Published 11:46 IST, October 21st 2019
Tennis: Canada's Denis Shapovalov wins his first-ever ATP title
Canada's Denis Shapovalov wins his first-ever ATP title after defeating Filip Krajinovic 6-4 6-4. He is the 15th first-time tour-level champion of the year.
- SportFit
- 3 min read
Denis Shapovalov secured his first ATP Tour title at the Stockholm Open on Sunday. Shapovalov eased past Filip Krajinovic 6-4 6-4 in the final. The 20-year-old who had 0-7 record in ATP Tour semifinals defeated Japan’s Yuichi Sugita to reach the final. The #NextGenATP Canadian is the 15th first-time winner on the ATP Tour this season.
Denis Shapovalov wins the Stockholm Open
Shapovalov triumphed in style after completely dominating his Serbian opponent Kranjovic. He sent down 16 aces and lost only 2 points on his first serve while he saving the breakpoint he faced in the one-sided contest that lasted 84 minutes. The world number 34 follows the footsteps of Greek Stefano Tsitsipas, who like Shapovalov lifted the Stockholm trophy for his first tour-level title as a 20-year old last year.
Tsitsipas was Denis Shapovalov’s second top 10 victim after he defeated Rafael Nadal in three sets in a stunning Rogers Cup tie in 2017. Since then, his stocks have dropped a bit, but a victory in the Stockholm Open should be a reminder of his talents to the world. Denis Shapovalov is the 15th first-time tour-level champion of the year. This season has produced the most first-time winners since 1999 when 16 men claimed their first tour-level title. He did not drop a set en route to becoming the first Canadian champion in Stockholm. The fourth seed beat Alexei Popyrin and Cedrik-Marcel Stebe to reach his eighth tour-level semi-final, before snapping his seven-match losing streak in last-four clashes against Yuichi Sugita on Saturday.
“I am definitely super happy and just really proud,” said Shapovalov on the ATP Tour website. "I and my team have worked really hard to get into this position of lifting a title, so I am really proud of myself and proud of my team right now.” Shapovalov’s title run comes in the same week that he booked his place at this year’s 21-and-under event. The third edition of the Next Gen ATP Finals will take place from 5-9 November at the Allianz Cloud.
Updated 16:08 IST, October 21st 2019