When 20-year-old Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard replaced Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the main draw, he faced 20th seed Sebastian Korda and made good on his second chance and lucky loser status, blasting 51 aces to seal his first-ever Grand Slam win.
In a testament to the high-quality serving shown by both players, the hard-fought five-set match included four tie-break sets, only the seventh time it’s happened in Wimbledon history.
Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard at Wimbledon 2024
Speed and variety keep opponents at bay
That first-round performance turned out to be a harbinger of things to come. Since then the 6’8″ Mpetshi Perricard, currently ranked World no. 58, has racked up 105 aces over three matches, the most in the tournament so far.
His top serve speed has reached as high as 151 mph, with an average speed around 136 mph on his first serve and 117 mph on his second. It’s no surprise then that he’s winning 86% of first serve points, bolstered not only by lethal speed but with angles and variety to keep opponents guessing.
While his game–big serve, big forehand, and deft hands at the net–is well-suited to grass, it was only a few weeks ago that Mpetshi Perricard posted his first win on the surface, taking out another big server, American Ben Shelton, at Queen’s Club.
Broken only once this tournament
In the third round, Mpetshi Perricard posted a 4-6 6-2 7-6 (5) 6-4 win over Finland’s Emil Ruusuvuori–the only player to break his serve so far during Wimbledon–combining his big serve with plenty of net play to apply pressure.
“It’s amazing to be in the second week, didn’t imagine it when I lost one week ago in qualies,” he said during a post-match interview with the Tennis Channel’s Jon Wertheim and Steve Weissman. “But I’m feeling good at the moment and hope to continue like this.”
Will face Lorenzo Musetti next
In the fourth round, Mpetshi Perricard will face the 25th seed Lorenzo Musetti of Italy on July 8, the Frenchman’s twenty-first birthday.
This won’t be their first encounter. They played in June at Stuttgart, where Musetti prevailed 7-6(9) 7-6(9).
Musetti will be looking for a repeat performance or to make inroads on Mpetshi Perricard’s serve. He’s had a good grass court season to date, and possesses a wicked slice that stays low and could spell trouble for the tall Frenchman.
What is for certain is what is at stake for both players. They will both be desperate to advance in this wide open section of the men’s draw, which is guaranteed to see first-time Wimbledon semi-finalist.
When asked by Wertheim if this is the craziest week in his life, Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard didn’t hesitate to show us his mindset going into the second week of Wimbledon.
“Yes. I have nothing to lose,” he said with a wry smile.
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
