It’s gonna be one hell of a battle!

Two players known for their fighting spirit… let’s go

It’s been a while that I’ve been left a bit unsatisfied with Etcheverry. I loved this player in 2022/2023 when he broke through, but since then I feel like he’s lost some punch in his baseline game. His ball does a bit less damage, he’s become more passive. He’s still an excellent server and a huge fighter, but some limits have been exposed, and for now I haven’t seen any clear sign suggesting that the trend is going to reverse.

Royer, meanwhile, is a bit in the same position Etcheverry was in two or three years ago. He’s just made a notable entry into the top 100 after a very strong season. I’m honestly really taken with this player: I really like what he brings and I think he has the potential to go even higher. Obviously, backing it up is never easy. We actually saw that a bit after an enormous spring/summer, with an indoor season that was slightly below that level, probably with a bit less energy.

In terms of match-up, we should see quite a lot of baseline rallies, an area where Royer can clearly stand out. Etcheverry will have the advantage on serve, in conditions that are fairly lively here, even if it’s not ultra fast either.