Left vs left-handed

And "in shape" vs "in shape"?

For Shapovalov, we’re starting to see some good level on a regular basis now. The pure indoor season is just around the corner, which is important for him. Nevertheless, I found him a bit erratic in set 1 against Shimabukuro, even if he deserved that set. Right now, he’s not very inconsistent, so I’m wondering if we shouldn’t take that as a signal.

On the other side, Tabilo beats a Tommy Paul who basically showed up in flip-flops, but through that rout I think I picked up on a good level from the Chilean. He wins his R32 in singles, then in doubles with LVA.

What I like in this match from Tabilo’s side is that I find him quite resilient in rallies. Projecting him against Shapo, I think he can handle the Canadian’s power and ultra-aggressiveness fairly well. He’s got short take-backs, and he reads the game well. His first serve is very good. His second, I’m a bit afraid he’ll get attacked. The Canadian’s recent losses: Hurkacz in Chengdu where he struggles a bit physically (just before that he battles against a good Manna who makes perfect use of the low-bouncing conditions), Shelton at the US Open, Jodar in Cincy. Before that, there were Gea and Svajda, but he was injured. Anyway, we know our Shapo inside out. No matter how you do it, you have to strike first and/or absorb his power to push him into overdoing it and tire him out. And yes, I really like Tabilo’s profile for that, especially since I don’t find Tokyo that fast.

Have they already faced each other? Nope!

There’s that famous match in a tournament where Shapo raises his level a lot. It can happen at any time, but usually it’s against a big fish. I find Tabilo’s profile and craftiness very dangerous for him...