Canada’s Denis Shapovlaov has advanced to the third round at the French Open for the first time with a 6-2, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 win over Italy’s Matteo Arnaldi.
To go any further, he’ll need to get past world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz.
“It’s going to be a challenge,” Shapovalov said of his upcoming match. “It’s going to be a tough battle.
“Obviously [Alcaraz is] a great player everywhere, but especially on clay courts. Three out of five [sets] is not going to be easy against him but I’m looking forward to it.”
Whether or not Shapovalov’s run goes any deeper at Roland Garros, the 24-year-old from Richmond Hill, Ont., believes his game is back on track after missing most of the clay season with a knee injury.
“Coming in I really didn’t know what to expect. I was barely playing any tennis,” he said. “And here I am, making my best result at the French Open.”
WATCH | Shapovalov takes out Arnaldi:
Denis Shapovalov advances to the third round at the French Open
10 hours ago
Duration 2:24
For the first time in his career Denis Shapovalov will move on to Round 3 of the French Open by defeating Italian Matteo Arnaldi (6-2,3-6,6-3,6-3).
Shapovalov wrapped up Wednesday’s win over Arnaldi with his fifth break of the match. He set up match point with a powerful service return down the middle that Arnaldi couldn’t handle cleanly, then won when the Italian hit the ball well out of bounds for his 41st unforced error.
Later Wednesday, Leylah Fernandez of Laval, Que., was defeated 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 by Denmark’s Clara Tauson in a women’s second-round match.
Shapovalov, the men’s No. 26 seed, had a less strenuous outing against Arnaldi compared to his marathon session with Brandon Nakashima in the first round.
Shapovalov lost serve just once on the only break point he faced Wednesday while scoring five breaks on 16 chances in a match that lasted two hours 55 minutes.
That set up Shapovalov’s first career meeting with Alcaraz, who beat Japan’s Taro Daniel 6-1, 3-6, 6-1, 6-2.
While Alcaraz and Shapovalov have not crossed paths — Shapovalov was not on Canada’s 2022 Davis Cup champion squad for the finals group stage, when the Canadians posted a 2-1 upset over an Alcaraz-led Spanish side — the top seed said he knows the Canadian by reputation.
“Everybody knows the level of Shapovalov,” Alcaraz said after his win over Daniel. “He’s a really dangerous player. He has great shots, and I think this is going to be a really difficult match.”
Tauson tops Fernandez
Fernandez lost her bid to join Shapovalov to a calm and confident Tauson.
The crowd at the intimate confines of Court 6 was clearly in Fernandez’s favour, chanting the Canadian’s name throughout the match.
That didn’t seem to bother Tauson, who went up 2-1 in the third set when an expertly placed backhand secured her sixth break of the match.
Tauson was rarely troubled in holding serve the rest of the way, serving to love in the final game.
WATCH | Fernandez eliminated from French Open:
Fernandez eliminated in round of 64 at French Open
7 hours ago
Duration 1:35
Leylah Fernandez of Laval, Que., dropped her second round match 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 to Denmark’s Clara Tauson at the French Open Wednesday.
The showdown was a rematch of the 2019 Australian Open junior final, which Tuason won in straight sets.
In first-round women’s doubles play, the eighth-seeded team of Ottawa’s Gabriela Dabrowski and Brazil’s Luisa Stefani defeated Italy’s Elisabetta Cocciaretto and Germany’s Tatjana Maria 6-2, 6-2.
Dabrowski and Stefani will next face Hungary’s Dalma Galfi and Poland’s Katarzyna Piter.
Bianca Andreescu of Mississauga, Ont., the only other Canadian still active in singles competition, is scheduled to face American wild-card Emma Navarro in women’s second-round action on Thursday.
Upsets galore in women’s bracket
Meanwhile, Peyton Stearns highlighted a day of upsets by recording a 6-3, 1-6, 6-2 win over 17th-seeded Jelena Ostapenko.
Russians Anna Blinkova and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, and Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva also knocked off seeded foes to advance at Roland Garros.
Stearns, a former player at the University of Texas, benefited from 28 unforced errors to lower the boom on Ostapenko, a 2017 French Open champion.
“It was definitely crazy, nerve-wracking, overwhelming — all of the emotions into one,” the 21-year-old Stearns said. “But I think at the end I settled down and was really able to come to peace with myself and play my tennis instead of who I was playing, where I was playing and whatnot.
“It’s not super surprising to me. If I go out there and play my game then the best can come. Trying to play not to lose but to win is a big thing. And that’s what happened today.”
Stearns advanced to set up a match against No. 9 seed Daria Kasatkina, a 6-3, 6-4 winner over Marketa Vondrousova of the Czech Republic. Kasatkina advanced to the semifinals at last year’s French Open.
Blinkova rallied from a set down to post a 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 win over fifth-seeded Caroline Garcia of France.
Pavlyuchenkova also overcame a first-set setback to notch a 4-6, 7-5, 7-5 victory over 15th-seeded Liudmila Samsonova of Russia.
Putintseva bounced 19th-seeded Qinwen Zheng of China with a 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 decision.
Also on Wednesday, second-seeded Aryna Sabalenka collected a 7-5, 6-2 win over Belarus countrywoman Iryna Shymanovich, while third-seeded Jessica Pegula posted a 6-2 win in the first set against Italian Camila Giorgi before the latter retired due to injury.
No. 24 Anastasia Potapova overcame dropping the first set to seize a 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 win over Mayar Sherif of Egypt. No. 27 Irina-Camelia Begu of Romania bested Sara Errani 6-3, 6-0. No. 28 Elise Mertens of Belgium topped Camila Osorio of Colombia 6-3, 7-6 (3).
Also, Sloane Stephens defeated Varvara Gracheva in straight sets.
TORONTO – Reigning PWHL MVP and scoring champ Natalie Spooner will miss the start of the regular season for the Toronto Sceptres, general manager Gina Kingsbury announced Tuesday on the first day of training camp.
The 33-year-old Spooner had knee surgery on her left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) after she was checked into the boards by Minnesota’s Grace Zumwinkle in Game 3 of their best-of-five semifinal series on May 13.
She had a goal and an assist in three playoff games but did not finish the series. Toronto was up 2-1 in the semifinal at that time and eventually fell 3-2 in the series.
Spooner led the PWHL with 27 points in 24 games. Her 20 goals, including five game-winners, were nine more than the closest skater.
Kingsbury said there is no timeline, as the team wants the Toronto native at 100 per cent, but added that “she is doing really well” in her recovery.
The Sceptres open the PWHL season on Nov. 30 when they host the Boston Fleet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 12, 2024.
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.
“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”
Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.
The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.
Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.
“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”
Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.
“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”
The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.
“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”
Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.
“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.
Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.
The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.
The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.
Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.
Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
