🎾 ATP Mallorca – Round 1 Preview Alexandre Muller vs Roman Safiullin

🎾 ATP Mallorca – Round 1 Preview

Alexandre Muller vs Roman Safiullin

Can Muller adapt his clay-built baseline craft to grass, or will Safiullin's quick-strike patterns rule the day?

🧠 Form & Context

Alexandre Muller
🏆 Maiden ATP title in Hong Kong (January) propelled him into the top 40.
🔥 Clay swing highlight: upset of Alexander Zverev in Hamburg before falling in the QF.
🌾 Grass résumé is thin — just one match this swing (straight-set loss to Bublik in Halle).
🔙 Trails 0-2 in the head-to-head and has yet to solve Safiullin’s first-strike patterns.

Roman Safiullin
⏬ Sluggish 9-14 season, yet still owns a Wimbledon QF (2023) and likes quick lawns.
⚔️ Two razor-thin grass defeats this month (Mpetshi Perricard in Stuttgart, Engel in Halle qualies).
🧠 Holds a 2-0 H2H edge over Muller, including a straight-sets win at Paris-Bercy last fall.
💡 Needs a result here to stop ranking slide—Mallorca R16 in 2023 offers good memories.

🔍 Match Breakdown

Serve + Return: Safiullin’s heavier first serve and willingness to chip-charge should earn him more free points; Muller leans on placement and quick backhand redirects.
Baseline Patterns: Muller prefers grinding clay-style rallies; Safiullin excels when he shortens exchanges with forehand lasers.
Grass IQ: Safiullin’s prior Wimbledon heroics and Mallorca run suggest better movement on low bounces; Muller still learning optimal court positioning.
Mental Edge: Two previous wins give Safiullin confidence, while Muller’s recent tiebreak struggles (1-8 since April) loom large if sets tighten.

🔮 Prediction

Muller’s 2025 rise is real, but most success came on slower surfaces. Safiullin’s game is built for grass, and his serve-plus-forehand combination should pay dividends. Expect the Russian to impose early and survive a late push.

Prediction: Safiullin in 2 tight sets

📊 Tale of the Tape

• H2H: Safiullin leads 2-0 (last win at Paris-Bercy 2024)
• 2025 W/L: Muller 16–13 • Safiullin 9–14
• Grass W/L (Career): Muller 2–5 • Safiullin 12–10
• Best 2025 Result: Muller (Hong Kong Title) • Safiullin (AO R32)