US Open 2020: Denis Shapovalov vs Soon-woo Kwon preview, head-to-head & prediction
Match details
Fixture: Denis Shapovalov vs Soon-woo Kwon
Date: 2 September 2020
Tournament: US Open 2020
Round: Second round (Round of 64)
Venue: Flushing Meadows, New York, USA
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Outdoor hardcourt
Prize money: $39,024,000
Match timing: Not before 5 pm EDT, 2.30 am IST
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel / ESPN | India - Star Sports & Hotstar
Denis Shapovalov vs Soon-woo Kwon preview
World No. 17 Denis Shapovalov continues his bid to replicate his last year's result at Flushing Meadows as he takes on Soon-woo Kwon in the US Open second round on Wednesday.
Shapovalov started his 2020 tour campaign with impressive victories over NextGen rivals Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alexander Zverev, before losing to Novak Djokovic in Canada's quarterfinal fixture against Serbia. But the Canadian disappointed his fans with his form slump over the next few events, before the tour entered a COVID-19-enforced break.
The young gun was back to playing some competitive tennis at the Western & Southern Open last week, where he put up a clinical performance against Marin Cilic in the first round before losing to Jan-Lennard Struff in the next match.
The Canadian then endured an up-and-down opening match against wildcard Sebastian Korda on Monday. His inconsistent return of serve cost him the second set, but he rebounded quickly to wrap up the next two.
Shapovalov will have another chance to show off his newfound composure in New York on Wednesday. His opponent Soon-woo Kwon, who beat Thai Son Kwitkowski in his opening match, has been making strong inroads on the tour of late - capped off by two Challenger titles in 2019.
Denis Shapovalov vs Soon-woo Kwon head-to-head
The first round match in New York will be the first-ever career meeting between Denis Shapovalov and Soon-woo Kwon, so the head-to-head currently stands at 0-0.
Denis Shapovalov vs Soon-woo Kwon prediction
Under the tutelage of Mikhail Youzhny, Denis Shapovalov has become a much steadier player than he used to be.
While the Canadian has always had the shot-making ability, it is his shot selection that has frequently let him down in his young career. Youzhny has helped change that, getting him to stay patient in rallies rather than pulling the trigger in the first couple of shots.
Shapovalov will have plenty of chances to prove that he can be consistent when pitted against an opponent like Soon-woo Kwon, who mainly depends on hitting accurate and solid groundstrokes off both wings. If Shapovalov is in his element, Kwon's relatively simple game likely won't be able to make much of an impression on Wednesday.
Prediction: Denis Shapovalov to win in straight sets.