TennisSection previews the 2021 Dubai Open as Denis Shapovalov (3) meets Jan-Lennard Struff in the Second Round on Tuesday, March 16th 2021.
Will Jan-Lennard Struff continue to build on momentum as he has had a great 2021 season already by taking Team Germany to the Semi-Finals of the 2021 ATP Cup? Will Denis Shapovalov bounce back after a very tough loss for him both physically and mentally in the Quarter-Finals of the 2021 Qatar Open last week? Both players can win this match if they are on top of his game, but only one will make it to the Third Round. Who will it be?
Denis Shapovalov needs to adjust something in his game if he is to keep up with every other player from his generation who is finding a lot of success on the ATP Tour, including Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alexander Zverev, and Felix Auger-Aliassime. Shapovalov is just not finding the consistency in his game which is required at this level to become a multiple title winner. Denis had a very important loss last week in the Quarter-Finals of the 2021 Qatar Open, losing to Taylor Fritz in 3 sets after he had won the first set with such ease, winning 24/24 points on his serve. Shapovalov got too comfortable and within himself believing he was unbeatable, and this backfired on him. Will Shapovalov be able to bounce back here against Jan-Lennard Struff, or will he be knocked down once again in the second round of the 2021 Dubai Open?
Jan-Lennard Struff has been playing some great tennis in 2021, aiding Team Germany reach the Semi-Finals of the 2021 ATP Cup. Struff, although in his very late 20s, is still on top of his game, and he will want to grow this momentum which he has created in 2021. Struff met Mikhail Kukushkin in the first round here in Dubai, beating the Kazakh in straight sets 6-3/6-2. Jan-Lennard Struff loves these quick hard-court conditions, and I am sure he will have a lot of success in tournaments similar to this in 2021. Struff serves extremely big, but for a guy who is extremely tall, he is also able to move around the court with great speed and footwork. Struff will be coming into this second round match with confidence as he meets Denis S hapovalov, a player who he has a great record against.
Denis Shapovalov and Jan-Lennard Struff have met 5 times before, with Jan-Lennard Struff leading the head to head 4-1. The last time Shapovalov was able to beat Struff was over 3 years ago, and since then Struff has won their last 4 encounters. Their matches are always extremely tight, with 3 out of the 5 matches going to a deciding set. Going off of recent performances for this one, it is hard for me to see Denis Shapovalov winning this one. Shapovalov is just not in a great place right now with his tennis, and he needs to change something in his game if he wants to be one of the best Next-Gen players out there. On the other hand, Jan-Lennard Struff has both the power, precision, and experience necessary to thrive in these conditions. It will be a tight match, but one which Jan-Lennard Struff should win in Dubai.
Free Tennis Pick and Prediction: Jan-Lennard Struff to win.
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