In tennis, a great week doesn’t always mean raising the winner’s trophy. Both the ATP and WTA Tours are extremely competitive and sometimes a player is just a little better in a given match.
So, Corentin Moutet’s loss to Andrey Rublev in the final of the ATP 250 event in Doha shouldn’t be looked as a disappointment, but as what should be the start of what should be a long, successful career on the ATP Tour.
The breakthrough of Conrentin Moutet
The question for Moutet is whether or not he can grab the momentum he got in Doha and carry it over with him to the Australian Open.
Let’s go back to the 2018 Ecuador Open. This was Moutet’s first mini-breakthrough of sorts. In the high-altitude clay court 250 in Quito, Moutet beat Adrian Menendez-Maceiras then defeated Ivo Karlovic in a third-set tiebreak to make the quarterfinals of an ATP event for the first time.
The high talent level of Moutet was clear that week. Moutet could hit every shot in the book. He utilized all areas of the court, both in where he was sending balls on the other side and where he physically was on his side. And while Moutet ended up losing to Andrej Martin 6-3, 6-4 in the quarterfinals, the Frenchman clearly seemed to be going places.
But, like many things in life, Moutet’s career was not a straight trajectory to stardom following Quito. Moutet was only 18 years old at the time, still struggling to find his place in the vast tennis universe. In terms of success above the Challenger level, Moutet’s results went south.
Moutet’s next move
It was over a year until Moutet won two main draw matches at the ATP or grand slam level again. Moutet really struggled to consistently put together high-level performances week-in and week-out. It wasn’t until the 2019 French Open when Moutet took down Alexey Vatutin in his first match, then beat Guido Pella to make the third round, that he was able to put together a couple main draw wins above the Challenger level.
And it makes sense, given Moutet’s age and fairly high risk game. Moutet’s game isn’t high-risk in the sense that Moutet is trying to hit winners on every point and trying to flatten out his groundstrokes to hit the edges of lines.
It’s high-risk in the sense that when he’s off, the drop shots, slices, loopy shots, and net plays are highly ineffective and easy for ATP Tour-level players to deal with. Moutet has to be mentally locked in and consistently on top of his game. And, given Moutet’s fiery personality and unsteady demeanor on court, it’s not surprising that he’s not wasn’t consistently posting great results on the ATP Tour at 18 years old.
While Moutet didn’t win two main draw matches on the ATP Tour/Grand Slam level until Doha this year, there were starting to be signs that he was putting it all together. In addition to winning the Lyon Challenger right after Roland Garros. At Wimbledon, Moutet qualified while only losing one set and had a huge upset win over Grigor Dimitrov in the first round. The grass accentuated Moutet’s slices and played to his game well. What was particularly impressive was the Frenchman’s mental fortitude in coming back from two sets to none down.
In the Paris Masters to end last season, Moutet had an impressive win over Lorenzo Sonego in the first qualifying round. While he lost in the second qualifying round, he made the main draw as a lucky loser and beat Dusan Lajovic, a win that is looking more impressive nowadays with Lajovic’s recent play.
Then, in the second round, he really pushed Novak Djokovic. As reported by the ATP Tour, Djokovic said regarding Moutet, “First time against a young player who is talented, very quick. Returns a lot of balls back that usually other guys wouldn’t get, he gets it. And he was pumped, and I respect his fighting spirit.”
Moutet in Doha
Doha was where Corentin Moutet put the pieces together. Moutet didn’t drop a set from the beginning of qualifying until the quarterfinals, beating players such as Alexei Popyrin, Tennys Sandgren, and Milos Raonic in straight sets. Then, in the quarterfinals, Moutet survived a tough test from Fernando Verdasco, winning 6-4 in the third set.
The semifinals showed extraordinary mental toughness from Moutet. Down a set and two games from defeat twice against Stanislas Wawrinka, despite a long week, Moutet refused to quit. The Frenchman won the match 3-6 7-5 6-3 in a stunning match. Instead of overpowering Moutet, Wawrinka was on a string in Moutet’s command.
Yes, Moutet lost to Andrey Rublev in the Doha final. But, you can’t question his heart. Despite having played six matches before the final, Moutet still fought his heart out. He was down a set and a point away from a double break down, but hung in there and took the second set into a tiebreak before ultimately losing 6-2, 7-6(3).
Rublev was certainly complementary of Moutet following the match. As reported by Tennis World USA, Rublev stated, “…he is a very talented player with an amazing approach, quickness and outstanding feeling for the ball. He changes the rhythm so well; I think his future is very bright if he continues to work hard.”
So, what will happen now? Will we see another Quito, where Moutet slumps? Or will Moutet seize this momentum and take it with him into the Australian Open? Moutet is a couple years older, after all, than he we was following Quito. And, the difference between 18 and 20 is huge.
Australian Open an opportunity for Corentin Moutet
At the Australian Open, Moutet’s first round opponent is Marin Cilic. While Cilic is a Grand Slam champion and former Australian Open finalist, his form has dipped over the past year or so. At the ATP Cup, Cilic struggled to win matches against Dennis Novak and Kacper Zuk, then lost in straight sets to Guido Pella.
So, Cilic is vulnerable to be upset right now. The question is if can Moutet take advantage. Will we see the Moutet that upset Wawrinka? Or will we see the Moutet that lost 6-1 6-1 to Gerald Melzer and Filip Krajinovic in 2018 main draw tour-level events following Quito?
Moutet’s variety should trouble Cilic. Moutet’s low slices should make Cilic uncomfortable. Cilic is also a player who likes rhythm from his opponents and Moutet’s game is not conducive for giving opponents rhythm. They’ve never played before, so it might take Cilic a little while to adapt to Moutet’s game.
But, Cilic is still the higher ranked, much more accomplished player, for a reason. Cilic has the power to overwhelm Moutet, when he’s on his game. Cilic also has a much bigger serve than Moutet, with the serve being a major weakness in the Frenchman’s game.
So, how will this story turn out? At the very least, expect Moutet to be competitive in the Cilic, with a win possible, but not to be expected.
The biggest goal, at this point in Moutet’s career, is that he is able to carry over his form from Doha, win or lose. An uncompetitive loss would be a disaster and a huge step backward for Moutet.
Corentin Moutet had a great week in Doha. Now, it’s time for him to keep the momentum going at the Australian Open.
Main Photo from Getty.
