Jurij Rodionov vs. Denis Shapovalav Prediction: Shapovalov Has An Edge

In the first round of the 2022 Erste Bank Open, Denis Shapovalov will face home favourite Jurij Rodionov.

Jurij Rodionov

Rodionov has only played in three ATP tournaments this year. He advanced to the second round of the Kitzbuhel Open and the Dallas Open. He also competed in the Stuttgart Open, but was eliminated in the first round. He won two of his three Davis Cup singles matches this season while representing Austria.

The 23-year-old has done better on the Challenger circuit, where he has won a few of races. In March, he won the Biel/Bienne Challenger, and in May, he won the Mauthausen Challenger in his home country of Austria.

Denis Shapovalov

Shapovalov's season has been up and down. He got out to a good start, guiding Canada to the ATP Cup victory and reaching the final eight at the Australian Open. He didn't win back-to-back matches after losing in the semifinals of the Dubai Tennis Championships until the Italian Open, where he reached the quarterfinals by defeating Rafael Nadal.

The Canadian subsequently went on to lose in the first round of each of his following five events. He ended his losing skid in the first round of Wimbledon by defeating Arthur Rinderknech. After that, he was defeated by Brandon Nakashima. His results in the run-up to the US Open were solid, and he also made it to the third round in New York.

At the Korea Open, the 23-year-old reached his first final of the year, but was defeated by Yoshihito Nishioka. The following week, he reached the Japan Open semifinals. He participated in the Stockholm Open last week, but fell in the quarterfinals against Alex de Minaur.

Expert Betting Tips

Rodionov has a decent serve, but Shapovalov has the upper hand in this category. He's the superior shotmaker, and his backhand is among the best on the circuit when he's totally concentrated. The Canadian has been quite solid in recent weeks and is expected to win his first match in Vienna.

• Total Under 22 for 1.84
• Handiсap Denis Shapovalov (-4) for 1.85
• Individual Total 1 Under 9.5 for 1.92