Tennis predictions, May 18, 2026: Minaur vs. Cerundolo, Perricard vs. Tsitsipas

Alex De Minaur and Francisco Cerundolo meet in the round of 32 at Hamburg on Monday. Francisco Cerundolo is 6-4 across recent matches. Alex De Minaur brings a 3-match winning streak into this one, 6-4 across the last ten.

Alex De Minaur leads the head-to-head 2-1, and history has a way of mattering in matchups like this one. On clay specifically it reads 1-0 Minaur — worth more than the overall number this week.

On paper it's close: comparable ratings, comparable serve numbers, small margins everywhere. A tiebreak or two would surprise nobody, with Cerundolo fractionally more likely to land the big points.

A spot in the next round is at stake on Monday, when Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard goes up against Stefanos Tsitsipas in the Geneva round of 32. Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard is 2-8 across recent matches. Stefanos Tsitsipas comes in at 5 wins from the last ten.

Stefanos Tsitsipas has had the better of this rivalry, winning 1 of 1 against Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard. On clay specifically it reads 1-0 Tsitsipas — worth more than the overall number this week.

Perricard's 77.8% behind the first serve (against 74.8% for Tsitsipas) means break chances should be scarce in one direction. A tiebreak or two would surprise nobody, with Perricard fractionally more likely to land the big points.

Katerina Siniakova and Marie Bouzkova meet in the round of 32 at Strasbourg on Monday. Marie Bouzkova comes in at 6 wins from the last ten. Katerina Siniakova comes in at 6 wins from the last ten.

The ledger favors Katerina Siniakova, 2-1 across their 3 meetings with Marie Bouzkova. On clay they're dead even at 1-1 — worth more than the overall number this week.

Marie Bouzkova simply rates much higher on clay, and our number follows from it. A tiebreak or two would surprise nobody, with Bouzkova fractionally more likely to land the big points.

A spot in the next round is at stake on Monday, when Alejandro Davidovich Fokina goes up against Corentin Moutet in the Hamburg round of 32. Alejandro Davidovich Fokina has won 5 of the last 10. Corentin Moutet has dropped 3 straight and sits at 4-6 over the last ten.

The ledger favors Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, 2-0 across their 2 meetings with Corentin Moutet. On clay specifically it reads 1-0 Fokina — worth more than the overall number this week.

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina simply rates much higher on clay, and our number follows from it. A tiebreak or two would surprise nobody, with Fokina fractionally more likely to land the big points.

Francisco Comesana and Valentin Royer meet in the round of 32 at Geneva on Monday. Valentin Royer limps in on a 6-match losing skid, just 1 wins in 10. Francisco Comesana has won 2 of the last 10.

Francisco Comesana has had the better of this rivalry, winning 2 of 2 against Valentin Royer. On clay specifically it reads 1-0 Comesana — worth more than the overall number this week.

On paper it's close: comparable ratings, comparable serve numbers, small margins everywhere. Little separates them; Royer gets the nod on the finest of margins.

Monday's French Open quarterfinal pits Christopher Oconnell against Facundo Diaz Acosta on clay. Facundo Diaz Acosta has dropped 4 straight and sits at 3-7 over the last ten. Christopher Oconnell limps in on a 3-match losing skid, just 3 wins in 10.

This is the first career meeting between the two, which means no head-to-head baggage on either side of the net.

There's a wide gap in our ratings on clay, and our number follows from it. This one is close to a coin flip, and the lean toward Acosta is exactly that — a lean.

Daria Kasatkina and Liudmila Samsonova meet in the round of 32 at Strasbourg on Monday. Liudmila Samsonova is 3-7 across recent matches. Daria Kasatkina is 5-5 across recent matches.

The ledger favors Liudmila Samsonova, 2-1 across their 3 meetings with Daria Kasatkina. On clay specifically it reads 1-0 Kasatkina — worth more than the overall number this week.

Hold strength tells the story — 69.2% versus 58.8% on first-serve points in Samsonova's favor. The edge belongs to Samsonova — real, but not the kind you take for granted at this level.

Jil Teichmann and Julia Grabher meet in the round of 32 at Rabat on Monday. Jil Teichmann has won 6 of the last 10. Julia Grabher is 3-7 across recent matches.

Julia Grabher has had the better of this rivalry, winning 2 of 3 against Jil Teichmann. On clay specifically it reads 2-1 Grabher — worth more than the overall number this week.

Neither the serve numbers nor the ratings separate these two by much, which is why our number stays close to even. A tiebreak or two would surprise nobody, with Teichmann fractionally more likely to land the big points.

A spot in the next round is at stake on Monday, when Alex Michelsen goes up against Sebastian Baez in the Geneva round of 32. Alex Michelsen comes in at 5 wins from the last ten. Sebastian Baez has won 3 of the last 10.

The ledger favors Alex Michelsen, 1-0 across their 1 meetings with Sebastian Baez. On clay specifically it reads 1-0 Michelsen — worth more than the overall number this week.

Michelsen's 69.9% behind the first serve (against 64.9% for Baez) means break chances should be scarce in one direction. Baez needs several things to break right at once; the percentages say they usually don't.

Ben Shelton and Marcos Giron meet in the round of 32 at Hamburg on Monday. Ben Shelton is 7-3 across recent matches. Marcos Giron has dropped 4 straight and sits at 2-8 over the last ten.

Ben Shelton leads the head-to-head 2-1, and history has a way of mattering in matchups like this one. On clay specifically it reads 1-0 Shelton — worth more than the overall number this week.

The serve is where this match separates: Shelton has been winning 74.1% of first-serve points to Giron's 70.2%, and on clay that gap compounds fast. Giron needs several things to break right at once; the percentages say they usually don't.

Danka Kovinic and Fiona Ferro meet in the round of 32 at Rabat on Monday. Danka Kovinic comes in at 4 wins from the last ten. Fiona Ferro is 4-6 across recent matches.

Fiona Ferro leads the head-to-head 1-0, and history has a way of mattering in matchups like this one. On clay specifically it reads 1-0 Ferro — worth more than the overall number this week.

Kovinic's 65.2% behind the first serve (against 60.2% for Ferro) means break chances should be scarce in one direction. Little separates them; Kovinic gets the nod on the finest of margins.

A spot in the next round is at stake on Monday, when Anna Lena Friedsam goes up against Mona Barthel in the French Open quarterfinal. Anna Lena Friedsam has won 3 of the last 10. Mona Barthel limps in on a 4-match losing skid, just 1 wins in 10.

This is the first career meeting between the two, which means no head-to-head baggage on either side of the net.

Neither the serve numbers nor the ratings separate these two by much, which is why our number stays close to even. Little separates them; Friedsam gets the nod on the finest of margins.