Wednesday's Estoril round of 16 pits Alexander Blockx against Kyrian Jacquet on clay. Alexander Blockx has dropped 2 straight and sits at 6-4 over the last ten. Kyrian Jacquet limps in on a 3-match losing skid, just 2 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.
Hold strength tells the story — 77.2% versus 71.8% on first-serve points in Blockx's favor. Jacquet comes in off a compressed schedule. If Blockx plays anywhere close to a normal level, this ends in relatively comfortable fashion.