Geneva Open 2024: Denis Shapovalov vs Tallon Griekspoor preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match Details
Fixture: Denis Shapovalov vs (6) Tallon Griekspoor
Date: Wednesday, May 22
Tournament: 2024 Geneva Open
Round: Second Round (Round of 16)
Venue: Tennis Club de Geneve, Geneva, Switzerland
Category: ATP 250
Surface: Clay
Prize Money: $562,815
Live Telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Sky Sports | Canada - TSN
Denis Shapovalov vs Tallon Griekspoor preview
Denis Shapovalov is set to take on sixth seed Tallon Griekspoor in the second round of the 2024 Geneva Open on Wednesday, May 22.
Shapavalov returned to the tour at the start of the year after a knee injury kept him sidelined since Wimbledon last year. Currently ranked No. 123 in the world, he sits with a 6-12 match record this season, with his best result so far coming in Miami and Madrid where he reached the third round.
He kicked off his campaign in Geneva against Federico Coria in the first round. Both players were solid in serve, but Coria cracked first, giving Shapavalov the first set. A dominant display, however, in the second from the Canadian saw him seal the tie 7-5, 6-0. He won 71% of his points behind his first serve and broke serve five times in seven opportunities.
Griekspoor, on the other hand, had a great start to the 2024 season, reaching the third round in Melbourne and the last four in Rotterdam.
He played his first match on the clay in Monte Carlo where he was beaten in his second-round match by 11th seed Alex de Minaur. He then navigated through two tight three-setters en route to the fourth round in Madrid, losing to eventual champion Andrey Rublev. He lost his opening match in Rome to Francesco Passaro despite winning the first set.
Griekspoor saw off Christopher Eubanks in the first round in Geneva, taking the match 6-4, 1-6, 6-3.
Denis Shapovalov vs Tallon Griekspoor head-to-head
Denis Shapovalov and Tallon Griekspoor have not yet faced off in professional competition and their head-to-head currently stands at 0-0.
Denis Shapovalov vs Tallon Griekspoor odds
(Odds sourced from BetMGM)
Denis Shapovalov vs Tallon Griekspoor prediction
Denis Shapovalov and Tallon Griekspoor's second-round encounter in Geneva promises to be exciting, with both players eager to make a deep run given their indifferent starts to this season.
Ever since returning from the knee injury that sidelined him for roughly six months, Shapavalov has yet to find his form of the old and has looked like a shadow of himself. The Canadian has struggled on serve and has lacked consistency from the baseline. He did look promising in his last match, taking the last set 6-0 and giving him some much-needed confidence.
Griekspoor, meanwhile, began the season with a bang but fizzled out at the start of the Sunshine double. He too has lacked consistency and will look to turn the tide before the start of the French Open. Griekspoor is 13-11 this season and 4-3 on the red dirt.
Griekspoor holds the edge heading into their encounter given that he's played more tennis off late and his experience on the clay. Shapavalov, who's no slouch on the red clay either, could cause an upset should he make early inroads on Griekspoor's serve. Approaching the net often could also work in his favor as he controls the short rallies better.
It could all ultimately boil down to who returns serve and plays the crunch points better.
Pick: Tallon Griekspoor in three sets.