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.
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.
Inter Milan winger Tajon Buchanan, recovered from a broken leg suffered in training at this summer’s Copa America, is back in Jesse Marsch’s Canada squad for the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal against Suriname.
The 25-year-old from Brampton, Ont., underwent surgery July 3 to repair a fractured tibia in Texas.
Canada, ranked 35th in the world, plays No. 136 Suriname on Nov. 15 in Paramaribo. The second leg of the aggregate series is four days later at Toronto’s BMO Field.
There is also a return for veteran winger Junior Hoilett, who last played for Canada in June in a 4-0 loss to the Netherlands in Marsch’s debut at the Canadian helm. The 34-year-old from Brampton, now with Scotland’s Hibernian, has 15 goals in 63 senior appearances for Canada.
Midfielder Ismael Kone, recovered from an ankle injury sustained on club duty with France’s Marseille, also returns. He missed Canada’s last three matches since the fourth-place Copa America loss to Uruguay in July.
But Canada will be without centre back Derek Cornelius, who exited Marseille’s win Sunday over Nantes on a stretcher after suffering an apparent rib injury.
The Canadian men will prepare for Suriname next week at a camp in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
“We are looking forward to getting the group together again with the mindset that there is a trophy on the line,” Marsch said in a statement. “We want to end 2024 the right way with two excellent performances against a competitive Suriname squad and continue building on our tremendous growth this past summer.”
The quarterfinal winners advance to the Nations League Finals at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., with the two semifinals scheduled for March 20 and the final and third-place playoff March 23, and qualify for the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Thirteen of the 23 players on the Canadian roster are 25 or younger, with 19-year-old defender Jamie Knight-Lebel, currently playing for England’s Crewe Alexandra on loan from Bristol City, the youngest.
Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies captains the side with Stephen Eustaquio, Jonathan Osorio, Richie Laryea, Alistair Johnston and Kamal Miller adding veteran support.
Jonathan David, Cyle Larin and Theo Bair are joined in attack by Minnesota United’s Tani Oluwaseyi.
Niko Sigur, a 21-year-old midfielder with Croatia’s Hadjuk Split, continues in the squad after making his debut in the September friendly against Mexico.
Suriname made it to the Nations League quarterfinals by finishing second to Costa Rica in Group A of the Nations League, ahead of No. 104 Guatemala, No. 161 Guyana and unranked Martinique and Guadeloupe.
“A good team,” Osorio said of Suriname. “These games are always tricky and they’re not easy at all … Suriname is a (former) Dutch colony and they’ll have Dutch players playing at high levels.”
“They won’t be someone we overlook at all,” added the Toronto FC captain, who has 81 Canada caps to his credit.
Located on the northeast coast of South America between Guyana and French Guiana, Suriname was granted independence in 1975 by the Netherlands.
Canada has faced Suriname twice before, both in World Cup qualifying play, winning 4-0 in suburban Chicago in June 2021 and 2-1 in Mexico City in October 1977.
The Canadian men, along with Mexico, the United States and Panama, received a bye into the final eight of the CONCACAF Nations League.
Canada, No. 2 in the CONCACAF rankings, drew Suriname as the best-placed runner-up from League A play.
Canada lost to Jamaica in last year’s Nations League quarterfinal, ousted on the away-goals rule after the series ended in a 4-4 draw. The Canadians lost 2-0 to the U.S. in the final of the 2022-23 tournament and finished fifth in 2019-20.
Canada defeated Panama 2-1 last time out, in an Oct. 15 friendly in Toronto.
Goalkeepers Maxime Crepeau and Jonathan Sirois, defenders Joel Waterman, Laryea and Miller and Osorio took part in a pre-camp this week in Toronto for North America-based players.
Canada Roster
Goalkeepers: Maxime Crepeau, Portland Timbers (MLS); Jonathan Sirois, CF Montreal (MLS); Dayne St. Clair, Minnesota United FC (MLS).
Defenders: Moise Bombito, OGC Nice (France); Alphonso Davies, Bayern Munich (Germany); Richie Laryea, Toronto FC (MLS); Alistair Johnston, Celtic (Scotland); Jamie Knight-Lebel. Crewe Alexandra, on loan from Bristol City (England); Kamal Miller, Portland Timbers (MLS); Joel Waterman, CF Montreal (MLS).
Midfielders: Ali Ahmed. Vancouver Whitecaps (MLS); Tajon Buchanan, Inter Milan (Italy); Mathieu Choiniere, Grasshopper Zurich (Switzerland); Stephen Eustaquio, FC Porto (Portugal); Junior Hoilett, Hibernian FC (Scotland); Ismael Kone, Olympique Marseille (France); Jonathan Osorio, Toronto FC (MLS); Jacob Shaffelburg, Nashville SC (MLS); Niko Sigur, Hadjuk Split (Croatia).
Forwards: Theo Bair, AJ Auxerre (France); Jonathan David, LOSC Lille (France); Cyle Larin, RCD Mallorca (Spain); Tani Oluwaseyi, Minnesota United (MLS).
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
