Italian Open 2022: Denis Shapovalov vs Lorenzo Sonego preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match details
Fixture: (13) Denis Shapovalov vs Lorenzo Sonego.
Tournament: Italian Open 2022.
Round: First round (Round of 64).
Venue: Rome, Italy.
Category: ATP Masters 1000.
Surface: Clay.
Prize money: €6,008,725.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video | India - Voot & Sports 18.
Denis Shapovalov vs Lorenzo Sonego preview
13th seed Denis Shapovalov will lock horns with home favorite Lorenzo Sonego in the first round of the 2022 Italian Open.
Shapovalov's first claycourt tournament this season was at the Madrid Open. He started off with a 7-6(1), 6-3 win over Ugo Humbert. Up against three-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray in the second round, the Canadian fought hard but eventually lost in three sets.
Shapovalov has been struggling for a while now. He hasn't won consecutive matches since the Dubai Tennis Championships in February, where he reached the semifinals. Since then, he has lost in the early rounds of every tournament he has competed in.
The 13th seed will be determined to return to winning ways in Rome.
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@FTiafoe
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Lorenzo Sonego played a few clay tournaments during the South American swing in February. His best result was a semi-final showing at the Argentina Open. However, since that result, the Italian has struggled with his consistency.
Sonego hasn't won back-to-back matches in almost three months now. His European clay season started with a second-round loss at the Monte-Carlo Masters, followed by a loss at the Barcelona Open in the same round. At the Madrid Open, he lost in the first round to World No. 121 Jack Draper in straight sets.
Clay court debut win 👏
@jackdraper0 takes a 6-4 6-3 victory over Sonego on his ATP Tour clay court debut!
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Sonego will aim to put on a much better showing in front of his home crowd at the Italian Open.
Denis Shapovalov vs Lorenzo Sonego head-to-head
The duo have not met prior to this on the ATP tour, so the head-to-head currently stands at 0-0.
Denis Shapovalov vs Lorenzo Sonego odds
(All odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Denis Shapovalov vs Lorenzo Sonego prediction
Both players have been going through a rough patch for quite some time now, making it difficult to predict the outcome of this match.
Sonego recorded the best result of his career by reaching the semifinals of the Italian Open last year. He defeated Gael Monfils, Dominic Thiem and Andrey Rublev before losing to Novak Djokovic. Shapovalov is a former semifinalist here as well, having made it to the last four in 2020.
Shapovalov's explosive game often troubles his opponents, but can also lead to his own downfall. Playing conservatively isn't in his genes and going for winners on every other shot often leads to a high number of unforced errors.
If he can take a step back and play with controlled aggression, the match could tilt in his favor. Shapovalov's serve is better than Sonego's and could well give him a decisive edge in this match.
Sonego's heavy forehand could trouble his opponent, but he'll need to hit it consistently well throughout the match. The home crowd will be firmly behind the 26-year-old, which could prove to be an important factor in raising his level.
Sonego hasn't beaten a top-20 player in over a year now. Even though Shapovalov is in the same boat as him, it's hard to see him getting past the 13th seed.
The match will be on the Canadian's racquet. Unless he turns into an error-making machine, he should be able to win this contest.
Pick: Denis Shapovalov to win in three sets.