Shapovalov Defeats Zverev, advances to Australian Open quarterfinals

Canada’s Denis Shapovalov defeated Germany’s Alexander Zverev on Sunday in back-to-back sets to advance to the fifth round at the 2022 Australian Open.

The 22-year-old Toronto native will now square off against Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal in the semifinals on Tuesday. At the beginning of the Open, Shapovalov spoke about bringing a “Rafa mentality” to the Open, and now he gets his chance.

This will be the first time Denis Shapovalov has advanced to the finals at the Australian Open, and after a long hard, fought battle, a testament to his maturity on the court.

“It’s just fighting for every point, kind of just staying in it, not letting things bother you.”

Shapovalov stated post-match he hopes to bring the same mindset to the quarterfinals, and if his performance in the round of 16 is any indication, it looks like he is ready to face the 20 time Grand Slam winner.

“I’m definitely expecting a long battle out there. He makes you play a lot. His defence is very good. He’s very good at what he does, you know?. I’m going to have to try to play my game, take it to him and keep doing what I have been doing: playing patient, fighting for every point and picking my spots to play aggressively.”

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Shapovalov is only the third Canadian to ever make it to the final eight at the Australian Open. He joins a list that includes the likes of Milos Raonic, who has five appearances, and Mike Belkin, who has one. Shapovalov’s match against Alexander Zverev on Sunday saw the Canadian falter slightly in the second set. Still, despite the slip-up, he rallied hard on the baseline and kept his cool on what was a humid and steamy day.

Beyond the eleven double faults he racked up, Shapovalov was in colterol of most rallies and was surprisingly consistent.

“Obviously it was really hot to begin with. Did a good job of just staying patient and, yeah, trying to play a little quickly on my serve games. I think I did everything really, really well today.”

For Alexander Zverev, it appeared he simply was unable to take charge. His history with his second serve, a problem he has suffered throughout his career, reared its ugly head. The Russian racked up eight double faults and only managed to win 29% of his second serves.

“Maybe since Wimbledon, one of the worst matches I have played. It’s just tough. “Obviously I give credit to Denis. It’s incredible he’s in the quarters. I think he deserves it. He’s done a lot of work. He’s improved his game. But I’ve got to look at myself, as well. Today was just, in my opinion, awful from my side.”

For his part, Shapovalov was 22-for-27 at the net, a part of his game that that seen remarkable improvement over the last two years. It is also one he and his new coach Jamie Delgado will continue to improve and impact his game.

Delgado, who was formally the coach for Andy Murray, and Shapovalov’s breakthrough at the Open, seemed to happen at the same time. The decision to part ways with his old coach, Mikhail Youzhny, was Shapovalov’s decision, and while it may be too early to evaluate the impact of switching to Delgado, things are definitely off to a good start.

“For sure, it’s a little bit about growing up – wanting my parents to be my parents and kind of treating this like more of like a business and like a job. And I really wanted to build a team that’s going to be on the same page the whole time. So it was it was my call, and my decision.”

Prior to settling on Delgado, Shapovalov spoke with several other candidates, even going as far as to see if former Canadian Davis Cup captain Martin Laurendeau was willing to return.

“It just didn’t work out. He’s in a good position with Tennis Canada, and he’s pretty comfortable. We just, couldn’t come to a good agreement.”

In other Australian Open news, fellow Canadian, Félix Auger-Aliassime will be joining Shapovalov in the quarterfinals after defeating Marin Cilic. Auger-Aliassime was able to overcome a furious start to the opening set by Marin Cilic but was able to hang on until turning the match around in his favour.

That turnaround came in the second set and continued in the third and fourth, giving Auger-Aliassime the win and his third consecutive Grand Slam tournament quarterfinal appearance.

“I’m thrilled for him, and thrilled for Canadian tennis. I think we’re both showing that we’re not here by chance. We’re proving week after week that we’re here to stay.”

Cilic was all but untouchable during the first set, leaving Auger-Aliassime with few options. The Canadian hung on by a thread while waiting for Cilic’s push to falter and his desire to push take over.

“I tried to stay in contact, find a solution little by little. And I started to serve better in the second set. Compared to other times I played him, there was less panic on my part. I stayed calmer. I believed in myself a bit more, and I think that’s what made the difference at the end,” he added. “It’s a nice improvement for me, in various aspects of my game.”

Auger-Aliassime will next play Daniil Medvedev on Wednesday in the Australian Open quarterfinals, joining fellow Canadian Denis Shapovalov. If all goes well, Canada could see two of its finest heading to the semifinals for the first time, and naturally, Canadian bookmakers celebrating with favourable odds and lucrative promotional offers.