Denis Shapovalov vs Marin Cilic Australian Open Prediction 1/22/2026 Today’s Tennis Picks

Denis Shapovalov and Marin Cilic lock horns in the second round of the 2026 Australian Open on Thursday, January 22. Here’s our Denis Shapovalov vs Marin Cilic prediction. This preview will also include a Denis Shapovalov vs Marin Cilic pick.

Denis Shapovalov vs Marin Cilic Preview

Denis Shapovalov powered past Bu Yunchaokete in straight sets to reach the second round of the Australian Open. Shapovalov was winless in both warm-up tournaments before coming to Melbourne, but produced a performance akin to his best against the Chinese wild card.

Shapovalov won the first set 6-3 in 48 minutes, garnering the only break point in the sixth game. The second stayed on serve throughout, but Shapovalov did not lose a point in the tiebreak, which he won 7-3. In the third set, Bu’s hopes of any comeback were extinguished as Shapovalov broke his serve twice to wrap up a 6-3, 7-6, 6-1 victory in two hours and 17 minutes. Shapovalov hit 19 aces in the win and won 87% of first serve points (46/53). He was never broken in the whole match.

Marin Cilic delivered one of his best performances in a Grand Slam with the straight-sets demolition of Germany’s Daniel Altmaier. Cilic won the first two sets 6-0, 6-0 in under an hour. By the time Altmaier tried to get back into the match, it was far from a contest. Cilic won the third set in a tiebreak.

Cilic hit 20 aces and 3 double faults in the victory. He landed 56% of first serves in play andw on 88% of first serve points (35/40). Cilic won 65% of second serve points (20/31) and saved one break point.

Denis Shapovalov vs Marin Cilic Head-To-Head

Shapovalov and Cilic have met five times. Shapovalov holds a 3-2 advantage over the Croatian veteran. This will be their first meeting at Grand Slam level.

Denis Shapovalov vs Marin Cilic Prediction

It will be interesting to see how their first meeting on a Grand Slam unfolds. At 37, and over a decade older than Shapovalov, the age gap could be significant in a best-of-five. Cilic will hope he can produce the same sort of quickfire start from the previous round when he won two sets in under an hour. But when Shapovalov commits to the margin, he doesn’t force the lines and his natural pace can still hurt Cilic. He can control the flow of this match and that’s when he’s at his most dangerous. This matchup is all about legs and timing and I think that favors the Canadian.

Nur Said's Pick: Denis Shapovalov in four sets