Belgrade Open 2024: Denis Shapovalov vs Christopher O'Connell preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds, and pick
Match Details
Fixture: (Q) Denis Shapovalov vs Christopher O'Connell
Date: November 7, 2024
Tournament: Belgrade Open 2024
Round: Quarterfinal
Venue: Belgrade Arena, Belgrade, Serbia
Category: ATP 250
Surface: Hard (Indoor)
Prize Money: $622,000
Live Telecast: US - Tennis Channel | UK - Sky Sports | Canada - TSN+
Denis Shapovalov vs Christopher O'Connell preview
Former top-10 player Denis Shapovalov will take on Christopher O'Connell in the quarterfinals of the Belgrade Open 2024.
Shapovalov came through the qualifying rounds with straight-sets wins over Constant Lestienne and Hugo Grenier to book his place in the main draw. He rallied from a set down to beat Marton Fucsovics 6-7 (6), 7-5, 6-1 in his opener to set up a second-round date with fifth seed Nuno Borges.
While Shapovalov had to dig deep in the previous round, he wasn't tested as much in this round. He broke Borges' serve twice in the first set to take it. While the second set was more competitive, a single break of serve proved more than enough for the Canadian to secure a 6-2, 6-4 victory.
O'Connell handed home favorite Miomir Kecmanovic a 6-1, 6-1 beatdown to begin his campaign here. He was up against Daniel Altmaier in the second round and continued his good run of form against him as well.
While O'Connell faced some resistance in the opening set, he eventually took the lead with a break of serve and held on to it to clinch the set. He ran away with the match and dropped only one game in the second set for a 6-3, 6-1 win.
Denis Shapovalov vs Christopher O'Connell head-to-head
This will be the first career meeting between the two, so the head-to-head stands at 0-0.
Denis Shapovalov vs Christopher O'Connell odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Denis Shapovalov vs Christopher O'Connell prediction
Shapovalov played a solid match to down Borges and reach his third quarterfinal of the season. He didn't drop his serve even once in the previous round and lost only nine points on serve throughout the match. He will now aim to advance to the semifinals for the first time this year and for the first time since October 2022.
O'Connell was on a four-match losing streak when he arrived in Belgrade but has turned things around spectacularly. He has lost a total of six games across his two matches here. He is gunning to reach the third semifinal of his career, and his first in over a year, with a win over the Canadian.
Shapovalov loves playing indoors, and his only career title also came in these conditions. He also reached the finals of the Paris Masters and the Erste Bank Open in Vienna in the past, both indoor tournaments. His style of play is suited for fast conditions, and if he plays like he did in the previous round, then even an in-form O'Connell wouldn't be able to stop him.
Pick: Denis Shapovalov to win in straight sets.