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Match Details
Fixture: (26) Denis Shapovalov vs Brandon Nakashima
Tournament: French Open 2023
Round: First round (Round of 128)
Venue: Paris, France
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Outdoor clay
Prize money: €49,600,000
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel, NBC Sports, Peacock TV | Canada - TSN | UK - Eurosport | India - Sony Ten
Denis Shapovalov vs Brandon Nakashima preview
Denis Shapovalov will face off against Brandon Nakashima in the first round of the 2023 French Open.
Shapovalov started his clay swing at the Barcelona Open, where he made it to the third round. He then lost to Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets.
The Canadian next faced Zhizhen Zhang in the second round of the Madrid Open. He was the favorite to win, but lost the contest in three sets.
Shapovalov also competed in doubles over there, joining forces with compatriot Felix Auger-Aliassime. They knocked out Grand Slam champions Robert Farah and Juan Sebastian Cabal in the first round. They defeated the sixth seeded duo of Lloyd Glasspool and Harri Heliovaara after that to make the last eight.
The Canadians faced fourth seeds Jean-Julien Rojer and Marcelo Arevalo for a spot in the semifinals. They lost the match in the deciding set tie-break, bringing an end to their journey. Shapovalov then pulled out of the Italian Open.
Nakashima, meanwhile, was sidelined since his exit from the Miami Open. He returned to action at a Challenger event in France earlier this month and lost his comeback match to Harold Moyet in straight sets. The American failed to get past the opening hurdle at the Italian Open as well.
Nakashima turned things around at the Lyon Open. He snapped his losing streak by defeating Diego Schwartzman in the first round. He then knocked out Arthur Rinderknech and Tommy Paul to reach the semifinals. The 21-year-old will take on Arthur Fils for a spot in the final on Friday.
Denis Shapovalov vs Brandon Nakashima head-to-head
Nakashima leads Shapovalov 1-0 in the head-to-head. He won their previous encounter at the 2022 Wimbledon Championships in four sets.
Denis Shapovalov vs Brandon Nakashima odds
(Odds sourced from BetMGM)
Denis Shapovalov vs Brandon Nakashima prediction
After a slow start to his clay swing, Nakashima has found some momentum while competing at the Lyon Open. Shapovalov hasn't got as many wins under his belt, but he has underperformed since the start of the year. The Canadian has won just seven matches this season, with four of those wins coming in January.
Shapovalov's on-court demeanor hasn't been too positive. His serve lets him down from time to time, while his ground game isn't reliable. He pulls the trigger too soon instead of constructing a point, leading to a ton of errors.
Nakashima scored an upset win over Shapovalov at last year's Wimbledon Championships. However, if he repeats the feat in Paris, it won't be labeled as such given the Canadian's form. The young American's consistency should be able to help him seal his place in the next round.
Pick: Brandon Nakashima to win in four sets.
