Yuta Shimizu vs Liam Draxl Prediction, Picks, Odds, H2H, June 6th

Our second preview of the day from the ATP Challenger circuit features our Shimizu vs Draxl prediction from the Tyler Tennis Championships.

Draxl’s win probability comes in at just over 47%, while Shimizu is favored to win at 1.74 odds. The handicap is 1.5 games and the total games line is 22.

Shimizu vs Draxl Prediction: In Form Shimizu More Dynamic Than Canadian Opponent

• Prediction: Shimizu to win
• Best Odds: 1.74
• Bookmaker: Pinnacle
• Stakes: 4/10

Odds as at 2:30 am UK Time on June 6th, 2024. Odds may now differ.

Without a potential injury concern for Shimizu (which I haven’t seen anything about and there was no indication he was struggling in his opening match), I can’t figure out why the market has been backing Draxl in the last few hours.

For starters, Shimizu is coming off a final appearance in Little Rock last week, losing only to Mitchell Krueger, who has been pushing back up toward the top of the American Challenger Tour tournaments this season and will rejoin the top 200 on Monday.

I’d understand a fatigue fade if  Shimizu was someone who wasn’t physically reliable or had very little time to travel and play again this week. That’s not the case though. Shimizu is a player who thrives in longer rallies and he had two full days off to get from Arkansas to Texas. He then further reassured us that he’s fine by ripping through his opening round match with Aidan Mayo.

Now he takes on a fairly underpowered opponent who doesn’t play with as much spin on his forehand as he does and plays a more defensive style, not constructing points with the intent to finish them.

He’s essentially a less in-form and less dynamic version of the Japanese pro. I’ll side with Shimizu to keep his hot streak alive. Our Shimizu vs Draxl prediction is for Shimizu to win.

Read on for more expert insights.

Yuta Shimizu Recent Form

As I mentioned above, this jaunt over to the United States has gone well for the world No. 265. He’s now 5-1 in the last few weeks, with the loss coming against the best player he’s had to go up against and four of his wins coming in straight sets (the other came via retirement, with him up 6-1).

The style is reminiscent in a way of his countryman and fellow lefty Yoshihito Nishioka and I trust him to generate some nice angles with his forehand into that Draxl backhand. That should do two things. First, create short balls to attack, and second, it should also elicit errors and open space for him to hit through when the ball does come back in play.

Liam Draxl Recent Form

The former NCAA player at the University of Kentucky is in his first year of being a full-time pro, and after some decent results on the clay to start this year, Draxl has started to struggle a bit more of late.

He snapped a six-match losing skid in the first round, beating Nick Chappell (a player barely able to stick around on the Challenger Tour level). Draxl can grind with the best of them, rarely committing unforced errors and playing with a very physical style that often outlasts opponents.

That probably won’t be as effective in a match with another very sturdy player. Without much offense to bring to the table, it becomes tough mapping out his path to victory.

Yuta Shimizu vs Liam Draxl H2H – Stat of the Match

This marks the first time these two have played. They’re actually separated by just two spots in the rankings at the moment (though that should change on Monday when the new rankings are released).

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