Canadian tennis sensation Denis Shapovalov battled through a shaky start to triumph over American Nishesh Basavareddy with a score of 7-5, 6-2 during the opening round of the ATP 500 Mexican Open men’s singles competition on Tuesday night in the vibrant city of Acapulco.
The ninth-seeded dynamo from Richmond Hill, Ontario, faced a challenging two-hour delay before finally finding his rhythm against the 19-year-old qualifier hailing from Newport Beach, California. This match marked Shapovalov’s first appearance since clinching the title at the Dallas Open earlier this month.
In a one hour and 34-minute duel, Shapovalov recorded six aces, though he also grappled with nine double faults and 21 unforced errors. In contrast, Basavareddy managed one ace, two double faults, and 16 unforced errors.
Shapovalov excelled with a first serve success rate of 77% and a second serve success rate of 55%. He unleashed a powerful 35 winners compared to Basavareddy’s 14. The Canadian star saved three out of five break points, while his opponent successfully retrieved seven out of 12.
Next up, Shapovalov is set to take on the victor of the clash between American Alex Michelsen and China’s Bu Yunchaokete in the round of 16.
