The next generation

When I tell you about a talented Swiss with a one-handed backhand..

Bernet has a wildcard this week; he’ll be able to show what he can do, and having seen him play several times already, I can assure you it’s worth it! He’s still very young with plenty of room to grow, but what he’s doing right now is already really good. I saw him in Roanne last week where he beat Misolic before losing in three sets to Kjaer. His profile is simple: a really strong serve (notably great at finding angles on both sides), a reliable forehand he leans on as much as possible—often running around to hit it—and a one-handed backhand that’s still a bit shaky, though not bad either! He’s got soft hands at the net too. In short, he’s a heck of a raw talent, and for now he’s still a bit light physically in my view, but that’ll come. Is he already equipped to beat a player of Mensik’s caliber? I tend to say not yet, but in a way Mensik is much more beatable than at the start of the year. The Czech is still dealing with some physical issues and his recent form is really not good; I also question his motivation at this stage of the season. Every year we see young players hit the wall because a season this long isn’t easy to manage—you need experience, and Mensik is right in the thick of it. We’ll see what he’s made of! Given his profile and the quick conditions in Basel, he should normally steamroll Bernet; with his serve quality and baseline power, he’s going to do damage. But as I said, if Bernet starts well and relies on his own serve too, then we’ve got a real match on our hands.