Jesper de Jong vs Mili Poljicak

ATP Umag 1st Round Preview: Jesper de Jong vs Mili Poljicak

🧠 Form & Context

Jesper de Jong
📈 In-form and battle-tested: Coming off a runner-up finish in Bastad, where he defeated Griekspoor and Ugo Carabelli before narrowly losing to Darderi in the final.
🎾 Clay success in 2025: Holds a solid 18–14 record on clay this season, with consistency across Challenger and ATP events.
🎯 Top-level scalps: Crushed Davidovich Fokina 6-0, 6-2 in Rome and took sets off Sinner and Zverev in major events.
📍 Umag familiarity: Lost in the first round last year, but returns now inside the top 100 and riding a wave of confidence.

Mili Poljicak
🏠 Local wildcard: The Croatian prospect is making his third straight main draw appearance in Umag but still seeks his first win.
🧱 Challenger-level grind: Has racked up a 20–14 clay record in 2025, mostly on the lower tiers.
⚖️ Competitive spirit: Notable wins over Berankis and Travaglia in three sets show fight, but he’s yet to beat a top-150 player this year.
🧑‍🎓 Learning curve: As the 2022 Wimbledon junior champ, his trajectory is long-term—still adapting to the demands of ATP tour play.

🔍 Match Breakdown

De Jong enters with the sharper tools and recent success that Poljicak simply doesn’t yet possess. The Dutchman’s flat groundstrokes and aggressive baseline play have carried him through matches against top-50 opponents, and his mental game has shown marked improvements during Bastad’s taxing run.

Poljicak has potential, but he still tends to drift in and out of sets and struggles when rushed or forced wide. While he’ll have the crowd’s support, De Jong’s quick-strike patterns and depth off the backhand side should consistently put the Croatian on the defensive.

Unless the Dutchman is physically drained from last week, this matchup favors him in almost every category: form, experience, and ability to close tight sets.

🔮 Prediction

Prediction: Jesper de Jong in 2 sets
The form edge is too strong to ignore, and Poljicak’s ATP inexperience may show in key moments. De Jong’s early break potential and pressure-return game should tilt this in his favor from the start.