A blockbuster is expected here at the Rogers Cup as fifth seeded Canadian Denis Shapovalov faces unseeded American Frances Tiafoe in the Second Round. The match is scheduled for Wednesday August 11th, 2021 at approximately 7:00pm EST.
Denis Shapovalov is the fifth seed here at the 2021 Rogers Cup and is ranked #10 in the ATP world rankings. The Canadian has blossomed into a star over the past two seasons and has really matured as a player. He is not the talented but hotheaded youngster he once was, and no longer throws matches away by losing his concentration. His big serve and groundstrokes have evolved into big weapons, and he has been having a solid year so far in 2021. He has had some great results here at the Rogers Cup in the past, famously defeating Rafael Nadal in 2017 to reach his first Masters-1000 Semi-Final. The Canadian will be aiming to replicate that success and potentially go further, as he is one of the main contenders for the title here in Toronto. His Second Round opponent Frances Tiafoe is very tricky however, and can certainly cause the upset if Shapovalov is not at his best.
Frances Tiafoe is ranked #52 in the world and is unseeded here at the 2021 Rogers Cup. After having very strong seasons in 2018 and 2019 he has failed to replicate that success, and has largely been disappointing over the past few years. An extremely talented player, he is capable of beating anyone on a good day and has had some good results, however he needs to bring some more consistency to both his game and results. His displays at the Australian Open and Wimbledon this year show that he has what it takes to compete on the big stage, and the American tends to leave his best tennis for when he is in the spotlight, like right now facing Denis Shapovalov on his home court in Toronto. If Tiafoe plays to the best of his ability then he certainly has the ability to cause the upset despite being the underdog here.
This is the sixth time that the two players will be doing battle on the ATP Tour, with Shapovalov leading the head to head series 4-1. He has been dominant, winning the past four times that they played including once this year. This is certainly going to be a fantastic match with lots of flashy shotmaking, and I expect the Canadian to win yet again. While Tiafoe is a very talented player, he is not currently on Shapovalov’s level and I think the American will go down here. If he has a good day he is definitely capable of causing the upset, but the likelihood of that happening is not high, and the smart money is on the Canadian. Denis Shapovalov will win here, advancing to the Round of 16 of the Rogers Cup.