Two of those early matches were close—7-6 in the third in Miami in 2019, and 7-6, 7-6 at the ATP Cup in 2020. Perhaps surprisingly, it was the lower-ranked Shapovalov who won both times, and who still has a 4-2 edge over Tsitsipas in their head-to-head. In fact, Shapo is 4-0 on hard courts, and won their last meeting, a year ago in Miami, 6-2, 6-4.
Now there’s a lot less buzz when they meet. Shapo is ranked 39th, Tsitsipas is 43rd. Neither is seeded, so here they are on Day 1. I’d say each of them paid a price for using that throwback one-hander; their opponents pick on that shot, especially with their serves. Tsitsipas is 9-5 this season; Shapo is 4-4, though he did make the semis in Dallas.
Shapo is terminally streaky, but his winning record against Tsitsipas may indicate that he can use his serve and forehand to steer more of the rallies into the Greek’s backhand. Either way, even if their rankings aren’t what they used to be, their brand of athletic shot-making never goes out of style. Winner: Shapovalov
