ROGERS CUP
Semifinal loss marks the end of a ‘life-changing week’ for Canadian tennis phenom Denis Shapovalov — and the start of a beautiful rivalry.
Both floppy-haired boy-band blonds. Both sons of Russian émigré parents. Both the youngest players ever into a semifinal of a Masters 1000 ATP event, in their debut seasons.
Both free-swinging millennials, fearless and freewheeling and flamboyant. Send in the clones. Looks like the start of a beautiful rivalry for Denis Shapovalov and Alexander Zverev, the 18-year-old Canadian and the 20-year-old German.
Zverev the man in black, a headband holding back his thick tresses; Shapovalov in his signature ball cap, spun around backwards.
But only one would get to square off against Roger Federer on Sunday in the men’s final of the Rogers Cup.
To the chagrin of a nation — this one, which has suddenly quickened to tennis again — it won’t be sensational Shapo.
Under a starless sky, and with the sellout crowd lustily encouraging but ultimately helpless, as spectators always are, the magic ran out for the teenager from Richmond Hill, falling in straight sets: 6-4, 7-5. Well, straight but zigzag sets, as momentum swung back and forth, with Shapovalov hanging in tough — that’s one thing we’ve learned this week, this kid is way tough — through a final game that went to deuce five times, the homeboy fighting off two of three match points, but unable to convert three break chances of his own, before a long return settled the matter.
“It’s an unbelievable week for me, a completely life-changing week for me,” Shapovalov said on court immediately afterwards, even as the audience at Uniprix Stadium — nee Jarry Park — embraced him in a standing ovation. “I just hope to take this confidence and keep going forward.”
The kid did not quit, which certainly was a hallmark of his tennis gumption throughout the past week in Montreal.
The other kid, a bit less of a kid, was just that smidgen better.
Graciously, Zverev paid tribute immediately to his vanquished opponent.
“Today is not about me. It’s about Denis.
“He will probably win this tournament one day. We will play a lot more time and probably some really great matches.”
It’s the message — promise — he conveyed to Shapovalov as they met at the net to shake hands at the end of their one-hour, 43-minute encounter. “I’m looking forward to this rivalry,” said Zverev.
Not as entertaining a tilt, perhaps, as some of the Canadian’s earlier matches, most especially his stunning upset dispatch of top-seeded Rafael Nadal, but it had its moments, some of which Shapovalov will likely be seeing in his dreams, or nightmares, for a while to come.
There were evident nerves on both sides, too, with an affliction of double-fault yips. More damaging to Shapovalov, however, as he dropped the first set after Zverev backhanded a return from a lofty height, smashing a winner, then benefitting from a Shapovalov DF in the fifth game. Zverev served out for the set efficiently, despite a whiff swipe at one ball.
The crowd did its best to lift Shapovalov back up, especially after he was broken in the first game of the second frame, again on double faults. And he did break right back, utilizing a series of nervy volleys that passed and froze and even drew a racquet-tapping ovation from Zverev.
Shapovalov had said, earlier in the week, that he was learning new things about himself through this dizzying experience. Learning new things about the game too, and how the matches can go longer, with protracted indecision, compared to juniors. Because stuff keeps happening.
On this night, though, too much of that stuff was breaking against the teenager, even as he battled hard to hold service, even as he left Zverev off the break hook after some remarkably long rally points. Recovered from 0-30 in game 11 of the second set, as Zverev put increasing pressure on his serve, then had Zverev’s back to the wall in game 12 before it went down as most experts had predicted it would.
Shapovalov had taken out Number 1. He couldn’t take out Number 4.
So Zverev will do battle Sunday with Federer.
And here’s a rarity: The Fed Express was shunted into the afternoon slot with centre court given over to the duelling young guns for the night spectacle.
Which maybe indicates a generational shift in tennis, the eve of a new era dawning, now that vintage tennis is starting to get a tad old as a compelling narrative. Although, of course, southpaw Shapovalov — Shapo, as he’s known around the game — is the Canadian darling of the moment. He flexed his still- growing muscles through a nightafter-night-after-night-after-night montage of exhilarating tennis in Montreal for an enraptured crowd studded with sports celebrities.
Can’t remember the last time a Federer semi got short-shrifted on the live-broadcast. Though he too seemed a bit bemused by his gentle nudging away from the prime-time spotlight. Endlessly chivalrous, of course, because that’s the Federer brand, and apparently genuinely delighted by young’uns seizing the public’s imagination. He can take the avuncular view — 1113 match wins. Shapovalov? Um, seven, on the big boys circuit.
“It’s a big opportunity, a huge opportunity, the semis (Saturday) and the finals tomorrow, for them,” Federer had observed, shortly after dispatching his hugely overmatched semi opponent, Robin Haase, in straight sets: 6-3, 7-6(5).
“To have a player at 18 or 20 years old in the finals of a Masters 1000 is not something we’ve seen very often, very rarely, except when Andy, Novak and Rafa were coming up.” Murray, Djokovich and Nadal — Nadal stunningly ousted in a thrilling comeback tiebreak by Shapovalov on Thursday.
“They were such great teenagers that maybe we saw it more often. Not even I probably achieved finals of Masters 1000 at that age.”
Strung together a not-so-bad career resume since, what with the 19 Grand Slam titles, two of them in 2017, and a heartbeat away from cresting the No. 1 world ranking apex again, should he cop this Cup and either equal or better Nadal at the Cincinnati tour stop next week as the season rounds the bend towards the U.S. Open.
But nobody in the local-laded media contingent really wanted to talk about the Swiss Maestro’s gaudy accomplishments past, 15match win streak present (longest since 2012) or imminent No. 1 future, even less about the dispatch of Haase from his first Masters semifinal.
All-Shapo all the time, pretty much, though Federer was careful to give Zverev equal chat time — as, indeed, Zverev was the odds-on favourite to beat the brash kid from Richmond Hill.
“It’s the biggest stage we have in the game on the ATP tour,’’ noted Federer, who quietly celebrated his 36th birthday in Montreal. “To have young guys like this be there, it’s a good opportunity for them.”
Shapovalov and Zverev will doubtless be going mano-a-mano on the big courts for years to come. Maybe even at the U.S. Open, round the corner. Hasn’t yet been invited to Flushing Meadows. Surely there’s a wild card in the offing though for a guy who began the year ranked No. 1,132, began the week ranked No. 143 and will skyrocket to the mid-60s in the next wheel-spin. His head’s spinning too. Head to head now: 1-0 for Zverev. Just the beginning.