The ATP500 Acapulco tournament (Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC) is now upon us and we have a great first round clash between Canada’s Denis Shapovalov and American qualifier Nishesh Basavareddy. This will be their first-ever meeting on the ATP Tour, and we expect a tough match between two in-form players.
Denis Shapovalov, ranked 32 currently, enters in great form after winning the Dallas Open title earlier this month, defeating three Top 10 players, Taylor Fritz, Tommy Paul and Casper Ruud. The 25-year-old, no 9 seed, has a 7-3 record this year and enjoys it on these hard-courts, winning 85.6% of his service games over the past year. He’s riding a five-match win streak and looks to keep his momentum going. When Shapovalov has this momentum and the form is good, then he looks close to unbeatable at times.
Read more about Shapovalov and his current racquet.
Nishesh Basavareddy, the 19-year-old American is already making some headlines in his young career. He qualified for the main draw with straight-set wins over James Duckworth and Stefan Kozlov. Ranked 106 in the world currently, he has a 9-3 record this season, including an impressive semifinal run in Auckland. On hard courts over the past year, he’s won 79.3% of his service games but today he’s up for a proper challenge.
Some Stats
- Shapovalov: 25-12 on hard courts in the past 12 months, with 88 break points converted out of 247 (35.6%).
- Basavareddy: 10-6 on hard courts in the past year, converting 43 of 113 break points (38.1%).
- Head-to-Head: 0-0 (their first meeting).
Predictions and Odds
The betting sites see Shapovalov as a small favorite today at odds 1.80 or -125, a win for Basavareddy gives around 2.05 or +105.
The Canadian’s experience and recent form give him the edge, but Basavareddy is a player that can surprise and he will have his moments against top ranked players this season.
Shapovalov had some good rest before this event and we can see him enjoying another good tournament run in Acapulco. If his big hitting forehands remain the quality we’ve seen recently, any player will struggle.
Prediction: Shapovalov to win and progress to the next round.
