ATP Cup 2022: Jan-Lennard Struff vs Denis Shapovalov preview, head-to-head & prediction

Match Details

Fixture: (GER) Jan-Lennard Struff vs (CAN) Denis Shapovalov

Date: January 6, 2022

Tournament: ATP Cup 2022

Round: Group Stage

Surface: Hard

Prize Money: $10 million

Match Timing: 5.30 pm local time, 6.30 am GMT, 12 pm IST

Live Telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime

Jan-Lennard Struff vs Denis Shapovalov preview

2022 ATP Cup: Denis Shapovalov in action

Canada's Denis Shapovalov will take on Germany's Jan-Lennard Struff in the final round of the 2022 ATP Cup group stage on Thursday. With both Germany and Canada having won a tie each, a win for either could prove vital to their semifinal hopes.

Shapovalov had a mixed 2021 with the highlight being a maiden semifinal run at Wimbledon, losing to eventual champion and World No. 1 Novak Djokovic. Having started the season at No. 12 in the world, his attempt to finish the year inside the top 10 for the first time was thwarted by sluggish post-Wimbledon performances. His poor run of form saw him relinquish his Canadian No. 1 spot to Felix Auger-Aliassime.

Shapovalov has had a rough start to the year after testing positive for the corona virus. While the Canadian opted out of his first singles match, he returned for the tie against Great Britain, but was far from his best, losing to World No. 25 Dan Evans.

Struff himself had a difficult 2021, struggling to post consistent results on tour. Having started the year as World No. 36, he ended the year at 51, dropping off 15 places. The German found some success on clay though, reaching the final in Munich and the last 32 at Roland Garros.

Struff comes into the match on the back of a hard fought win over American John Isner, helping the Germans get off the mark in the tournament. Struff was comfortably beaten in straight sets by Dan Evans in their first tie against Great Britain.

Jan-Lennard Struff vs Denis Shapovalov head-to-head

2022 ATP Cup: Jan-Lennard Struff celebrates his victory

Jan-Lennard Struff and Denis Shapovalov will lock horns for the eighth time on Thursday, with the German leading the head-to-head by a comfortable margin of 5-2. They have met four times on a hard court with their head-to-head on the surface tied at 2-2.

The pair split their meetings last year with Shapovalov coming out on top in Dubai, before Struff overcame the Canadian in St. Petersburg later in the year.

Jan-Lennard Struff vs Denis Shapovalov prediction

While Shapovalov is an aggressive player with an especially powerful backhand, he is prone to errors. Struff's powerful serve and strong mentality have seen him fare well against the Canadian in the past.

With Shapovalov still possibly feeling the effects of COVID-19, Struff will fancy his chances of further boosting his head-to-head record against the Canadian.

Prediction: Struff to win in three.

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Also Check Out: Updated ATP Cup 2022 Results