Big Foe without any problem?

Tiafoe is in good form right now and he has a pretty nice draw; it’s a great opportunity for him, but watch out for the formidable Shimabukuro, who never stops surprising.

A good tournament at Roland-Garros, good matches in Stuttgart, we’ve got a good, confident and motivated Tiafoe right now. He’s just beaten Cobolli, and even if the Italian was clearly not at his best, I loved Tiafoe’s match. He plays well on grass. He adapts well to the surface, even though I still have issues with his return quality, which can sometimes cost him a lot. But the rest of his game is really good at the moment. He’ll be the clear favorite in this match, but as I said, Shimabukuro is a player you have to be wary of.

The Japanese player is confirming his good current momentum and his entry into the top 100 with a win over Griekspoor today. He dominated the match overall and showed good mental strength to come back on the scoreboard, especially in the last set where he was a break down. He’s smart in the way he makes his opponents play and absorbs their power, and on top of that he’s quite inspired and sharp offensively. A player like him, on a surface that’s so hard to master, can quickly get big results and climb up the rankings. This match is far from won yet for Tiafoe.

I really love Tiafoe’s momentum and the energy he’s putting into his matches right now.

I also like what Shimabukuro is producing, and when I project myself into this match, I tell myself that the Japanese player definitely still has a card to play.