Raonic to face Shapovalov in Cincinnati

Denis Shapovalov was victorious the first time he played fellow Canadian Milos Raonic on the ATP World Tour. The veteran will soon get a chance to avenge that loss.

The top two players in the Canadian men’s singles rankings are set to square off Thursday at the Masters 1000 tournament in Cincinnati.

Shapovalov booked his thirdround ticket with a win over Britain’s Kyle Edmund on Tuesday while Raonic advanced Wednesday with a 6-3, 7-5 win over Tunisian lucky loser Malek Jaziri.

“I’ve watched him for so many years representing Canada, so any chance I get to play him and take him on, it’s a privilege for me,” Shapovalov said.

“So I’m going to go out there and enjoy myself, kind of like I did in Madrid, and hopefully I can play as well.”

Shapovalov posted a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Raonic last May on clay in their lone head-to-head competitive meeting. The 19-year-old from Richmond Hill, Ont., won almost 80 per cent of his first-serve points, calling the win a “huge confidence boost.”

Shapovalov moved ahead of Raonic to become the top-ranked Canadian for a few months before losing the position this week.

Raonic, 27, held steady at No. 29 in the latest world rankings while Shapovalov slid six spots to No. 32 after losing the points gained from last year’s semifinal appearance at the Rogers Cup in Montreal.

The two players offer an interesting contrast in styles. Shapovalov is a flashy left-hander who can be quite demonstrative on court while Raonic, a big-hitting righthander, prefers a more composed approach.

Raonic has battled a host of injuries in recent seasons but has had some good stretches this year, while Shapovalov is trying to build off his breakout rookie campaign.

The Canadians will likely be teammates next month in Davis Cup play in Toronto.