Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the ATP Stuttgart match.
The grass court season offers a timely chance for Gael Monfils to reverse a difficult run of results and return to a surface where he found success last year. For Alex Michelsen, the main challenge remains competing consistently against top-50 opponents.
Alex Michelsen
Alex Michelsen (No. 35) recently won a Challenger event in Estoril but has since suffered three consecutive first-round defeats. He continues to struggle against higher-ranked players, having lost six of his last nine matches against top-50 opposition. His performance on grass last season was similarly below par, recording seven wins from thirteen outings, including a first-round defeat at Wimbledon to Lloyd Harris (No. 314).
Gael Monfils
Despite being 38, Gael Monfils (No. 42) remains highly competitive. He won a hard court title in Auckland and reached the last 16 at both the Australian Open and Miami Masters. At Roland Garros, Monfils showed resilience before narrowly losing to Jack Draper in four sets (3:6, 6:4, 3:6, 5:7). His 2024 grass court form has been encouraging, with five wins from seven matches. The Frenchman also made the semi-finals in Mallorca and progressed to the third round at Wimbledon.
Alex Michelsen vs Gael Monfils Prediction
Gael Monfils appears well-suited to grass, while Alex Michelsen has recently dropped to Challenger-level competition and continues to struggle on this surface. Advancing further in Stuttgart seems highly unlikely for the American.
