Upcoming Match-ups

Lloyd Harris vs Denis Shapovalov Odds & Prediction – Dubai Open Semifinals

Hayley Graham

by Hayley Graham in Tennis

Updated Mar 18, 2021 · 4:37 PM PDT

Denis Shapovalov hitting a forehand return during a tennis match.
Canada's Denis Shapovalov makes a forehand return to compatriot eFelix Auger-Aliassime during their third round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Friday, Feb. 12, 2021.(AP Photo/Andy Brownbill)
  • Lloyd Harris and Denis Shapovalov will go head-to-head at the Dubai Open semifinals on Friday, March 19th
  • This will be their first career meeting
  • See below for odds and a preview of how each player has played in the tournament

Qualifier Lloyd Harris will look to continue his dream week at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships as he takes on third seed Denis Shapovalov in the semifinals on Friday. The match is set to start at 9:00 AM ET.

Shapovalov has been dominating all tournament, and is coming off a straight set win against Frenchman Jeremy Chardy. Harris hasn’t had as dominate of a tournament, but he has had arguably one of the biggest wins of his career this tournament, when he upset No. 1 seed Dominic Thiem in the Round of 32.

Will Harris be able to continue his impressive run at the tournament, or will the young Canadian’s serve be too much to handle?

Take a look below for a preview of the match and our best bet analysis.

Harris vs Shapovalov Dubai Open Semifinals Odds

Player Moneyline Spread at DrafKings Total
Lloyd Harris +205 +3.5 (-134) Ov 22.5 (-118)
[3] Denis Shapovalov -265 -3.5 (+106) Un 22.5 (-108)

Odds as of Mar. 18th at DraftKings

Harris Continues His Dream Week

The 24-year old South African is big surprise here in the semifinals. But Harris is playing exceptional tennis this week, and it’s not going unnoticed. He has now become the first qualifier to reach the semifinals of the Dubai Open. Harris shocked the tennis world when he upset Dominic Thiem in the Round of 32, beating the World No. 4, 6-3, 6-4.

Harris had a slight hiccup in his quarterfinal match where he dropped the second set. But he ended up coming back to win 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 against Kei Nishikori, in just over an hour and a half. With the win, Harris advances to his first ATP 500 semifinal.

The 24-year old took chances towards the end of the match, and it paid off with a win. He went on to hit 22 of 34 winners off his serve, and was able to save two break points in the deciding set.

Harris heads into the semi’s against another tough opponent, but he’s showed us that he can compete with some of the best. And as a result, Harris is projected to break into the Top 70 in the ranks come Monday.

Shapovalov Can’t Lose

The 21-year old Canadian is having a steller week in Dubai. Shapovalov has yet to give up a set, and has only lost 20 games. The lefty is coming off a straight set win against Jeremy Chardy, winning 7-5, 6-4, extending his head-to-head record against the Frenchman to 3-0.

Once again, Shapovalov’s serve was on display, and he has yet to lose a game on serve this tournament. In his quarterfinal match, he never faced a breakpoint, where his opponent, Chardy, was 0-2  when facing a breakpoint. The Canadian won 26 of 28 points, 93 percent, when he got his first serve in and followed it up with 18 of 22, 82 percent, on his second serve.

Over the course of three matches, Shapovalov has spent just under four hours on the court, showcasing his efficiency and power over the opponents he has faced.

He’s looking for his first title of 2021, but he’ll have to get through Harris. And Harris will most likely be his toughest opponent of the tournament to date.

Head-to-Head

This will be the first meeting between these two young players. The Canadian has a bit more experience under his belt with 107 career wins to Harris’ 35 career wins. This match up could be something we see more of in years to come.

Harris vs Shapovalov Head-to-Head Stats

Harris
VS
Shapovalov
81 ATP Standing 12
24 Age 21
35/37 Career W/L 107/91
0 Career Titles 1

Best Bet

Both Shapovalov and Harris have been playing exceptional tennis this week, and I do think this is going to be an exciting match. In a week full of upsets, which Harris has contributed to, we’ve seen that anything can happen. Harris is definitely riding a high from his win against Thiem, and the confidence has been on display since.

But not much has shown to be successful against Shapovalov’s serve this tournament. The 21-year old’s biggest improvement in his game has been his serve, and it’s paying off. If Harris is able to somehow be near perfect on his return, it could make the match very interesting.

The Pick: Shapovalov (-264); 2-0 (+108)

Author Image