Bouchard, Shapovalov victorious

Canadians advance to 2nd round at Wimbledon

LONDON (CP) — Eugenie Bouchard and Denis Shapovalov are off to the second round at Wimbledon.

The Canadians both won first-round matches on Tuesday and will join fellow Canuck Milos Raonic in the second round.

Bouchard beat British wild card Gabriella Taylor 6-0, 4-6, 6-3 in a first-round women’s match, while Shapovalov, the No. 26 seed in the men’s draw, defeated Jeremy Chardy of France 6-3, 3-6, 7-5, 6-4.

Vasek Pospisil of Vernon lost 6-4, 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 to Mikhail Kukushkin of Kazakhstan in a first-round men’s match on Tuesday. Kukushkin is ranked 77th, 20 spots ahead of Pospisil, who has now lost his past five first-round matches at Grand Slams.

Bouchard will face No. 17 Ashleigh Barty in the second round, while Shapovalov will take on unseeded Benoit Paire of France.

Raonic, the No. 13 seed, will play unseeded Australian John Millman.

A finalist at Wimbledon in 2014, Bouchard was forced into the qualification draw this year after seeing her ranking tumble to No. 191 before the tournament.

The 24-year-old from Westmount, Que., is now ranked 188th after winning three qualifying matches last week. Taylor is No. 180.

“I feel a lot more comfortable on the court,” Bouchard told reporters after the match. “I feel a little bit more like myself. . . . Just trying to keep progressing.”

Shapovalov, a 19-year-old from Richmond Hill, Ont., earned his first win at Wimbledon after dropping his debut at the grass-court Grand Slam last year.