Denis Shapovalov will meet Jaume Munar in the Round of 16 of the 2022 Korea Open in Seoul. The match is scheduled for Tuesday September 27th, 2022.
Denis Shapovalov is the fourth seed here at the 2022 Korea Open and is ranked 24th on the ATP Tour. Big things were expected from the talented Canadian after a breakthrough 2021 season where he reached the top 10 for the first time, but it has not gone to plan. A series of inconsistent results have seen his ranking slide out of the top 20 for the first time, and the decline shows no sign of letting up. He showed flashes of brilliance at the US Open and there is no doubting his potential, but it seems that he lets his temper get the better of him, and loses focus quite easily. He begins his Korea Open campaign with a Round of 16 match against Jaume Munar, a beatable yet difficult opponent and he will have to be at his best to overcome the Spaniard here.
Jaume Munar is unseeded here at the Korea Open and is ranked 59th in the world. The Spaniard is as solid as they come, the prototypical clay court favoring, Spanish baseliner with a penchant for the clay. While this is not his preferred surface, he is very experienced and capable of causing the favored Denis Shapovalov bags of problems. After a First Round exit in Metz, he won his opener here when his opponent retired due to injury, so he should be fresh. He is the underdog here, but the inconsistent Shapovalov is as vulnerable as they come right now.
Denis Shapovalov is the much better player here, especially on this surface and I am expecting him to win this match. However, he has been all over the place lately and is difficult to trust, so I personally would stay away from any other markets other than the outright win. Jaume Munar is a very tough opponent but I don’t see him having the tools to win here, especially since he’s also been in a slump on the hard courts. Back Shapovalov to get back to winning ways this week here at the Korea Open.