TennisSection previews the 2021 Barcelona Open as Denis Shapovalov (7) meets Felix Auger-Aliassime (10) in the Third Round on Thursday, April 22nd 2021.
Will Felix Auger-Aliassime get his second win under his belt with his new coaching partnership with Toni Nadal? Will Denis Shapovalov cruise through another match here at the 2021 Barcelona Open as he looks to win the battle of the Canadians? Both of these players know each other’s game inside out, and they will fight right to the end. But who will win?
Felix Auger Aliassime came through a very tight 3-set match against the very in form young Italian, Lorenzo Musetti, winnin 4-6/6-3/6-0. Lorenzo Musetti got off to a very fast start in the match, but Felix Auger-Aliassime was able to maintain his composure throughout the tight moments to eventually get himself infront in the match. Felix knows he can definitely get himself ranked higher than he currently is, at No.20 in the world, if he is able to find consistency in his game, and his partnership with Toni Nadal will definitely be a strong way to do so. Can Felix Auger-Aliassime get a win over his fellow Canadian, Denis Shapovalov in the Third Round of the 2021 Barcelona Open?
Denis Shapovalov was very solid in his Second Round match, beating the very experienced Jeremy Chardy in straight sets 6-3/7-5. Denis Shapovalov will know that although he won that match, he still had to fight off some very tight moments which could have swung to momentum Chardy’s way. Denis, just as his fellow Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime, can achieve a lot of great things in the world of tennis, but the really reach that next level, he needs to find consistency week in, week out. This is what the likes of Medvedev, Tsitsipas, Thiem, and Zverev (sometimes) have been able to do, and this has been the reason why they have entered the Top 10.
Denis Shapovalov and Felix Auger-Aliassime have met 5 times before, with Denis Shapovalov leading the head to head 3-2. The last time they met was earlier this year in the Third Round of the 2021 Australian Open where Felix Auger-Aliassime absolutely cruised in straight sets 7-5/7-5/6-3. Here at the 2021 Barcelona Open, I expect this match to end in a similar fate. Although Denis Shapovalov is ranked higher, has won bigger matches in his career, and has a slight edge in experience, Felix Auger-Aliassime has been the much more consistent of the two over the last year. I expect it to be tight just because they both know each other so well, but Felix will get the job done here.
Free Tennis Pick and Prediction: Felix Auger-Aliassime to Win.
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