A year ago, O'Connell was ranked 77th and Shevchenko 102nd; twelve months later, their positions have reversed, with Shevchenko 89th and O'Connell 133rd.
O'Connell's title at the Lexus Nottingham Open in June was framed by five wins in six matches on grass: three for the title, then two at Wimbledon - The Championships.
Shevchenko has already played three editions of the Cincinnati Open without winning in the main draw; in 2025, he was eliminated in the second round of qualifying.
Alexandr Shevchenko, the No. 5 seed, and Christopher O'Connell are competing for a spot in the final round of qualifying at the Cincinnati Open. Shevchenko arrives with 11 wins and 13 losses in main draws this season, while O'Connell has a 2-7 record; however, both won their opening match here.
The only meeting between them was at the Adelaide International 2024, on hard courts: O'Connell won 6-3 6-1. The Kazakh has a 35-41 record on this surface, compared to 46-67 for the Australian. The contrast between Shevchenko's two-handed backhand and O'Connell's one-handed backhand, as well as their 58% first serves in their respective victories, will provide a concrete indicator of their serving effectiveness.
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Last meeting
Their last meeting was on January 10, 2024, at the Adelaide International, on hard court. Christopher O'Connell defeated Alexandr Shevchenko in two sets, 6-3 6-1. The match lasted 61 minutes. O'Connell leads 1-0 in their head-to-head, while Shevchenko will try to get his revenge in this new encounter.
Top 5 Monday 21 
