MIAMI — Denis Shapovalov’s journey at the Miami Open came to an unexpected halt as he faced a tough defeat against the third-seeded American, Taylor Fritz, with a scoreline of 7-5, 6-3 on Monday.
Fritz kicked off the second set with a crucial break, establishing an early 2-0 lead, which he maintained throughout the match. Displaying his powerful serve, he landed his ninth ace to start the concluding game and confidently sealed his victory in just 86 minutes.
Meanwhile, Shapovalov struggled with six double faults, two of which were pivotal in the first set’s deciding game, allowing Fritz to capitalize without losing a point.
Despite an early setback, Shapovalov made a valiant effort, fighting back to even the first set at 5-5, only to lose that crucial edge shortly afterward.
This isn’t the first time Fritz has outplayed Shapovalov; he also bested him in the third round of the ATP Masters tournament earlier this year.
Ranked 27th in Miami, Shapovalov enjoyed a first-round bye and emerged victorious against Argentina’s Thiago Tirante in a hard-fought three-set match in the second round.
Despite the setback, the 28-year-old from Richmond Hill, Ontario, maintains a narrow lead of 6-5 in their career head-to-head matchups. Just last month, Shapovalov triumphed over Fritz in the second round of the Dallas Open, ultimately claiming the ATP 500 title.
