Jakub Mensik and Joao Fonseca face a blockbuster second-round showdown in Basel on Wednesday. Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and Jenson Brooksby are also aiming for a place in the quarter-finals.
(7) Jakub Mensik vs. Joao Fonseca
Fonseca opened the Swiss Indoors Basel on Tuesday with a huge victory over defending champion Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, winning 7-6(6), 6-3. The 19-year-old’s sample size of success on indoor hard courts is small (14-7 all-time record) but is encouraging. It includes a NextGen ATP Finals triumph last December.
Next up for Fonseca on Wednesday is an intriguing clash with Mensik. Their only previous meeting came en route to world No. 46’s NextGen triumph, when he defeated Mensik 3-4(4), 4-3(8), 4-3(5), 3-4(4), 4-3(5) in round-robin action. Mensik has had a superior season in 2025, ranking 19th in the rankings, culminating in a Masters 1000 title in Miami. Like Fonseca, the 20-year-old Czech has cooled off a bit since a hot start to the season, although he did well to get past Swiss wildcard Henry Bernet 7-6(1), 6-7(7), 6-3 on Monday. Fonseca was slightly more impressive in his opening match and Mensik’s serve will look relatively easy compared to Mpetshi Perricard’s, so the Brazilian could have the edge.
Choice: Fonseca in 3
(PR) Jenson Brooksby vs. (8) Alejandro Davidovich Fokina
Davidovich Fokina and Brooksby also face each other for the second time on Wednesday. Their only previous meeting came on Antwerp’s indoor hard courts in 2021, when Brooksby cruised 7-5, 6-0. Things will be much more competitive as Davidovich Fokina completes the best season of his career. The 18th-ranked Spaniard has reached three finals (Delray Beach, Acapulco, Washington) and his win count stands at 39 after a 7-6(2), 6-4 defeat of Lorenzo Sonego on Monday.
Brooksby’s comeback year after a 24-month ban has also impressed. The 55th-ranked American has a 21-14 record, including a title in Houston and a second-place finish in Eastbourne. Brooksby advanced in Basel on Monday by beating Alexandre Muller 6-4, 6-3. The 24-year-old can easily break down more one-dimensional players, but Davidovich Fokina also shows plenty of variety and has more firepower than Brooksby. See if ADF gets the upper hand, but this should be an extremely entertaining affair.
Choice: Davidovich Fokina and 3
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