Mallorca Championships 2022: Denis Shapovalov vs Benjamin Bonzi preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match Details
Fixture: (3) Denis Shapovalov vs Benjamin Bonzi.
Date: June 22, 2022
Tournament: Mallorca Championships 2022
Round: Second round (Round of 16).
Venue: Santa Ponsa, Spain.
Category: ATP 250.
Surface: Grass.
Prize money: €886,500.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | Canada - TSN | India - Discovery.
Denis Shapovalov vs Benjamin Bonzi preview
World No. 16 Denis Shapovalov will take on Frenchman Benjamin Bonzi in the second round of the 2022 Mallorca Championships on Wednesday.
Shapovalov has been in a downward slump of late. Following a quarterfinal loss at the Italian Open, he ended his clay swing with consecutive opening-round losses at the Geneva Open and the French Open.
The Canadian's start to the grass season has been rocky as well. At the Boss Open in Stuttgart, Shapovalov lost a closely contested match against Oscar Otte in the first round. However, he fared well in doubles, making it to the semifinals alongside partner Rohan Bopanna.
The Canadian once again fell at the opening hurdle of his next tournament, the Cinch Championships. Shapovalov lost to Tommy Paul in three sets, but managed to reach the semifinals in doubles with Bopanna yet again.
The 23-year-old will now be aiming to snap his losing streak in Mallorca.
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Benjamin Bonzi started his grass season on a strong note by reaching the quarterfinals in Stuttgart. Following straight-set wins over Feliciano Lopez and Arthur Rinderknech, he was forced to withdraw prior to his last-eight clash against Oscar Otte due to an illness.
At the Halle Open, Bonzi took on World No. 6 Stefanos Tsitsipas in the first round. He put up quite the fight, but eventually lost in three sets.
The Frenchman was up against Alejandro Tabilo in the opening round of the Mallorca Championships. Bonzi nabbed a break in the sixth game of the opening set to lead 4-2, and closed out the set quite easily soon after that.
He led 4-2 in the second set as well, but Tabilo was unable to continue due to an injury and was forced to retire, sending the Frenchman into the second round.
Denis Shapovalov vs Benjamin Bonzi head-to-head
This will be the first meeting between Shapovalov and Bonzi, so the head-to-head stands at 0-0 for now.
Denis Shapovalov vs Benjamin Bonzi odds
All odds are sourced from BetMGM.
Denis Shapovalov vs Benjamin Bonzi prediction
Shapovalov is still seeking his first win on grass in singles this year. He was a semifinalist at Wimbledon last year, so he isn't a total novice on the surface. The Canadian is currently going through a rough patch, but has bounced back plenty of times previously after a streak of tough losses.
Shapovalov has often crumbled during important moments in his recent matches. While he does play a high-risk game, he is more error-prone during pressure moments, which has seen him lose matches on multiple occasions. He likely needs to play a bit more conservatively and pull the trigger at the right moment.
In his previous matches against Otte and Paul, Shapovalov went 2/9 and 1/5 on break points respectively. Failing to capitalize on so many chances time and again has proved to be too costly for him. If the Canadian once again fails to make the most of his opportunities, he could be headed for yet another early exit.
Bonzi, on the other hand, played quite well in his first-round match against Tabilo. He didn't get broken at all, while winning quite a few points on the back of his first serve. The Italian put up a huge fight against Tsitsipas in Halle last week and if he plays similarly against Shapovalov, he could move onto the next round.
However, Shapovalov is too talented to rack up so many losses in a row. Against an opponent who hasn't performed that well against top 20 players in the past, the Canadian might just fancy his chances of securing a win.
Pick: Denis Shapovalov to win in three sets.