Underdog Carreno Busta tipped to reach final after defeating Shapovalov

It is a phrase that is seldom heard ringing around the main courts of the four grand slam tournaments: Pablo Carreno Busta is the favourite to reach the final.

Even before his rock-solid 7-6, 7-6, 7-6 dismissal of Canada’s rising star Denis Shapovalov yesterday, he was the highest ranked man at No 19 left in the shambles of the bottom half of the men’s draw. But after he showed young Shapovalov how to curb his enthusiasm and mix clear-cut winners with a little restraint, he is looking the man most likely to be here on the final Sunday.

For two sets, Carreno Busta simply would not let Shapovalov, conqueror of Britain’s Kyle Edmund, shine and when it came to the tiebreaks, he did not give the Canadian an inch of space with which to work.

Only at the start of the third set did the Spaniard’s concentration dip slightly as he allowed Shapovalov to take a 3-1 lead but then the young pretender dropped his serve with a double fault on break point and we were heading for another tiebreak. And yet again, Carreno Busta battened down the hatches to reach only the second grand slam quarter-final of his career.

“It’s amazing. It’s the first time I’ve played singles on this court. The atmosphere is unbelievable,” Carreno Busta said of playing in the Arthur Ashe Stadium.

“I just tried to fight all the time. Every point was important for me. You never know when your opponent is going to drop a little bit or make a mistake, so I just try to fight all the time. In the second set I was 5-3 with my serve and I lost it. So I tried to continue and be focused on my game.”

Shapovalov, though, will be back. He has already impressed Eurosport’s pundit, John Mcenroe, who recognises much of himself in the young Canadian.

“He reminds me of someone, someone who used to play this game long ago!” Mcenroe said. “He’s a guy close to my heart, he’s awesome, he’s learning quickly, he believes in himself.

“It’s amazing to watch yourself in the mirror. He’s the way I would play now if I was 18. The game’s changed but in essence he’s doing the same thing.”