US Open 2020: Denis Shapovalov vs Taylor Fritz preview, head-to-head & prediction

Match details

Fixture: Denis Shapovalov vs Taylor Fritz

Date: 4 September 2020

Tournament: US Open 2020

Round: Third round (Round of 32)

Venue: Flushing Meadows, New York, USA

Category: Grand Slam

Surface: Outdoor hardcourt

Prize money: $39,024,000

Match timing: Not before 1.30 pm EDT, 11 pm IST

Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel / ESPN | India - Star Sports / Disney+ Hotstar VIP

Denis Shapovalov vs Taylor Fritz preview

Denis Shapovalov

Denis Shapovalov looks to continue his campaign at the 2020 US Open when he takes on American Taylor Fritz for a place in the fourth round.

The 21-year-old has had an up-and-down season in 2020 after making his first Masters 1000 final at the Paris-Bercy Masters last year, where he lost to Novak Djokovic. Shapovalov won only four of his 11 matches before making a second-round exit to eventual quarterfinalist Jan-Lennard Struff at the Cincinnati Masters last week.

However, Denis Shapovalov has found form at the US Open, where he has now registered nine of his 14 Grand Slam match wins. The Canadian left-hander took out Sebastian Korda and Sonwoo Kwon in successive four-set matches to reach the third round, as he looks to emulate his run to the Round-of-16 on his tournament debut three years ago.

Taylor Fritz, like Shapovalov, also made an indifferent start to the season - losing three of his first four matches. He then went down to eventual finalist Dominic Thiem in the third round of the Australian Open.

The 22-year-old followed that up by reaching his first ever final at an ATP 500 tournament, in Acapulco, where he lost to Rafael Nadal.

On his competitive return after the COVID-19 outbreak, Fritz lost against Aljaz Bedene in the second round of the Cincinnati Masters last week.

At his home Grand Slam, Fritz has so far beaten Dominic Koepfer and French veteran Gilles Simon to equal his best ever US Open run. Fritz had also reached the third round at Flushing Meadows in 2018.

Denis Shapovalov vs Taylor Fritz head-to-head

Taylor Fritz is winless in two matches against his third-round opponent Denis Shapovalov.

Denis Shapovalov has won both his two previous competitive meetings against his American rival, for a 2-0 lead in the head-to-head record.

The duo first met in the 2018 Delray Beach quarterfinals, before renewing acquaintances during a round-robin match at the Davis Cup finals last year. Shapovalov won both matches in straight sets.

Denis Shapovalov vs Taylor Fritz prediction

Taylor Fritz will look to reach the fourth round at the US Open for the first time at the expense of Denis Shapovalov.

Denis Shapovalov and Taylor Fritz are relative greenhorns on the Grand Slam circuit. But it is Shapovalov who will start as the slight favorite when he locks horns with his good friend Fritz for the third time on tour and the first time at a Major.

Both players arrived at the US Open after second-round exits at the Cincinnati Masters last week, but have won their first two matches here with relative ease.

The lefthanded Denis Shapovalov, with his unique single-handed backhand, has a potent all-court game that can overpower anyone. The pair's third meeting could be a grueling baseline battle as both players hit powerful groundstrokes off either wing and can serve big.

Fritz will have his chances if he can capitalize on Shapovalov's inconsistent spells nearly every match. Still, it is the Canadian who is more likely to reach the second week of the tournament given his slight groundstroke superiority.

Prediction: Denis Shapovalov to win in five sets.