Denis Shapovalov has the tennis world talking. The Canadian phenom pulled off a stunning upset yesterday against world champ and top seed, Rafael Nadal. It all went down during the Round of 16 at the Rogers Cup in Montreal, and means that the 18-year-old will advance to tonight's quarter-final against French veteran, Adrian Mannarino.
Shapovalov defeated the iconic Spaniard, Nadal, with a 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (4) victory. It's a nice turn of events from the teenaged sensation, who made unfortunate headlines earlier this year thanks to an in-game outburst that went viral. Not only has Denis reined in his temper, but so too has he improved upon his undeniable skillset.
Speaking with the Toronto Star, Shapovalov shared some words regarding his state of mind during the tense event. “It’s difficult to say how I was feeling during the match. It was extremely hard physically and mentally. Rafa is such a warrior. I’m just so happy to come out with the win.”
The Richmond Hill-based athlete is the youngest player to reach the Canadian Open quarter-finals since 1974. That record was originally held by former world No.1 Bjorn Borg. Meanwhile, the match between Mannarino and Shapovalov is underway tonight, and will give Denis a chance to appear in a semi-final bout this weekend.
You can watch the match's biggest highlight below via ATP Tennis TV.
