeting between them, so the head-to-head stands at 0-0 for now.
Frances Tiafoe vs Jiri Lehecka odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Frances Tiafoe vs Jiri Lehecka prediction
Despite being on tour for quite a few years now, this will be Tiafoe's first appearance at the Monte-Carlo Masters. His record at the biggest clay court events hasn't been that great so far.
The American notched up his first win at the French Open just last year, on his seventh attempt. He's yet to win a match at the Italian Open, having failed to get past the opening hurdle so far.
Lehecka, meanwhile, has improved tremendously this year, though his results have plateaued a bit since his Australian Open run. He strikes the ball quite cleanly, but against Tiafoe's topspin-heavy forehand, the Czech might be on the backfoot.
The American possesses a slightly better serve, which could make a difference in this encounter. Tiafoe's also more experienced compared to Lehecka, and that could end up giving him the upper hand in this contest.
Pick: Frances Tiafoe to win in three sets.
