Multiple champion Shanghai and world leader Novak Djokovic will meet young Canadian Denis Shapovalov in the second round in a very spectacular match.

Serbian tennis superstar Novak Djokovic will head to Shanghai where he will attempt to defend his Shanghai Masters title. Djokovic will begin his tournament in the second round where he will play against Denis Shapovalov from Canada.

Novak Djokovic received a bye in the opening round due to his high seeding. Djokovic enters this tournament having won the Japan Open last week. Djokovic was outstanding in Tokyo as he didn’t lose a single set in the entire tournament. Novak Djokovic won the final with great dominance as he defeated John Millman in less than an hour. The Shanghai Masters has always been a very strong tournament for Novak Djokovic as he has won the title on 4 occasions. Considering his record at this venue and his current form, Novak Djokovic will be very tough to stop.

Denis Shapovalov, on the other hand, had to play in the opening round where he defeated Frances Tiafoe in straight sets. It was a very impressive performance by Shapovalov as he controlled the match with his serving. Shapovalov won 76% of his service points which allowed him to win all of his service games. The receiving was also solid from Shapovalov as he won 3 return games. Shapovalov also played at the Japan Open but was eliminated by David Goffin in the second round. This is expected to be a very tough match for Denis Shapovalov since he is playing against the number 1 seed.

Denis Shapovalov and Novak Djokovic have played each other twice in the past with Djokovic winning on both occasions. The most recent match between these two players was earlier in the season at the Rome Masters where Novak Djokovic won in straight sets. Both matches between Djokovic and Shapovalov has taken place in 2019.

Denis Shapovalov has been playing well over the past few months but I don’t see the Canadian getting close to Djokovic. Novak Djokovic is the top player in the world and his form in Tokyo showed that he is in outstanding form. There is a big gap in skill between Shapovalov and Djokovic and I think that will be evident in this match. I see Novak Djokovic winning this match in straight sets.

Novak Djokovic

▪️The Serbian player is comfortably in the first place in the ATP standings, being far from the next candidate for the position of leader, Rafael Nadal.
▪️The highlight of the year for Novak Djokovic was definitely the Wimbledon final against Roger Federer, who he defeated 13-12 in the decisive set, after saving 2 balls of the Swiss tournament.
▪️He returned in great form to the tournament in Tokyo, played last week, where he managed to win the tournament without losing even a set, in the final passing the Australian John Millman.

Denis Shapovalov

▪️The 20-year-old Canadian currently ranks 30th in the ATP rankings, coming down in the last period, in May of this year reaching the highest career position, 20th.
▪️The best result of the year was obtained in Miami, where he reached the semifinals, while on clay and grass he did not get any noticeable results.
▪️In the last months it has been noticed through 2 semifinals, played in Winston Salem before the US Open, respectively in Chengdu, where it was defeated by Pablo Carreno Busta 2 weeks ago, and in the first round in Shanghai he defeated the American France Tiafoe in minimum sets.

🎾 Direct meetings

▫️The two players have met so far twice, the score being 2-0 in favor of Novak Djokovic, the last match taking place this year on the slag in Rome, where Novak was comfortable, with 2-0 in the sets.

Tennis Prediction of the Day Novak Djokovic vs Denis Shapovalov

I expect Novak Djokovic to continue the exceptional form he shows in Tokyo, where he has dominated all matches with authority, forcing Denis Shapovalov to make many unforeseen mistakes, despite the fact that the show will be produced largely by the Canadian player. But the consistency of the game certainly recommends Novak Djokovic for a new victory in the minimum set against the Canadian.

Bet Tips: N. Djokovic 2-0

Odds: 1.50