Edmund faces ‘more mature’ Shapovalov

Canadian says he has learned from shocking Davis Cup incident

Kyle Edmund will hope to get YouTube hits for the right reasons when he faces Denis Shapovalov for a place in the fourth round of the US Open today.

Their first meeting at a Davis Cup tie between Canada and Great Britain in Ottawa this February ended with one of the most shocking incidents tennis has experienced in recent years.

Annoyed at going a break down in the third set of the deciding rubber, Shapovalov, then 17, smacked a ball in anger that hit umpire Arnaud Gabas in the face, fracturing the official’s left eye socket.

Shapovalov was defaulted, leaving Great Britain and Edmund victorious.

It was a devastating moment for Shapovalov but he reacted with instant remorse and, far from letting it define him, has set about making headlines on court for all the right reasons.

The teenager has focused on his mental approach since but does not believe facing Edmund again will bring back bad memories.

“I’ve been working extremely hard on it,” he said. “It’s definitely helped me mature. But I don’t think this match has anything to do with it.

“I’ve apologised constantly before, and I continue to apologise for my actions. It’s something I have to live with. But for me it’s in the past and I’m a different person and a different player now. So it’s a completely new match.”

Shapovalov was ranked 234 when the pair met in Davis Cup but is now up to 69, only 27 places behind Edmund, after a brilliant run of results.

The highlight came on home soil last month at the Masters event in Montreal, when he defeated Rafael Nadal and went on to reach the semi-finals.

He has carried that form into the US Open and, after coming through qualifying, marked his debut under the lights on Arthur Ashe Stadium by knocking out eighth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in straight sets.

Were Shapovalov to make the fourth round, he would be the youngest man to do so at Flushing Meadows since Michael Chang in 1989 and at any Grand Slam since Marat Safin in 1998.

An explosive left-hander with a showstopping single-handed backhand, the 18-year-old’s scalps this year also include Edmund, who he beat at Queen’s Club in June.

However, the British number two is quietly confident.

“He obviously beat me in the grasscourt season but I think he didn’t have a great clay-court season and he got on the grass pretty early, which I think really helped him,” said the 22-year-old.

“He’s been playing well in terms of this run in Montreal and then qualifying, so he is feeling good.

“It’s going to be a tough match but at the same time I’m playing well so definitely no reason why I shouldn’t go out there feeling confident.”

Edmund finds himself as the sole British representative in singles after following up a round one victory over Robin Haase by defeating American Steve Johnson, also in straight sets.