Denis Shapovalov, of Canada, hits a return to Stefanos Tsitsipas, of Greece, during the Miami Open tennis tournament Saturday, March 23, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Fla. Shapovalov advanced to the second round of the Madrid Open tennis tournament with a 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 win over Argentina's Facundo Diaz Acosta on Wednesday. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Lynne Sladky
MADRID – Canada’s Denis Shapovalov advanced to the second round of the Madrid Open tennis tournament with a 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 win over Argentina’s Facundo Diaz Acosta on Wednesday.
Shapovalov, from Richmond Hill, Ont., overcame struggles with accuracy on his serve to win the match at the Masters event in just under one hour 55 minutes.
The Canadian landed just 56 per cent of his first serves and hit into six double faults, but he also had seven aces and saved five of the seven break points he faced.
Shapovalov broke Diaz Acosta three times on six chances, including a key break to go up 4-2 in the third set.
Shapovalov, a former top-10 player now ranked 132nd on the ATP Tour, has struggled this season and Wednesday’s win moved his record to 5-10, though four of his wins have come at Masters tournaments.
The Canadian will face another Argentine, world No. 27 Tomas MartÃn Etcheverry, in the second round.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 24, 2024.
