Serbian star Novak Djokovic is ready to kick-start his 2021 season at the second edition of the ATP Cup. Last year, he was undefeated at the event and he led his country to victory. It was a proud moment for him, and he will be hoping to repeat it this year.

In the first match at the tournament, the World No. 1 will be taking on Canada’s Denis Shapovalov. The NextGen star had an incredible season that saw him enter the top 10 for the very first time. He is in great form and could surely do well at the ATP Cup.

Novak Djokovic vs Denis Shapovalov: Head–to–Head

Djokovic and Shapovalov have met five times throughout their careers with the Serb winning all of them. Most of those matches were easy wins for Novak but their most recent meeting wasn’t straightforward, which will worry the Serb.

This match came last year at the inaugural edition of the ATP Cup. Shapovalov played the tennis of his life and pushed Djokovic to a third-set tiebreaker. Unfortunately, the Canadian lost it 7-4, but it has surely given him a lot of confidence to challenge the World No. 1 this year.

Djokovic vs Shapovalov: Prediction

Looking at Denis’ performance over the last year and his last match against Novak, many might say that he has a great chance of finally beating the Serb. However, this year, the conditions are a lot different.

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Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the ATP is being played in Melbourne. This is the place where Djokovic has won a record 8 Australian Open titles. He feels very comfortable playing there, and over the last couple of years, he has been unbeatable.

These conditions, along with Novak’s dominating head-to-head record against Shapovalov, make for an easy win for the Serb.

Prediction: Novak Djokovic to win in two sets