Dubai Tennis Championships 2022: Denis Shapovalov vs Marton Fucsovics preview, head-to-head and prediction

Match details

Fixture: (6) Denis Shapovalov vs Marton Fucsovics.

Date: 22 February 2022.

Tournament: Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships 2022.

Round: First Round (Round of 32).

Venue: Dubai, UAE.

Category: ATP 500.

Surface: Outdoor Hardcourt.

Prize money: $2,794,840

Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video.

Denis Shapovalov vs Marton Fucsovics preview

Sixth seed Denis Shapovalov takes on Marton Fucsovics in the first round of the 2022 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.

The Canadian had a solid start to the season, but has stuttered since. The 22-year-old won the 2022 ATP Cup with Canada in the buildup to the Australian Open, where he took down tournament favorite Alexander Zverev in the fourth round. He was then eliminated by eventual champion Rafael Nadal in five sets.

Following his stint in Australia, Shapovlaov has won just one match. The Canadian bowed out to Jiri Lehecka in Rotterdam, following which he was eliminated in the quarterfinals in Doha by Arthur Rinderknech.

Marton Fucsovics at the 2021 Paris Masters

Unlike his opponent, Fucsovics had a poor run in Australia. The Hungarian made it to the second round in Adelaide before losing his opening encounter against Dusan Lajovic in five sets at the Australian Open.

Since then, Fucsovics has picked up some much-needed form. He reached the quarterfinals in both Rotterdam and Doha, defeating the likes of Filip Krajinovic and Lloyd Harris along the way.

Denis Shapovalov vs Marton Fucsovics head-to-head

The first-round encounter in Dubai will be the second meeting between the two players. Marton Fucsovics leads the head-to-head 1-0.

The Hungarian triumphed over Shapovalov in the first round of the 2020 Australian Open in four sets.

Denis Shapovalov vs Marton Fucsovics prediction

The World No. 14 at the 2022 ATP Cup

Shapovalov comes into the match as the on-paper favorite, but his current run of form will not inspire confidence. The Canadian will be eager to break the trend of failing to back up his runs at Majors with consistency, by plotting a deep run in Dubai this week.

Fucsovics, on the other hand, is the kind of player that can cause problems for the Canadian. His movement and footspeed usually force his opponents to play an extra shot or two, extracting errors from the back of the court. Despite not having the most remarkable serve, he is usually reliable and does not get broken too often.

But Shapovalov's aggressive and attacking brand of tennis is well suited to hardcourts. Unless the Canadian makes the kind of lapses he has been prone to over the past few weeks, he should make it through to the next round.

Prediction: Denis Shapovalov to win in three sets.

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Also Check Out: Dubai Tennis Championships Schedule 2022