TennisSection previews the 2021 Mubadala World Tennis Championship as Denis Shapovalov takes on Dan Evans in Round 1 on Thursday, December 16th, 2021.
Will Denis Shapovalov beat an in form player and show us that he is ready to get more out of the 2022 season compared to his mediocre 2021 season? Will Dan Evans come out firing as he has nothing to lose being a late entry here after Casper Ruud pulled out? Both players are hungry and determined to get some momentum going before next year. Who will win and get the chance to play Andrey Rublev on Friday at the 2021 Mubadala Championship?
Denis Shapovalov will want to find some rhythm and momentum going before he flies over to Australia to prepare for the 2022 season. Shapovalov just over a month ago made it to the Final in Stockholm where he lost to Tommy Paul. Shapovalov is a great player on his day, but for someone who is aiming to be as good as the likes of Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alexander Zverev, he has issues with consistency. Shapovalov can be on top of the world for an hour and a half in a match, but the longer it goes, the less stamina he has and the more chances he gives away. Can he find some rhythm and dominate here against Dan Evans at the 2021 Mubadala Championship?
Dan Evans will be coming into the 2021 Mubadala Championship as a last minute reserve as Casper Ruud had to withdraw from the exhibition. Dan has been playing well this year, winning 27 matches, but he has often struggled to get into the third round of tournaments, mostly faltering at the first or second round. Evans has a superb game, a flamboyant game where he aims to take the ball early and take time away from his opponents. However, he meets a very similar player to himself in Denis Shapovalov now and he will have to find some extra level of tennis if he wants to cause the upset.
Denis Shapovalov and Dan Evans have met 3 times before, with Dan Evans leading the head to head 2-1. They have not met in over 2 years and all of their prior encounters have gone the distance. Both players are solid on their day, but have not been at their absolute best in 2021. I expect for a tight match as both will be looking to wear off some rust and get their game in check before they head over to Australia. If we are going off of who is able to bring the crowd on their side and ride on that momentum, I think that Denis will come out with more confidence and momentum in Abu Dhabi, and this will most likely give him an advantage as he wants to meet Andrey Rublev here at the 2021 Mubadala Championship.
Free Tennis Pick and Prediction: Denis Shapovalov to Win.
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