Shapovalov, Auger-Aliassime set to square off at Aussie Open

MELBOURNE, Australia

Felix Auger-Aliassime has been a fan of Denis Shapovalov since he first met him at a national tennis camp in Toronto when both players were under 10 years old.

More than a decade later, the young Canadian stars are set to make Canadian tennis history when they renew their friendly rivalry.

The 21-year-old Shapovalov and 20-year-old Auger-Aliassime will square off in the third round of the Australian Open on Friday. It marks their fourth career match at the top level, but first that doesn’t come in the opening round of a tournament.

It’s also just the fifth Grand Slam meeting between two

Canadian men in the Open Era, and the first to come in the third round or later.

“I think I first met him when I was eight,” Auger-Aliassime said after downing Australia’s James Duckworth in straight sets on Wednesday. “They took the best players under 12, and we had ... national camps. I think that’s the first time I met him in Toronto. He was already playing with an adult racquet, one-handed backhand at nine years old.

“I remember it was pretty impressive the first time I saw him. I’m still impressed by what he does.”

The 11th-seeded Shapovalov, from Richmond Hill, Ont., holds a 2-1 edge on Auger-Aliassime at ATP Tour and Grand Slam events, winning at the U.S. Open in 2018 and ‘19. The 20th-seeded AugerAliassime, from Montreal, recorded his win on clay in Madrid in 2019.

Both players are one step away from the round of 16 after making first-round exits at the season’s opening Grand Slam last year.

“For sure excited to play Felix,” Shapovalov said after a straightsets win over Australia’s Bernard Tomic on Wednesday.

“But for me it’s just like any other match. Just kind of getting ready the same. It’s just the next round for me. Obviously sooner or later, you’re going to run into Canadians in the draw. Canadians never want to play Canadians, but in the end it happens so often that we kind of just treat it the same way.”