Shapovalov stuns Tsonga in US Open third round
31 Aug 2017 6:04 PM GMT
New York: Canadian tennis superstar Denis Shapovalov put on a show under the lights in the US Open second round, showing loads of power, athleticism and all-court skill in a 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 (7-3) victory over eighth-seeded Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
In a late Wednesday match in Arthur Ashe Stadium that concluded just before midnight, the 18-year-old Canadian used his explosive quickness to pounce on short balls, attacked Tsonga's second serve at times and boasted more overall firepower than his 32-year-old opponent, reports Efe. Just as he did in a win over Spanish great Rafael Nadal earlier in the North American summer hard-court season, Shapovalov also showcased his uncanny ability to get out of 0-30 and 15-30 jams on his service games, whether by coming up with a timely service winners or blasting unreturnable down-the-line forehands and blistering one-handed backhand passing shots. He suffered just one real hiccup during the two-hour, 12 minute contest when he failed to serve out the match at 5-4 in the third set. He quickly regrouped and clinched the victory with a comfortable win in the third-set tiebreaker. Afterward, the fast-rising, 69th-ranked Shapovalov was humble about his latest victory over a top player.
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