By Canadian Press

Canadian Denis Shapovalov upsets Fabio Fognini

Nov 1, 2019 | 12:05 PM

PARIS — Canada’s Denis Shapovalov is off to the third round of the Paris Masters after recording his first win over a top-15 player since March.

Shapovalov, from Richmond Hill, Ont., upset No. 11 seed Fabio Fognini of Italy 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 on Wednesday.

“I’m really happy with the win today,” Shapovalov said. “Fabio’s had an unbelievable season. To beat a player like him, it’s a huge confidence booster for me and it really shows me where my game’s at.”

The 20-year-old Shapovalov, ranked 28th in the world, will next face No. 6 seed Alexander Zverev on Thursday. The German is 3-0 lifetime against Shapovalov.

The Canadian is 2-13 lifetime against top-10 players. But Shapovalov has been playing some of his best tennis in recent weeks, highlighted by his first career ATP Tour title at the Stockholm Open.

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“He’s a great player,” Shapovalov said of Zverev. “He’s pretty solid off both wings. He’s got a great serve. I’m really going to have to try to take it to him and take my chances.”

Milos Raonic, the other Canadian in the singles draw, lost 7-6 (5), 5-7, 6-4 to No. 5 seed Dominic Thiem of Austria.

Thiem withstood 30 aces from Raonic.

The two-time French Open runner-up also saved nine break points out of 10. Thiem broke Raonic, from Thornhill, Ont., for the first time in the ninth game of the deciding set before serving out the match.

The fifth-seeded Austrian player, who won the Erste Bank Open in Vienna last Sunday for an ATP Tour-leading fifth title this year, next faces Grigor Dimitrov.

Seventh-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas looked more comfortable reaching the third round, serving 13 aces and facing no break points in beating Taylor Fritz 7-6 (3), 6-3. The 21-year-old Greek player next plays Alex de Minaur, a 20-year-old Australian who lost the Swiss Indoors final to Roger Federer on Sunday.

Federer is skipping this tournament, but top-ranked Novak Djokovic and No. 2 Rafael Nadal were playing later Wednesday in the second round.

Another big server went out as 15th-seeded American John Isner — the 2016 runner-up — lost 7-6 (5), 7-6 (4) to Cristian Garin of Chile despite having 25 aces.

De Minaur upset ninth-seeded Roberto Bautista Agut 7-6 (2), 7-6 (1), while in other second-round matches Dimitrov beat No. 12 David Goffin 7-5, 6-3, and Frenchman Gael Monfils won 6-4, 7-6 (4) against countryman Benoit Paire.

Djokovic beat lucky loser Corentin Moutet of France 7-6 (2), 6-4) and Nadal beat unseeded Frenchman Adrian Mannarino 7-5, 6-4.

Nadal can guarantee the year-end top ranking for the fifth time in his career by winning the indoor tournament for the first time.

Djokovic, a four-time champion at the Bercy Arena, seeks a record-tying sixth year-end finish as No. 1.

— With files from The Associated Press

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 30, 2019.

The Canadian Press