Match Details
Reality: (3) Denis Shapovalov vs. Lloyd Harris
History: March 19, 2021
Tournament: Dubai Tennis Championship
Goal: The semi-finals
location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Type: ATP 500
area: Outdoor hard court
Cash Prize: $1,897,805
Match Time: Not before 17:00 hrs local time, 18:30 IST
Live TV: USA – Tennis Channel
Review by Denis Shapovalov and Lloyd Harris
Denis Shapovalov will face Lloyd Harris in the semi-finals of the 2021 Tennis Championships in Dubai on Friday.
Shapovalov knocked out Jeremy Chardy in straight sets in Thursday’s quarterfinals, winning 7-5, 6-4. Meanwhile, Harris’ dream run in Dubai continued a full day later with a 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 victory over Kei Nishikori.
There’s no denying that Denis Shapovalov plays great tennis all week. But at the same time, Harris’ appearance in the Middle Eastern city cannot be ignored.
The South African has six wins in Dubai, including several victories in qualifying. In the main draw, Harris defeated seeded Dominic Thiem in the second round.
Harris dominated Thiem so much that he did not face a single break ball throughout the match. Harris then beat Filip Krajinovic, before fooling Nishikori’s midfield.
The 24-year-old proved that his big win over Stan Wawrinka in Qatar a week ago was no fluke. Harris’ consistency and endurance put him in trouble for even the most experienced tour operators.
It will be a tough task for Shapovalov, who enjoys his purple streak. The third-placed Canadian has yet to drop a set in Dubai and, perhaps more impressively, hasn’t broken even once.
After a surprise second-round exit against Taylor Fritz in Qatar, Shapovalov pulled his socks up in Dubai, where he is now one of the favorites for the title.
Dennis Shapovalov vs. Lloyd Harris, mutual attachment
Denis Shapovalov and Lloyd Harris have never met on tour before, so their head-to-head record is currently 0-0.
Predictions by Denis Shapovalov and Lloyd Harris
In a week full of excitement and unexpected results, it is difficult to gauge the outcome of a match between two in-form players like Denis Shapovalov and Lloyd Harris.
Shapovalov, however, has little advantage on paper, given his numbers this week. The Canadian scored an incredible 76 of his 85 points on the first serve, an overall winning percentage of 89.4%.
On the second serve as well, Shapovalov has a respectable 67.8% win rate. The stats suggest that Harris should come back very well to keep up with Shapovalov in the match.
However, Harris won at least a quarter of the first serve points in every main draw match she played this week. The South Africans certainly have a good fight in them against anyone.
If Shapovalov can maintain his form and rhythm, he should make the final. But stranger things happened this week, especially when Lloyd Harris was involved.
prediction: Denis Shapovalov…