Zverev Anticipates Shapovalov SF Clash Montreal 2017
Zverev Anticipates Shapovalov SF Clash Montreal 2017
Aug122017
The #NextGenATP leader v. the #NextGenATP rookie? Saturday’s Coupe Rogers semi-final in Montreal between 20 year old Alexander Zverev and 18 year old Denis Shapovalov will be a historic meeting between #NextGenATP players.
Zverev set the semi-final date late on Friday evening, beating Kevin Anderson of South Africa 7-5, 6-4 to reach his second Masters 1000 semi-final. The #NextGenATP German recorded his 44th match win of the season and has now strung together eight consecutive victories, including two over Anderson. Zverev beat Anderson on Sunday to win the Citi Open title in Washington, D.C.
“I’m trying not to think about it too much. I’m trying to play every match the same way,” Zverev said of his recent run.
Shapovalov continued his dream tournament in Canada with a 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 win against Frenchman Adrian Mannarino. The #NextGenATP Canadian became the youngest ATP World Tour Masters 1000 semi-finalist. He and Zverev have never played.
“He’s doing an amazing job of getting to the semis here. He’s so young. He’s playing amazing tennis,” Zverev said. “I’m going to try play the best tennis that I can, to make it difficult for him. It’s going to be, hopefully, a great match.”
With Shapovalov rightfully hogging the spotlight in Montreal, Zverev is quietly enjoying another deep run at a big tournament. The 6’6″ German saved three match points against Frenchman Richard Gasquet to win his opener, and he advanced in straight sets against Nick Kyrgios to gain his first victory against the Aussie in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series.
Against Anderson, Zverev improved to 4-0 in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series. He hit nine aces and overcame seven double faults in the 92-minute victory. Anderson did well to break Zverev and get back on serve in the first set, but the German broke Anderson once more to take the opener.
Zverev would gain another break in the second set to advance to another semi-final. He also reached a Masters 1000 semi-final in Rome en route to celebrating his maiden Masters 1000 title (d. Djokovic).
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The dream lives. #NextGenATP Denis Shapovalov continued the run of his life on Friday night, overcoming a slow and nervy start to advance to the semi-finals of the Coupe Rogers in Montreal.
The 18-year-old Canadian beat Frenchman Adrian Mannarino 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 on Court Central, where Shapovalov has earned legions of supporters this week at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament.
He first knocked off Juan Martin del Potro, then World No. 2 Rafael Nadal in the third round, and Mannarino was the latest established ATP veteran to go down against the spirited left-hander, who’s fiery play has created an electric atmosphere on the main court.
Shapovalov, at No. 143 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, was already projected to break the Top 100 of the Emirates ATP Rankings at No. 100. But he’s now expected to jump to No. 67.
His semi-final run will also help him surge to third place in the Emirates ATP Race to Milan, which will determine seven of the eight 21-and-under players who compete at the Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan. The eighth player will be determined by wild card.
Shapovalov continues to make Masters 1000 history as well. He became the youngest player to reach a Masters 1000 quarter-final (since 1990), and he’ll try to do the unthinkable before this week and advance to the Coupe Rogers final. He’ll face either South African Kevin Anderson or #NextGenATP German Alexander Zverev in the semi-finals.
Zverev owns a 3-0 record against Anderson in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series, including a straight-set win in the Citi Open final last week.
Perhaps it was the late finish from his riveting upset against Nadal or nerves from his first Masters 1000 quarter-final, but either way, Shapovalov started slowly against Mannarino, who was also looking to make his first Masters 1000 semi-final.
The Canadian struggled to stay in rallies against the Frenchman, and Mannarino took advantage, breaking the Canadian twice and cruising to a one-set lead. Shapovalov won just 55 per cent of his first-serve points in the first set.
Oh. My. Word!
What a backhand pass! ?#CoupeRogers pic.twitter.com/7YELpdHJNK
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) August 12, 2017
He settled in during the second set, though. After a brief rain delay, the Canadian broke immediately for 4-2, helped by a Mannarino double fault. He sealed the set on serve and encouraged the crowd, as he’s done all this week, lifting his arms to elicit their praise.
In the third set, Mannarino recovered from an early break, but the Canadian showed fearlessness in the big moments. He broke Mannarino for a 5-4 advantage when the Frenchman netted a forehand. The 18 year old clinched the quarter-final with a body serve that Mannarino struck wide.
Roger Federer remains on course to lift his 27th ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title and put pressure on Rafael Nadal in the two-man battle to replace Andy Murray at No. 1 in the Emirates ATP Rankings.
Bidding to capture his first trophy in Montreal – and his third overall in Canada – Federer produced a spellbinding blend of power and finesse to outclass No. 12 seed Roberto Bautista Agut 6-4, 6-4 in 68 minutes on Friday afternoon at the Coupe Rogers. It was his seventh straight win over the Spaniard and Federer is now 34-2 on the season, which includes an ATP World Tour-high five titles.
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There is no denying ‘The Great One’ Wayne Gretzky’s control of the puck on a hockey rink in his heyday. Not so great it would seem when it comes to controlling his phone.
The retired four-time Stanley Cup champion was taking in Thursday night’s Coupe Rogers match between Canadian Denis Shapovalov and Rafael Nadal when he managed to drop his phone under the stands in the front row of Court Central. Fortunately, a trio of ball boys came to the rescue and after a considerable search the wayward phone was located.
Sixth seed Caroline Wozniacki beat Karolina Pliskova 7-5 6-7 (3-7) 6-4 in a rain-hit match at the Rogers Cup for her first win over a world number one.
Wozniacki was 5-1 down in the first set and 4-2 down in the third but recovered to beat the Czech after three hours.
The Dane, 27, will play either American Sloane Stephens or Czech Lucie Safarova in the semi-finals in Toronto.
Simona Halep faces Caroline Garcia and Garbine Muguruza plays Elina Svitolina in the remaining quarter-final matches.
“Almost every tournament I’ve played this year there has been a rain delay, so at this point I just have to laugh because I feel like it is following me,” said Wozniacki.
“Every time this year when it has been raining I’ve had a great tournament, so I thought this must be luck.”
Roger Federer extended his winning streak to 15 matches as he beat Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut to reach the Rogers Cup semi-finals in Montreal.
The 36-year-old Swiss won 6-4 6-4 in 68 minutes to set up a meeting with unseeded Dutchman Robin Haase.
Federer is aiming for the third Rogers Cup win of his career and sixth title of a remarkable 2017 season.
Denis Shapovalov plays Adrian Mannarino and Alexander Zverev faces Kevin Anderson in the other quarter-finals.
Federer secured the decisive first break at 4-4 in the opening set, then got the better of three consecutive breaks early in the second.
The 19-time Grand Slam champion has now won all 16 sets in his seven matches against Bautista Agut.
Haase, ranked 52nd in the world, fought back to beat Argentina’s Diego Schwartzman 4-6 6-3 6-3.
Raven Klaasen and Rajeev Ram advanced to their second ATP World Tour Masters 1000 semi-final of the season on Friday, beating Frenchmen Fabrice Martin and Edouard Roger-Vasselin 5-7, 7-5, 10-8 at the Coupe Rogers in Montreal.
The South African and American pairing hit 10 aces and claimed 87 per cent of their first-serve points to move into the last four. They also reached the semi-finals of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, where they won their first Masters 1000 title (d. Kubot/Melo).
The sixth seeds will next face Indian Rohan Bopanna and Croatian Ivan Dodig, who beat another French team in Gael Monfils and Benoit Paire 6-2, 7-5. Bopanna/Dodig saved three of four break points to advance in 74 minutes.
Fifth seeds Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut escaped two tight sets against fourth seeds Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan 7-6(5), 7-6(11) to reach their third Masters 1000 semi-final of the season. The Frenchmen fell in the semi-finals at the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters (l. to Lopez/Lopez) and won the Internazionali BNL d’Italia title in Rome (d. Dodig/Granollers).
They will face top seeds Henri Kontinen and John Peers or Oliver Marach and Mate Pavic in the last four.
