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Denis Shapovalov advances to quarter-finals at Paris Masters with upset win over Zverev
Canada’s Denis Shapovalov recorded his second upset victory in as many days at the Paris Masters by beating No. 6 seed Alexander Zverev of Germany on Thursday.Denis Shapovalov of Canada returns the ball to Germany’s Alexander Zverev during their men’s singles tennis match on day four of the Paris Masters on Thursday. (Christophe Archambault/Getty Images)Canada’s…
Canada's Denis Shapovalov recorded his second upset victory in as many days at the Paris Masters by beating No. 6 seed Alexander Zverev of Germany on Thursday.
Canada's Denis Shapovalov has recorded his second upset victory in as many days at the Paris Masters.
The 20-year-old from Richmond Hill, Ont., beat No. 6 seed Alexander Zverev of Germany 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 in the round of 16 on Thursday.
The latest win came just over 24 hours after Shapovalov, ranked 28th in the world, knocked off No. 11 seed Fabio Fognini of Italy.
The victory over Zverev was Shapovalov's first in four career matches against the German. It raised the Canadian's record against top-10 opponents to 3-13.
WATCH | Shapovalov with another upset win:
Denis Shapovalov of Richmond Hill, Ont., beat No. 6 seed Alexander Zverev of Germany 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 to advance to the Paris Masters quarter-finals. 0:51
Shapovalov saved 11 of 13 break points and won 83 per cent of his points when he got his first serve in, well better than Zverev's 64 per-cent success rate.
Shapovalov will face the winner of a match between Radu Albot of Moldova and No. 13 seed Gael Monfils of France in the quarter-finals on Friday.
Shapovalov won his first career ATP Tour event in early October in Stockholm.
Djokovic also advances
Meanwhile, four-time champion Novak Djokovic looked closer to his best level, reaching the quarterfinals with a 7-6 (7), 6-1 win against Kyle Edmund on Thursday.
After needing seven set points to clinch the first set, the top-ranked Serb reeled off six straight games in the second, finishing it off by breaking his British opponent to love with a two-handed backhand winner into the left corner.
He turned quickly to give his box a look of steely determination and former Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic — who joined his coaching team at this year's Wimbledon — stood to applaud him.
“It was because my coach told me I don't have a great return. So finishing off with a return winner, I kind of gave him a look. No I'm joking,” said Djokovic, who is widely considered among the game's greatest ever returners.
The 16-time Grand Slam champion served well, too, winning 89 per cent of first serve points won and conceding no break points.
Finishing in style
He peaked with three crisp winners in the last game, including another two-handed backhand and a pinpoint forehand.
“It is great to finish the match in style and to feel the way I felt in the second set,” Djokovic said. “I have not played my best yesterday, so of course I was hoping I can do as well as I did in second set. The look was about that.”
His voice still croaky, Djokovic addressed the Bercy Arena crowd in his fast-improving French after the game. He told them in measured tones that he still felt a bit unwell, having laboured at times against the unseeded Corentin Moutet in the second round.
He next faces seventh-seeded Greek player Stefanos Tsitsipas, who had 11 aces in a 6-3, 6-4 win against Alex de Minaur and holds a 2-1 record against Djokovic — including earlier this month in the quarterfinals of the Shanghai Masters.
Also, Grigor Dimitrov advanced by beating Dominic Thiem 6-3, 6-2, breaking the fifth-seeded Austrian's serve four times. The Bulgarian did not face a break point and next plays Cristian Garin, an unseeded Chilean who saved three match points in a 6-7 (4), 6-4, 7-6 (6) win against Jeremy Chardy.
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