In a stunning display of tennis prowess, Australia’s Alex de Minaur triumphed over Canada’s Denis Shapovalov with a commanding score of 6-4, 6-1 during the second round of the HSBC Championships on Wednesday.
As the top seed at the prestigious ATP 500 grass-court tournament held at West London’s Queen’s Club, de Minaur extended his unbeaten record against Shapovalov to an impressive 6-0 on the ATP Tour.
Shapovalov’s last victory against de Minaur dates back nine years, just a short distance away, when he claimed a win in the qualifying round of the Challenger-level Surbiton Trophy.
During the match at Andy Murray Arena, Shapovalov outperformed de Minaur with 7 aces and delivered 16 impressive winners to his opponent’s nine. However, the tally was marred by nine double-faults, leading to five breakages on 11 opportunities.
Ranked No. 6 globally, de Minaur skillfully saved three out of four break points and kept his unforced errors to 11, while Shapovalov struggled with a total of 29.
Struggling this season, Shapovalov has faced difficulties, losing six of his last seven singles matches, resulting in a 9-13 record for the year.
Looking ahead, de Minaur, having previously defeated Montreal’s Gabriel Diallo in the first round, will next challenge Brandon Nakashima from the United States.
