Wimbledon 2021: Roberto Bautista Agut vs Denis Shapovalov preview, head-to-head & prediction
Match details
Fixture: (8) Roberto Bautista Agut vs (10) Denis Shapovalov
Date: 5 July 2021
Tournament: wimbledon'%20target='_blank'%20rel='noopener%20noreferrer'%3Ewimbledon%3C/a%3E'%20target='_blank'%20rel='noopener%20noreferrer'%3Ewimbledon%3C/a%3E'%20target='_blank'%20rel='noopener%20noreferrer'%3Ewimbledon%3C/a%3E'%20target='_blank'%20rel='noopener%20noreferrer'%3Ewimbledon%3C/a%3E-2021-men-s-draw-analysis-preview-prediction" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Championships, Wimbledon
Round: Fourth round (Round of 16)
Venue: London, Great Britain
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Grass
Prize money: £17,066,000
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel & ESPN | UK - BBC TV & Radio | India - Star Sports / Disney+ Hotstar VIP
Roberto Bautista Agut vs Denis Shapovalov preview
Roberto Bautista Agut had a difficult start to his Wimbledon 2021 campaign, as he conceded three sets in his first two matches.
The eighth seed faced John Millman in the first round, where he lost the second set en route to a 6-2, 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(4) win. He then had an even tougher battle against Miomir Kecmanovic in the second round; the match went to five sets as the Serb fought back from two sets down.
Bautista Agut, however, found his best tennis in the decider and halted Kecmanovic's comeback, winning 6-3, 6-3, 6-7(3), 3-6, 6-3.
The Spaniard finally got into his groove in the third round, defeating Dominik Koepfer in straight sets. Although Bautista Agut lost serve five times in the match, he himself broke as many as eight times to eventually win 7-5, 6-1, 7-6(4).
The 33-year-old's only semifinal at a Grand Slam came at Wimbledon, when it was last played in 2019. He will hope for a similar result this time around.
Canadian prodigy Denis Shapovalov, meanwhile, has had a mixed tournament so far. His toughest test came at the start of his campaign, where he fought Philipp Kohlschreiber in an intense five setter before winning 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4.
Shapovalov was well-rested ahead of the third-round clash with Andy Murray, having received a walkover in the second round. The 22-year-old's fitness and agility helped tremendously against Murray, as he won 6-4, 6-2, 6-2.
Shapovalov's serve in particular was brilliant towards the end of the match; he won 100% of his first-serve points in the third set.
Roberto Bautista Agut vs Denis Shapovalov head-to-head
Roberto Bautista Agut and Denis Shapovalov have not met each other on tour before. Hence, their head-to-head is currently tied at 0-0.
Roberto Bautista Agut vs Denis Shapovalov prediction
While Roberto Bautista Agut is ranked higher than Denis Shapovalov, this will likely be a difficult match for the Spaniard. While Bautista Agut has solid movement and reliable groundstrokes, he can struggle against big serves like the Canadian.
Shapovalov's exciting and offensive play, which was on full display against Murray, can take the racket out of Bautista Agut's hands. The 22-year-old has already slapped 27 aces in the tournament, despite not playing in the second round.
This is likely to be a battle between Bautista Agut's defense and Shapovalov's attack. And on a quick surface like grass, the latter is more likely to be rewarded.
Prediction: Denis Shapovalov to win in four sets.