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Match details
Match: Denis Shapovalov vs Jan-Lennard Struff
Date: 24 August 2020
Tournament: Western & Southern Open 2020
Round: Round of 32
Venue: Flushing Meadows, New York, USA
Category: ATP Masters 1000
Surface: Outdoor hardcourt
Prize money: $4,674,780
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel / ESPN | India - Sony Ten 2
Match timing: 1 pm EDT, 10.30 pm IST
Denis Shapovalov vs Jan-Lennard Struff preview
Denis Shapovalov must be buzzing on the back of a dominant 6-3, 6-3 win over 2016 champion Marin Cilic in his opening round at the Western & Southern Open.
The Canadian star didn't give Cilic much room to breathe in the match. He was utterly dominant on his serve and faced only one break point throughout, while winning 84% of his first serve points and striking nine aces. However, it was the second serve where the young Canadian outperformed the veteran most starkly, winning 60% of his second serve points compared to Cilic's 29%.
But Shapovalov has an extremely difficult path if he is to make a deep run in New York, and so would be hoping to carry over this form into his second round match against Germany's Jan-Lennard Struff.
Struff himself had a big win in the opening round, over Alex de Minaur. The World No. 34 overcame his younger and higher-ranked opponent with relative ease, winning 6-2, 6-4.
The German has had a lot of match practice during the lockdown, having played a number of exhibitions, and that showed on Saturday.
Denis Shapovalov vs Jan-Lennard Struff head-to-head
The head-to-head between Denis Shapovalov and Jan-Lennard Struff currently stands at 1-3 in favor of the German.
The first ever meeting between the pair was won by Shapovalov in Tokyo, back in 2018. The match was tightly contested throughout, with the southpaw coming out on top by a very thin margin.
Since then, however, Struff has had the number of his Canadian counterpart. He beat Shapovalov on all three occasions in 2019, although all of those matches were very close.
Denis Shapovalov vs Jan-Lennard Struff prediction
Jan-Lennard Struff is one of those mercurial players on tour who is always expected to perform well but often disappoints.
When it comes to his game, Struff has it all. The German possesses a strong serve, the ability to dictate play from the baseline, and some handy volleying skills. But a lack of consistency and mental fortitude have frequently been his undoing, preventing him from cracking the top 30 in the ATP rankings.
Like Struff, Shapovalov also plays a high-risk, high-reward game with big groundstrokes from both wings. When the Canadian is on song, his ultra-aggressive game is a treat to watch. But like most first-strike players, the 21-year-old has a tendency to go overboard and spray unforced errors all around the court.
That said, the young ace has been working on his shortcomings over the past year, trying to add an element of stability to his game.
This match could be messy, with a lot unforced errors from both ends. But if Shapovalov and Struff get into their zones, the fans could be treated to some of the most exquisite shot-making of the week.
Prediction: Denis Shapovalov to win in three sets.
