US Open 2020: Denis Shapovalov vs Sebastian Korda preview, head-to-head & prediction

Match details

Fixture: Denis Shapovalov vs Sebastian Korda

Date: 31 August 2020

Tournament: US Open 2020

Round: First Round (Round of 128)

Venue: Flushing Meadows, New York, USA

Category: Grand Slam

Surface: Outdoor hardcourt

Prize money: $39,024,000

Match timing: 12.30 PM EDT, 10 PM IST

Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel / ESPN | India - Star Sports Select HD 1 & 2 / Hotstar

Denis Shapovalov vs Sebastian Korda preview

Sebastian Korda will make his Grand Slam debut against Shapovalov on Monday

12th seed Denis Shapovalov will look to get his US Open 2020 campaign off to a winning start when he takes on unseeded American Sebastian Korda on Monday.

Shapovalov, 21, returned to action at the Cincinnati Masters following the enforced COVID-19 break and put on an impressive performance against Marin Cilic in the first round to secure a straight-sets victory. However, the Canadian bowed out of the US Open tune-up event in the second round, falling to Germany's Jan-Lennard Struff in three sets.

Denis Shapovalov has had an inconsistent season thus far, sandwiching first-round exits at the Australian Open, Montpellier, and Rotterdam in between quarter-final appearances at the ATP Cup and Marseille.

Denis Shapovalov's first-round opponent, 20-year-old Sebastian Korda, is one of the rising talents to watch out for on the men's circuit. Son of Australian Open champion Petr Korda, Sebastian won the Junior Australian Open title in 2018 before making his ATP main draw debut at the New York Open later that year.

Buoyed by his breakthrough win against Gilles Simon in the Western and Southern Open last week, the American will fancy his chances against the highly inconsistent Shapovalov.

Denis Shapovalov vs Sebastian Korda head-to-head

Denis Shapovalov has blown hot and cold this season

The match at the US Open marks the first meeting between the two players on the ATP Tour.

Denis Shapovalov vs Sebastian Korda prediction

Denis Shapovalov has never been beyond the fourth round of a Grand Slam

With Denis Shapovalov ranked 17 in the world and Sebastian Korda 225, the Canadian is the overwhelming favourite to secure a second-round berth. However, Shapovalov has plenty of chinks in his armour that can be exploited by the hard-hitting Korda.

Shapovalov, who relies on an aggressive baseline game to overpower his opponents, can often leak unforced errors off both wings. To cause an upset, Korda will have to engage Shapovalov in longer baseline exchanges and prevent the Canadian from taking control of rallies early on.

Prediction: Denis Shapovalov to win in straight sets.