Citi Open 2022: Denis Shapovalov vs J.J. Wolf preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match Details
Fixture: (6) Denis Shapovalov vs (WC) J.J. Wolf
Tournament: Citi Open
Date: August 3, 2022
Round: Second round (Round of 32)
Venue: Washington D.C., United States
Category: ATP 500
Surface: Hard
Prize money: $1,953,285
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | Canada - TSN | UK - Amazon Prime Video
Denis Shapovalov vs J.J. Wolf preview
Following a first-round bye, sixth seed Denis Shapovalov will lock horns with wildcard J.J. Wolf in the second round of the 2022 Citi Open.
Shapovalov had a great start to the year, notching up some amazing results on hardcourt. He was instrumental in Canada's triumph at the ATP Cup. The 23-year old put up quite the fight against Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, but came up short.
After a couple of early losses, Shapovalov reached the semifinals of the Dubai Tennis Championships. He failed to win consecutive matches in his next three tournaments. At the Italian Open, he defeated Nadal en route to the quarterfinals. The Canadian then fell in the opening round of his next five events.
Shapovalov ended his losing skid at Wimbledon. He defeated Arthur Rinderknech in the first round, but lost to Brandon Nakashima in the next round. He is now returning to the Citi Open for the third time in his career.
Denis in DC 🛬
Great to see you, @denis_shapo 👋
#CitiOpen https://t.co/WIJys2GVJr
J.J. Wolf, meanwhile, has made some decent progress at the ATP level this year. He recorded his maiden win at the Masters 1000 level by defeating Daniel Altmaier in the first round of the Miami Open. He also managed to crack the top 100 of the rankings for the first time this week, reaching a career-high No. 99.
Wolf took on qualifier Taro Daniel in the first round of the Citi Open. The American raced to a 4-0 lead in the opening set. His opponent got back on track by winning the next couple of games, but it wasn't the start of a comeback.
Wolf broke Daniel's serve yet again to nab the first set. He jumped to a 4-1 lead in the second set, and this time didn't allow his opponent to get back into the match. He faced some trouble while closing out the proceedings. The 23-year-old saved three break points before securing a 6-2, 6-3 victory. This was just his seventh career win on the ATP tour.
Denis Shapovalov vs J.J. Wolf head-to-head
The two have not played against each other so far, so the head-to-head stands at 0-0 for now.
Denis Shapovalov vs J.J. Wolf odds
All odds are sourced from BetMGM.
Denis Shapovalov vs J.J. Wolf prediction
Shapovalov has been in a slump over the past couple of months. However, given Wolf's lack of experience on the ATP tour, the Canadian has a great shot at securing a win.
Wolf had a pretty good showing in the first round against Daniel, both in the serve and return department. The American has displayed his potential quite often, but hasn't been able to sustain the momentum to have a true breakout run. He gave Stefanos Tsitsipas a run for his money in Miami, but lost the match in three sets.
Shapovalov is far from his best at the moment, so if Wolf is able to consistently pile on the pressure, the outcome could tilt in his favor. The Canadian, on the other hand, has a lot of work to do before he's back to his former level. He has all the tools to be a successful player, but of late hasn't utlized them in a proper manner.
Shapovalov's groundstrokes can blow his opponents off the court, but questionable shotmaking has been his kryptonite. His lefty serve also puts him at an advantage. If the Canadian hasn't made amends during his time away from competition, then Wolf certainly has the potential to emerge as the victor.
But if Shapovalov has improved even in the slightest, it should be enough to get him over the finish line.
Pick: Denis Shapovalov to win in straight sets.