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Denis Shapovalov vs Alexander Bublik: ATP Montpellier – Second round
Two solid servers will face each other in the second round of ATP Montpellier indoor tournament.
Denis Shapovalov Profile
Denis Shapovalov is currently 137th in the ATP rankings. The former world No. 10 is coming off an injury-prone season, as he finished 13-13 in 2023. He had a slow start to this year, losing in the opening round in Auckland to Sebastian Ofner 6-4, 6-2. The Canadian also lost in the first round of the Australian Open, this time to Jakub Mensik, 6-3, 7-5, 7-5.
He had a solid start to the ATP Montpellier, defeating home player Hugo Gaston 6-1, 6-3 in the first round. This is his third appearance in the tournament, and his best result came in 2019 when they reached the quarterfinals.
Alexander Bublik Profile
Alexander Bublik is currently 27th in the ATP rankings, two spots lower than his career-high. Bublik was stunned in the opening round of the Australian Open, losing 6-4, 6-2, 7-6 to Sumit Nagal. He had a much better week at the ATP Brisbane, where he reached the semifinals, where he lost to John Draper 7-6, 6-4.
Bublik won the tournament in Montpellier in 2022. Interestingly, Bublik finished last season with a losing record of 28 wins and 30 losses, but despite that, he managed to win the titles in Antwerp and Halle.
Head-to-Head – Bublik leads 2-0
- Bublik vs Shapovalov 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 (2021 Madrid, second round)
- Bublik vs Shapovalov 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 (2020 Marseille, quarterfinal)
Prediction and Conclusion
Both players are in their prime but had injury issues last season, which made their progress much slower. This is especially the case with Shapovalov, who reached the top 10 and a Grand Slam semifinal but had a major drop after the injury. He is coming back to his recognizable shape, and the tournament in Montpellier may be the turning point. Shapovalov is the better overall player than Bublik, but Kazak has a strong serve just like Shapovalov. Bublik has played over 22.5 games in three of his four three-set matches so far in the season, and this one against Shapovalov will go over the same total games line.
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