Rome Masters: Denis Shapovalov vs Ugo Humbert preview, head-to-head & prediction | Italian Open 2020
Match details
Fixture: Denis Shapovalov vs Ugo Humbert
Date: 18 September 2020
Tournament: Italian Open 2020
Round: Third round (Round of 16)
Venue: Rome, Italy
Category: ATP Masters 1000
Surface: Red clay
Prize money: €3,465,045
Match timing: 12.30 pm CEST, 4 pm IST
Live Telecast: USA - Tennis Channel / ESPN | India - Sony Six
Denis Shapovalov vs Ugo Humbert preview
Ugo Humbert came through a tough opponent in the form of home favorite Fabio Fognini in the second round of the 2020 Italian Open.
The young Frenchman did well to adjust to the fluctuating levels on the other side of the court, staying solid behind his own game-plan. Humbert was aggressive on his return and came up to the net every chance he got, winning a lot of quick points there.
The 22-year-old will, however, need to bring the same level of intent in his next match, where he squares off against fellow Next Gen star and 12th seed Denis Shapovalov.
Shapovalov entered the tournament fresh off his first Grand Slam quarterfinal at the US Open. And he seems to have made a successful transition to clay, scoring a couple of good wins in Rome.
The Canadian opened his campaign with a strong win against Guido Pella in straight sets. He then went on to fix the few issues on his serve to deliver a very confident looking win in the next match.
Both Shapovalov and Humbert are not known to play their best tennis on clay, and so will be looking at this match as a great opportunity to make their first deep run in the Italian capital.
Denis Shapovalov vs Ugo Humbert head-to-head
The two men have split their previous two meetings, so their current head-to-head stands at 1-1.
Humbert scored a win over Shapovalov en route his first ATP title in Auckland at the start of 2020. But it was the Canadian who came out on top in their only claycourt meeting, at Lyon last year.
Denis Shapovalov vs Ugo Humbert prediction
Denis Shapovalov is the definitive favorite on paper heading into this one. The Canadian has played some great tennis these last few weeks, and seems to be in the sort of form that transcends his aversion to slower courts.
Ugo Humbert, however, will not make things easy for his opponent. If the Frenchman continues playing in the same vein as his did in the last match and takes his chances in the forecourt, he does have a chance of staging an upset here.
Prediction: Denis Shapovalov to win in three sets.