Canada’s Denis Shapovalov held up well against Japan’s Taro Daniel, whom he defeated in straight sets 6-3 7-6(3) 7-5 in a second-round match at the Australian Open in Melbourne on Wednesday.
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The winner won in 2 hours 45 minutes in front of a handful of spectators for this duel that took place at the end of the evening local time.
“Shapo” grabbed a serious option for the game, coming up a 40-15 deficit in the penultimate game to break and give himself a chance to serve for the win, an opportunity he didn’t miss. . He also won all points of the ultimate game.
Ranked 22nd on the ATP, the Ontarian led 9-2 at Assen but made 55 unforced errors compared to 34 for Daniel, 94th hitter at the pro circuit. Shapovalov had six breaks from nine chances while conceding serve three times. The Maple Leaf representative also had 53 winners, compared to eight for the Nippon.
“It was colder than usual tonight but you know the Canadians are good in circumstances like this. The third round, let’s go!” Shapovalov wrote on his Instagram account after his day’s victory.
too many beers
Known for his sometimes short-tempered character, “Shapo” experienced much frustration from a spectator’s behavior during the first inning. He complained to the referee about the situation.
“You don’t have to do this. They had a beer or two too many and now they’re freaking out,” Shapovalov told the officer.
An amateur then stood up to shout a few words at the 23-year-old athlete’s seat. He ordered him to be quiet. Then the referee had a little chat with the Canadian, who told him: “I understand, but it’s overkill.”
In the third round, Shapovalov meets Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz, the 10th seed of the competition. The latter played a marathon match against Italian Lorenzo Sonego. Their duel ended in five sets 3-6, 7-6(3), 2-6, 6-3 and 6-3.
In his career, “Shapo” lost three out of four games against his eventual rival. If he manages to turn the tide and triumph in their third-round clash, a date with seventh seed, Russia’s Daniil Medvedev, could materialize.