French Open 2024: Frances Tiafoe vs Denis Shapovalov; Preview, Head-to-Head, and Prediction

The stage is set for an exciting clash between two promising stars competing on Parisian soil. Following the conclusion of the opening round of matches, the American tennis star, Frances Tiafoe, will square off against Canadian Denis Shapovalov for a place in the third round of the French Open. Both ATP superstars have put on a stellar display of prowess, grit, and determination to prevail in their first-round matches. Now that Tiafoe and Shapovalov will look to carry forward the winning momentum in a Grand Slam event, it will be fascinating to see who comes out on top in this high-profile encounter.

Frances Tiafoe vs Denis Shapovalov: Roland Garros second round match preview

After a round-of-16 exit at the Lyon Open, the American tennis player is entering the Grand Slam in Paris as the 25th-seed participant. In his opener at the Roland Garros, Frances Tiafoe recently managed to overcome the unseeded Italian Mattia Bellucci in a five-set thriller, 6-3, 3-6, 6-7, 6-4, 6-4.

Denis Shapovalov, on the other hand, is coming to the French Open after a round-of-16 defeat at the Geneva Open. Now, as an unseeded participant in Paris, the Canadian player pulled off a brilliant performance against the Frenchman Luca Van Assche, as he prevailed in three sets with a score of 6-3, 6-4, 6-4.

Tiafoe vs Shapovalov: Head-to-Head

The second-round clash between Frances Tiafoe and Denis Shapovalov at the French Open will also mark their seventh meeting on the ATP circuit. However, this will be their first ever meeting on Clay. In their overall H2H record, Shapovalov has a 4-2 lead against Tiafoe.

Prediction: Shapovalov to clinch a straight-set win in Paris

The Canadian player was clinical in his opener against Van Assche, as he hit 8 aces and managed to convert 3 out of 6 breakpoints. Shapovalov also had a remarkable 80% winning percentage on his first serves and was also quite impressive on his returns. If he manages to emulate a similar performance in his second-round match, the former number 10 player can pull off an upset against his seeded American opponent.

Tiafoe, on the other hand, has been far from his optimum levels on the court, as witnessed by his recent lackluster performances this season. Even in his opening round in Paris, the American player had a poor conversion rate on his break points, as he only managed to hit 4 out of 13. Tiafoe also had to put in a lot of hard work to win his first-round match, as he dropped two sets before clinching the decisive one.

Hence, Shapovalov over Tiafoe it is.