Korea Open 2022: Denis Shapovalov vs Jenson Brooksby preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match Details
Fixture: (4) Denis Shapovalov vs (8) Jenson Brooksby.
Date: October 1, 2022.
Tournament: Korea Open 2022.
Round: Semifinal.
Venue: Seoul, South Korea.
Category: ATP 250.
Surface: Hard.
Prize money: $1,237,570.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | Canada - TSN | Australia - beIN Sports.
Denis Shapovalov vs Jenson Brooksby preview
Denis Shapovalov and Jenson Brooksby are set for a semifinal showdown at the 2022 Korea Open on Saturday.
A straight-sets win over Jaume Munar sent Shapovalov into the quarterfinals, where Radu Albot lay in wait. The Canadian broke his opponent's serve twice as he surged to a 4-1 lead. He had a couple of set points to wrap up the opening set on Albot's serve at 5-1, but was unable to do so. Nevertheless, he served out the first set in the following game.
Shapovalov snagged an early break in the second set to go 3-1 up. After a hold of serve from Albot, the 23-year-old reeled off the next three games in a row to win the match 6-2, 6-2. He has now reached the semifinals of an ATP tournament for the third time this season.
Shapovalov won his first semifinal match of the year at the ATP Cup, defeating Roman Safiullin in three sets. He lost his other last-four encounter against Jiri Vesely at the Dubai Tennis Championships in three tight sets.
Jenson Brooksby was tested by Wu Tung-lin over two sets, but asserted his dominance in the third to win the match 7-6(5), 3-6, 6-0. He was up against Kwon Soon-woo in the second round, whom he bested 6-3, 6-4, setting up a quarterfinal with second seed Cameron Norrie.
Unfortunately, the Brit withdrew just a short while before the start of their match due to illness. Brooksby thus received a free ride into the semifinals, his third of the season. The American remains undefeated in this round so far, winning both of his previous semifinal bouts to advance to the title rounds in Dallas and Atlanta.
Denis Shapovalov vs Jenson Brooksby head-to-head
This will be the first meeting between them, so the head-to-head stands at 0-0 for now.
Denis Shapovalov vs Jenson Brooksby odds
(All odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Denis Shapovalov vs Jenson Brooksby prediction
Shapovlov has looked quite sharp in Seoul this week. He was particularly impressive on serve against Albot in the previous round. He didn't face a single break point and served with accuracy to win a high number of first-serve points.
Shapovalov's ground game also clicked quite well, ending with 26 winners and 13 unforced errors. The Canadian played with some measured aggression and if he keeps this up, he could easily punch his ticket to the final.
Brooksby had a bumpy start to his campaign this week, but looked pretty good against Kwon in the second round. He was unable to test himself against Norrie due to his withdrawal.
Shapovalov might not be able to blast too many winners past Brooksby due to his excellent retrieval skills. The American, however, isn't that strong of a server and if he has an off day in the semis, he could be in a world of trouble.
After a tough few months, Shapovalov seems to be regaining his form and confidence this week. The 23-year-old looks intent on turning his season around and at his current level, it might be too tough for Brooksby to stop him.
Pick: Denis Shapovalov to win in three sets.