Shapovalov downs Etcheverry, advances to third round at Madrid

MADRID — Canada's Denis Shapovalov advanced to the third round of the Madrid Open tennis tournament with a 7-6, 6-3 win over Argentina's Tomas Etcheverry on Friday.

Shapovalov had to overcome issues with his serve to defeat the 26th-seeded Argentine in two hours three minutes.

The 25-year-old from Richmond Hill, Ont., hit into 12 double faults and only landed 58 per cent of his first serves. 

But he had eight aces, compared to one for Etcheverry, and converted three break points to Etcheverry's two.

Shapovalov will next face fourth seed Alexander Zverev of Germany, who moved on with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Borna Coric of Croatia.

It's the first time Shapovalov has made it past the second round at the Masters-level clay-court event since his tournament debut in 2018, when he lost to Zverev in the semifinals.

It will be the ninth career meeting between Shapovalov and Zverev, who holds a 5-3 edge in the series.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 26, 2024.

The Canadian Press