Shapovalov, Carreno Busta Set Round Of 16 Clash

The Cinderella run for #NextGenATP star Denis Shapovalov continues. Competing in just his sixth tour-level main draw, the Canadian teen advanced to the Round of 16 at the US Open on Friday.

Shapovalov is the youngest player to reach the US Open fourth round since Michael Chang in 1989 and youngest in a Grand Slam Round of 16 since Marat Safin at Roland Garros in 1998. He will seek his first major quarter-final when he faces Pablo Carreno Busta next, after advancing when Kyle Edmund retired due to injury at 3-6, 6-3, 6-3, 1-0.

Semi-finalist at the Coupe Rogers just three weeks ago, behind victories over Rafael Nadal and Juan Martin del Potro, the 18 year old is thriving once again against elite competition. Carreno Busta will be Shapovalov’s second Top 20 opponent this week, having secured a straight-sets victory over eighth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the second round.

“The month of August has been absolutely life-changing for me, and yeah, I’m actually very thankful for my team for helping me stay humble and just prepare for every match, like it’s another match,” Shapovalov said. “But I feel like after the US Open, I’m going to have a little bit of time to take it all in, everything that’s been happening to me. I’m playing great tennis and I’m just trying to take it one day at a time.”

The Canadian’s win also makes him the first qualifier to advance to the fourth round in New York since Gilles Muller streaked to the quarter-finals in 2008. Shapovalov is projected to rise to the doorstep of the Top 50 of the Emirates ATP Rankings and has cemented himself as one of the threats to qualify for the Next Gen ATP Finals, assured of a Top 4 standing in the Emirates ATP Race To Milan following the US Open.

“I did have that confidence that I can make it this far, but to be honest, this whole season has been going really quickly for me,” Shapovalov added. “My goal was to be inside the 150 by the end of the year when I had started and now Top 50 seems doable.”

Edmund concludes his US Open following straight-set wins over Robin Haase and Steve Johnson. Last week at the Winston-Salem Open, he won six matches to reach the semi-finals as a qualifier.

“I guess it’s an upper thoracic back problem,” Edmund explained. “It just got very sore and very tight and almost locked up a bit. I didn’t feel like I could rotate properly. It’s just obviously hitting in tennis, you need a good rotation. It just seized up very quickly. It was pretty sore now just coming off the court. Now everything has cooled down so it’s very stiff now.” 

The Canadian’s win also makes him the first qualifier to advance to the fourth round in New York since Gilles Muller streaked to the quarter-finals in 2008. Shapovalov is projected to rise to the doorstep of the Top 50 of the Emirates ATP Rankings and has cemented himself as one of the threats to qualify for the Next Gen ATP Finals, assured of a Top 4 standing in the Emirates ATP Race To Milan following the US Open.

Earlier in the day, Carreno Busta rolled into the Round of 16 at Flushing Meadows with a 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 victory over Nicolas Mahut. The 12th seed is flying under the radar as he continues to register his best result at the final Grand Slam of the year.

Carreno Busta has not dropped a set thus far, turning in convincing victories over qualifier Evan King, qualifier Cameron Norrie and qualifier Mahut. In a remarkable twist of fate, he will face yet another qualifier in the fourth round: Shapovalov. It marks the first time in the Open Era that a player has squared off against four qualifiers at a Grand Slam.

“I am really happy because I reached the second week here,” said Carreno Busta. “It is always a positive thing and this year it has been one of the objectives that me and my team have looked at. To do big things at important tournaments means that your level is rising. It is the truth that I have faced three qualifiers but it has been very tough. I am just concentrated on my game.”

Carreno Busta fired 32 winners and converted six of 10 break chances to claim victory after one hour and 48 minutes. The Spaniard found great success in coming forward, notching 17 of 21 points when charging the net. After falling behind two-sets-to-love, Mahut seized an initial break to open the third, but Carreno Busta reeled off six of the last seven games to emerge victorious.