One match does not make a tournament, much less a season, but five months after the failure of the US Open, Canadian tennis has something to smile about at the start of the Australian Open. With Denis Shapovalov’s victory on Tuesday, four representatives of the maple leaf advanced to the second round of the first major tournament of the season.
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We are therefore a thousand miles from this horrible day that they experienced at the very beginning of the New York fortnight, last August, when Félix Auger-Aliassime, Leylah Fernandez, “Shapo” and Bianca Andreescu – who is absent in Melbourne – had all lost at the start of the tournament.
And the same day, to boot.
In the madness of New York, only Gabriel Diallo, then a surprise, since he had come from qualifying, managed to save the honor, even continuing his path until the third round. In Melbourne too, the Montreal giant won from the start (more details ici), but this time he was imitated by most of his compatriots.
This time, the only Canadian who did not emerge victorious from her first round duel is Rebecca Marino, La 98e player in the world had inherited the most disadvantageous draw of the lot, she who crossed swords with the British Katie Boulter, 22e seeded on Tuesday.
But the racket from Vancouver will not leave Australia with its head too low: Marino pushed Boulter to her limits before the latter won 6-4, 3-6 and 7-5, in 2 h 14 min of play.
Now five for five for “Shapo”
Coming back to Shapovalov, the 56e player in the world was pitted against an opponent against whom he knew the key to victory, for this first round, since he had beaten him in each of their first four confrontations.
He made good use of it: the Ontarian beat the Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut (53e world), 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 and 7-6 (8), after a fourth set full of twists and turns, to secure his ticket for the second round after 3 h 11 min tennis.
“Shapo” will now face the 16e top seed, Italian Lorezo Musetti, in the second round, Wednesday evening or during the night from Wednesday to Thursday, Eastern time. The Italian had the better in their only duel to date: it was last year, in Indian Wells, and the singles bronze medalist from the Paris Olympic Games emerged victorious in three sets.
▶ Leylah Fernandez (30e seeded) and Félix Auger-Aliassime (29e) will play their second round match respectively on Tuesday evening and on the night of Tuesday to Wednesday, Eastern time. The first will be against the Romanian Cristina Buca (100e world) around 8:30 p.m., and the second will face the Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (66e on ATP), around 11:30 p.m.
