US Open: Denis Shapovalov vs. Roberto Carballes Baena 9/2/21 Tennis Prediction
Denis Shapovalov vs Roberto Carballes Baena
September 2, 2021 12:00 am EDT
Seventh seeded Canadian Denis Shapovalov will face the unseeded Roberto Carballes Baena of Spain in the Second Round of the 2021 US Open. The match is scheduled to be played on Thursday September 2nd, 2021.
Denis Shapovalov is one of the most exciting young players on the ATP Tour and will surely be competing for Grand Slam titles in the future. The Canadian star has been much improved over the past few seasons and even broke into the top 10 for the first time last year. Can he continue his good form here at the 2021 US Open and get yet another straight sets win? Or will the unfancied Spaniard Roberto Carballes Baena stun the seventh seed and advance to the Third Round?
Denis Shapovalov is the seventh seed here at the 2021 US Open and is currently ranked #10 on the ATP Tour. The 22 year old has shown flashes of brilliance ever since he burst onto the tour as a teenager, and has established himself among the world’s best. However, he is still waiting for his breakout performance at a Major, and tends to struggle at the larger events, so that is one area that he will have to work on. The Canadian was dominant in his First Round win over Federico Delbonis, simply dominating his opponent with his serve and whippy lefty foreand from start to finish. He will be out for revenge here against his opponent Roberto Carballes Baena who defeated him in a shocking upset at the 2020 French Open. Shapovalov is the big favorite here and is expected to cruise here on his preferred surface as he seeks to make a deep run.
Roberto Carballes Baena is unseeded here at the 2021 US Open and is currently ranked #95 in the world. The Spaniard is a very steady baseliner who is equally comfortable attacking or defending. While hard courts are not his preferred surface, he is no slouch on them, and was impressive in his First Round win over hometown favorite Tommy Paul. The American was heavily favored to win that match but Carballes Baena dug deep and used his variety and counterpunched his way to a four set victory. While the Spaniard is the big underdog here due to his inferior ranking and the surface, he will be confident of victory as he has defeated his opponent Denis Shapovalov before, last year at Roland Garros.
This will be the second meeting between the two players on the ATP Tour and the first on this surface. While Roberto Carballes Baena leads the head to head by virtue of winning their match last year in Paris, the Canadian will get his revenge and cruise to victory here. Denis Shapovalov is one of the best players in the world on this surface and he is likely to dominate the Spaniard from the baseline as he has no real weapon to hurt him. I am expecting a dominant performance, with Shapovalov winning in straight sets, advancing to the Third Round here at the 2021 US Open.