Geneva Open 2021: Denis Shapovalov vs Marco Cecchinato preview, head-to-head & prediction
Match details
Fixture: (2) Denis Shapovalov vs Marco Cecchinato
Date: 19 May 2021
Tournament: Gonet Geneva Open 2021
Round: Second round (Round of 16)
Venue: Geneva, Switzerland
Category: ATP 250
Surface: Red clay
Prize money: €419,470
Match timing: Not before 6 pm local time, 4 pm GMT, 12 pm EST
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel
Denis Shapovalov vs Marco Cecchinato preview
Denis Shapovalov will begin his 2021 Geneva Open campaign against Marco Cecchinato in the second round on Wednesday.
While Shapovalov received a bye in the first round, Cecchinato faced countryman Stefano Travaglia in his opening match. The former French Open semifinalist didn't have to break much of a sweat as Travaglia retired due to injury while trailing 3-6, 0-3.
Shapovalov, meanwhile, is coming off a heartbreaking loss to Rafael Nadal at the Italian Open. The Canadian was a point away from staging arguably the biggest win of his career, but he ultimately fell short in a third-set tiebreaker.
Shapovalov will still take heart from the fact that his clay form is on an upward trajectory now after his early exits in Barcelona, Estoril and Madrid. The 22-year-old made it to the Round of 16 in Rome and will be hoping to go a step or two further, if not all the way to the title, in Geneva.
Cecchinato also seems to be hitting a purple patch, going by his recent performances. The Italian defeated Frances Tiafoe and Roberto Carballes Baena in the qualifying rounds at the Madrid Open before giving a big scare to Roberto Bautista Agut in the first round of the main draw.
The 28-year-old failed to impress at his home event in Rome, but has managed to fight past a couple of qualifying rounds in Geneva. Cecchinato defeated Ilya Marchenko and Daniel Altmaier in straight sets, and is now on a three-match winning streak.
Denis Shapovalov vs Marco Cecchinato head-to-head
Denis Shapovalov and Marco Cecchinato have never faced each other on the ATP tour, so their head-to-head currently stands at 0-0.
They did, however, square off on the Challenger tour at Heilbronn in 2017, where the Italian beat Shapovalov in straight sets.
Denis Shapovalov vs Marco Cecchinato prediction
Marco Cecchinato has struggled against southpaws in recent weeks, having suffered defeats to Cameron Norrie in Rome and Ugo Humbert in Estoril. And Denis Shapovalov, whose crosscourt forehand troubled even Rafael Nadal, will be another big test for Cecchinato's one-handed backhand.
That said, Shapovalov is a player who thrives when he is allowed to dictate terms during matches. And Cecchinato has the perfect antidote to that, given how easily he can change the pace and direction of rallies.
The Canadian has shown greater patience in his recent matches on clay, and he will have to continue in the same vein against a strong defender like Cecchinato. This has all the makings of a close encounter, but if Shapovalov's groundstrokes are firing on all cylinders, he might be able to hit his way past the Italian.
Prediction: Denis Shapovalov to win in three sets.