Denis Shapovalov has made a triumphant return to form!
After a surprising defeat to rising star Diego Dedura-Palomero while grappling with a virus last week in Germany, Shapovalov roared back on Saturday with a commanding 6-1, 6-4 victory over Japan’s Kei Nishikori in the second round of the esteemed Madrid Open.
Seeded 29th, Shapovalov received a first-round bye and now faces a daunting challenge as he prepares to take on Australia’s No. 10 seed, Alex de Minaur, on the clay surface.
Historically, de Minaur has a 4-0 advantage over Shapovalov in their previous encounters.
In other news, fellow Canadian Gabriel Diallo also made it to the third round in Madrid, securing a 7-5, 4-6, 6-4 victory against Poland’s Kamil Majchrzak.
Diallo, who entered the main draw as a lucky loser after a qualifying round setback, will face the seasoned British player Cameron Norrie next.
This matchup will mark the first-ever encounter between the two competitors.
On the women’s side, Ottawa’s Gabriela Dabrowski and her partner Erin Routliffe from New Zealand faced an unexpected exit in the doubles tournament.
As the top seeds, Dabrowski and Routliffe succumbed to Romania’s Sorana Cirstea and Russia’s Anna Kalinskaya, losing 6-3, 4-6, 10-7.
It’s worth noting that Routliffe holds Canadian citizenship but competes for New Zealand, her country of birth.
— Reporting by the Canadian Press
