@Sportshorn
Nick Kyrgios, Juan Martin Del Potro, Rafael Nadal and now Jo-Wilfred Tsonga. That’s the list of players who have all fallen at the hands of teenager Denis Shapovalov. Tsonga, the No. 8 seed was dominated for the most part by the 18-year old falling 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 in the second round at the US Open on Wednesday night.
The victory was impressive on a number of fronts for Shapovalov. He was playing in the largest stadium in the world (Arthur Ashe) for the first time, he was played in the second round of a main draw Grand Slam for the first time and he was playing someone who had won 75 percent of matches in his career when facing left handed players.
Shapovalov looked calm cool and collected from the first point onwards. He started the match by breaking Tsonga at Love in the opening game. He went on to win eight of the first ten points. That was the only break of the set as Shapovalov peppered his opponent with some solid baseline play as well as some nice touch at the net. He won nine of the 11 points he played at the net in the first set.
In the second set Tsonga had his first break chance in the fourth game but Shapovalov hit a big forehand winner to get out of it. A big serve two points later evened things at 2-2. In the seventh game Tsonga’s serve gave him some trouble. He double faulted on break point giving Shapovalov a 4-3 lead. He then went on to hold serve twice, the final game at Love to take a commanding two set lead.
Tsonga, who had won just one hard court match since Wimbledon, began to show his frustration in the third set. After a pair of missed service returns he yelled out in anger. The Frenchman unable to come up with any answers for the future tennis star.
Shapovalov appeared to be on his way to victory after he broke Tsonga at Love to go up 5-4 but Tsonga was able to create break points of his own in the following game and broke Shapovalov for the first time.
They needed a tiebreak to decide the third set and it belonged to the Canadian right from the start. Tsonga double faulted on the first point and Shapovalov built up a comfortable 5-2 lead. After a backhand error sailed long Shapovalov was victorious.
The numbers that stood out the most for Shapovalov was his play at the net. After struggling with his volleys at the Rogers Cup in Montreal, he won an impressive 23 of 32 points at the net on Wednesday night. He also had just 19 unforced errors something which had plagued him of late. He had 28 winners as well.
“I played unbelievable today, very high level,” said Shapovalov. “Yeah, I don’t know why, but I just managed to stay loose and go for my shots the whole match, except a little bit at 5-3 or 5-4, serving for the third set. I stayed loose from the beginning. I mean, I broke him first game. I mean, obviously it’s intimidating, it’s so big, there’s so much going on… I was going in with nothing to lose.”
Shapovalov needed to win three rounds in qualifying just to get into the main draw. He has won 12 of the last 13 sets he’s played and he’s certainly enjoying his first main draw US Open experience.
“I was having fun on the court. There were a couple times during the match I was just smiling, having a good time. I was enjoying the atmosphere. It’s a dream come true for me to play a night match on Arthur Ashe. I mean, I grew up wanting to do this.”
Shapovalov will now face Kyle Edmund who won his second round match in straight sets. Despite the youngster’s limited top level tennis experience, Shapovalov has played Edmund twice in 2017. He beat the World No 42 on his home soil on the grass at Queen’s Club this summer. They also played in Davis Cup in Ottawa in February. That was the match in which Shapovalov accidentally hit a ball in the direction of chair umpire Arnaud Gabas striking him in the eye.
He’s an unbelievable player. He goes for his shots,” Shapovalov said of Edmund. “He’s not afraid to take it to the guy. There’s no easy matches here…For a guy like me, every match is tough and I’m going to have to battle it out.”
Note:
Shapovalov has seen his world ranking jump from 256th in February to his current No 69 just six months later.His win on Wednesday night puts him currently insider the Top 60 for now.
