The Canadian booked his spot in the quarterfinals after beating his Polish opponent.
Denis Shapovalov is into the final eight at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships after beating the number 13 seed Hubert Hurkacz in straight sets 6-4,6-3. He fired 26 winners while the Pole didn’t seem to have much going.
“Just focused on business on the court, playing some really good tennis and I’m happy to get my first win against him and with the way I played I was really feeling it in the important points”
Both players didn’t have issues holding their opening service games but that’s where the regularity ended as the Canadian was the first to earn breakpoints at 1-1 and would claim the first break of the match to take a 2-1 lead.
At 4-2 the number three seed had a chance to go up a double break but the Pole was up to the task of saving it and the very next game he responded with a break opportunity of his very own but the Canadian would come up with a stunning forehand winner.
The world number 12 would serve out the first set to take it 6-4 sealing it with his trademark backhand.
The first three games of the second set were a carbon copy to the first with both players holding their opening service games before the Canadian went once again on the offensive breaking the Pole with his forehand to take another early 2-1 lead.
At 3-1 once again the number three seed had a chance to go up a double break but the world number 35 would save all three breakpoints he faced playing some survival tennis trying to hang in the match.
The Canadian would serve it out to book his spot and will now play the winner of the match between Jeremy Chardy and Karen Khachanov.
After the match in an on court interview he was happy with the win and the way he played today.
“Played some great tennis today but like I said I’ve struggled with Hubert (Hurkacz) in the past, he’s such a great player, he’s got a lot of weapons and it’s not easy to play against him but I think I’ve been playing really well, taking my chances and I was serving really well today”.