Paris final preview and prediction: Djokovic vs. Shapovalov

Novak Djokovic will be bidding for his 34th career Masters 1000 title when he takes the court in Paris on Sunday. Denis Shapovalov will be contesting his first such final.

On paper, it is by no means a level playing field. But could it be competitive?

Following an underwhelming start to the season during which he was surpassed in the rankings by fellow up-and-coming Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime, Shapovalov has soared to the finish line in style–perhaps in part thanks to new coach Mikhail Youzhny. The 20-year-old’s surge includes semifinal showings in Winston-Salem and Chengdu plus his first-ever title on the indoor hard courts of Stockholm. Now he finds himself in the BNP Paribas Masters final with wins over Gilles Simon, Fabio Fognini, Alexander Zverev, and Gael Monfils in addition to a walkover from Rafael Nadal.

“It’s awesome to be in my first [Masters 1000] final,” said Shapovalov, who will be in the top 15 on Monday. “I’m just going to go for it, see what I can do and just enjoy my time out there.”

It hasn’t been an enjoyable week for Djokovic’s opponents. The the top-ranked Serb has not dropped a single set in defeats of Corentin Moutet, Kyle Edmund, Stefanos Tsitsipas, and Grigor Dimitrov. Djokovic is 11-1 since the U.S. Open with a title in Tokyo.

”It’s a motivation [to win my fifth Paris title] every day,” he assured. “I feel good in such conditions, especially in France…. You have the culture of tenni. You have a lot of support from the crowd. You could see the French players had a lot of support. I’m motivated. I want to do well tomorrow. I hope to find my best tennis.”

Djokovic is 3-0 lifetime against Shapovalov and all three wins have come this season. The 16-time Grand Slam champion prevailed 6-3, 6-4, 4-6, 6-0 at the Australian Open, 6-1, 6-3 at the Rome Masters, and 6-3, 6-3 last month in Shanghai.

“[Shapovalov] has a big swing,” Djokovic commented. “He can play really with a lot of spin and also a lot of speed and power from the back of the court. I took away that time from him (in Rome).”

Although Shapovalov looks poised to take the next step into the upper echelons of the sport sooner rather than later, for now the stage may be a bit too big. A first Masters 1000 title match against the No. 1 player in the world is about as tough as it gets. Djokovic, who looks rejuvenated since his U.S. Open shoulder injury, is without question hungry to stay mathematically alive in the chase for the year-end No. 1 ranking.

Pick: Djokovic in 2

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