The show must go on
Despite not being featured on Centre Court, Canada’s Denis Shapovalov makes most of it
Back court. Centre shot.
So maybe the Diva Denis whinge was a tad premature.
And not really a back-back court, just the Grandstand Court at Aveva Stadium, a long path removed from Centre Court. And not really, not humongously, a diva either. Perhaps just a trace of teenage dink. But a shade of miffed fersure, was Denis Shapovalov on Wednesday, when discovering that his second-round wrangle at the Rogers Cup had been shifted away from prime real estate, on account of rain delays and a mess of matches stacking up on the schedule.
Tweeted out a 2:04 p.m.: “Got moved to grandstand.’’
Sarcastic hand clapping emoji, followed by #welldone. Presumably directed at tournament officials.
Yet even minutes after the match was over, Shapovalov all kinds of awesome, dumping veteran Fabio Fognini, the14th seed, 6-3, 7-5 — springing out of a double-break 0-4 hole in the second set — the 19-year-old was still nattering on about it.
“Yeah, definitely I wanted to apologize to all my fans. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to be on centre court today. Unfortunately, there were a lot of fans that weren’t able to watch, which is a little bit disappointing.’’
Adding, in a quickie re-think: “But it was a great atmosphere. It’s more of a composed court. So it got really loud.”
Banging on about it, in the press conference afterwards.
“I just know how many friends wanted to come out today and how many fans were looking forward to seeing me on centre court this week. Unfortunately, the rain delay, it got moved to grandstand. So it was a little bit disappointing, you know, just in that sense.”
Oy. Or, as the Aussies would say: Oi! Oi! Oi! Bottom line is Shapovalov put on a heck of a show, wherever it took place, and certainly got a rise out of that allegedly more staid audience.
Got a rise out of his opponent time, with some serious chirping coming, mostly from the veteran Italian, in the second set changeover.
Shapovalov professed ignorance of what Fognini was jawing on about.
“Honestly, I’m not sure what he said. It was really loud. And unfortunately, I don’t speak Italian yet. So maybe you guys (reporters) can roll it back and have a slow motion.
“I just told him if he as a problem, we can discuss it after. I just tried to stay focused.”
What Fognini said, allegedly, according to this who claimed to have overheard, was: “So arrogant.”
Ooh, Shapo must be shaking. As if.
That wasn’t arrogance, that was swagger and style, clutch tennis, that lifted the Richmond Hill-raised teenager out of his 0-4 mess. A different type of person might have reserved his strength for the third set. Shapovalov wasn’t having any of that.
“Yeah, it’s unbelievable,” he noted, pat-self-on-back, and why not?
“I was just preparing for the third set, trying to get a rhythm. Just getting ready to play big in the third. And then, you know, once I got that one break, I told myself, okay, let’s keep fighting, maybe you’ll have a chance to break him again. You’ve done it a couple of times.’’
Uh, broke Fognini three times in that set, actually. Broke his back and his spirit too.
“I just picked my level up, kind of loosened up,” Shapovalov continued. “Obviously, it’s extremely satisfying to win that set.”
Thus, into the third round he goes, next confronting Dutchman Robin Haase.
At the other end of the Canadian experience yesterday, the over-and-out end, was Milos Raonic, the former world No. 3 ranked behind his young compatriot at this point, largely a result of injury upon injury and little match time.
Rogers Cup — the Canadian Open in an earlier incarnation — has never been kind to Raonic in the decade since he made his debut in the tournament as a wild card junior. Only once, in Montreal, 2013, has he made it to the finals of his home country Masters 1000 event; quarter-finals on three other occasions, lining up with three men’s tournaments in Toronto.
But he’s healthy now, after tearing a quad at Wimbledon, the quarters.
And he was so very amped for Rogers Cup, so desperate for a deep dive, all the way to Sunday’s final had been front of mind.
He was crestfallen, eliminated 7-6, 4-6, 6-1 by 20-year-old American Frances Tiafoe, in a disjointed match interrupted by a lengthy rain delay.
In fact, the rain time-out didn’t seem to unsettle Raonic. He won the second set upon its resumption. But then he just guttered out, very nearly whacked to love in the third frame, just one late service game averting utter embarrassment.
“I definitely didn’t do the thing I need to, and that’s take care of my serve in the third.
“I ended up being in a hole and, you know, I just couldn’t get myself out of it.”
Deep in the dumps, 30 minutes after it was all over.
“I’ll be fine in an hour. So give it some time.”