The Canadian needed to go the distance with his German opponent to reach the second round at Wimbledon.
Denis Shapovalov is officially through to the second round of Wimbledon after beating the German Philipp Kohlschreiber in five sets 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 hitting 57 winners and serving 14 aces in the win.
In a match that was canceled on Monday due to rain, the beginning of the first set was pretty and routine.
It stayed on serve until 5-4 when the Canadian earned a set point with a thunderous forehand winner and at the second time of asking the world number 12 got the first break of the match to take the first set.
In the second set it was the world number 115 who had the better start and at 1-1 earned his first two breakpoints of the match and broke to take an early 2-1 lead and that one break was enough for him to serve out the second set and level the match at one set apiece.
The third set was a battle and after holding in the opening game of the set it was the Toronto native with another chance to get an early break but was denied by the Augsburg, Germany native and he held serve.
At 3-2 the Canadian had two more chances to break and this time he converted with another sensational forehand winner and had to dig deep the following game and saved two breakpoints from the German before holding serve.
At 5-3 with the world number 12 serving for the third set he faced some adversity once again saving three breakpoints and served out the third set to take a 2-1 set lead.
The 22 year old kept the momentum going into the fourth set and had two chances to break but the 37 year old saved both and the following starting applying pressure on the world number 12 earning three more looks to break but the Canadian saved all three and held a crucial game.
The Canadian had another chance to break at 2-2 but the German hung in and saved it before holding serve once again and at 4-3 earned three more breakpoints and broke the 22 year old when he would serve an untimely double fault.
When serving for the fourth set to force a fifth and deciding set Shapovalov responded by breaking right back and the next three games went with serve and at 6-5 play was suspended due to rain.
A couple hours later the players returned and it was the German who managed to use to the rain delay to his advantage and broke the Canadian to love to seal the fourth set and send it to a deciding fifth set.
It stayed on serve until 3-3 when the world number 12 earned two more breakpoints and converted to take a 4-3 lead and that was the crucial break the Canadian needed to serve out the match.
Shapovalov will now either face Pierre Hugues Herbert or Pablo Andujar in his second round match.
