Montreal Masters 2022: Denis Shapovalov vs. Alex de Minaur Tennis Pick and Prediction

TennisSection previews the 2022 Montreal Masters as Alex De Minaur takes on Denis Shapovalov in the first round on Monday, August 8th, 2022.

Alex De Minaur will look to bounce back from his recent second-round loss in Washington when he makes his second appearance to the Montreal Masters. However, the Australian World No. 21 has a tough task in his hands as he is set to go face-to-face with local favorite Denis Shapovalov in a mouthwatering tie. Who will come out on top?

Following his title success in Atlanta, Alex De Minaur was clearly a spent force by the time he got to Washington to compete at the Citi Open. Not even a first-round bye was adequate to give him rest time as he was sent packing by an inspired Yoshihito Nishioka. It is not uncommon for De Minuarto follow up a title run with an early defeat in his next tournament. Last season it was a similar scenario shortly after winning Eastbourne, he was beaten in the first round of Wimbledon. The Aussie will now look to produce a much better showing that his catastrophic loss to Japan’s Nishioka.

Denis Shapovalov, meanwhile, has performed dismally in thelast three months. Since shocking Rafael Nadal at the Rome Masters, things have gone awry for the Canadian one-hander. And after parting ways with coach Jamie Delgado, Shapovalovhas yet to rediscover the form that took him on the cusp of re-entering the world’s top 10. Under the tutelage of Delgado, Shapovalov had a terrific run at the Australian Open where he made the quarterfinals. He also made deep runs in Dubai and the aforementioned Italian Open. Since leaving Rome, Shapovalovhas won once in his last nine matches.

Alex De Minaur owns a 2-0 head-to-head record over Denis Shapovalov. Their last meeting was an ATP Cup tie in 2020 which the Aussie won in three sets. A lot is at stake for Shapovalov in this match. He is playing on home soil at the Montreal Masters – the scene of his breakout performance on the ATP tour in 2017 when he beat Del Potro and Rafael Nadal in successive matches to make the semifinals. De Minaur is clearly going to fancy his chances in this one. The Canadian left hander is coming off a dreadful run of results. However, De Minaur has a knack of letting the crowd get under his skin, which could ultimately be the case here again.