Shapovalov Shines On 2021 Clay Debut In Barcelona
Denis Shapovalov’s clash against Jeremy Chardy on Tuesday was his first clay-court match of the season, but the Canadian had no problem adjusting in a 6-3, 7-5 victory in the second round of the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell.
The pair played just one month ago in Dubai, where Shapovalov won in straight sets. And after another comprehensive performance, the 22-year-old now leads their ATP Head2Head series 4-0.
Shapovalov’s only hiccup came as he neared the finish line at 4-2 in the second set. Chardy hit a backhand chip return against the serve-and-volleying Canadian. The shot barely clipped the sideline, getting the Frenchman back on serve.
But despite showing some frustration at letting his advantage slip, the lefty refocussed and earned his fifth service break to close out his triumph after one hour and 38 minutes.
[WATCH LIVE 1]Shapovalov will next play one of two #NextGenATP stars: Felix Auger-Aliassime or Lorenzo Musetti. The seventh seed has split four ATP Head2Head meetings against Auger-Aliassime, and he has never played the 19-year-old Italian.