NEW YORK –
Russia’s Andrey Rublev beat Canada’s Denis Shapovalov 6-4, 2-6, 6-7(3), 6-4, 7-6(7) in a tough men’s third-round singles match at the US Open on Saturday .
Shapovalov, from Richmond Hill, Ontario, had 23 aces and 76 winners in the match, which lasted four hours and seven minutes. But he also registered 72 unforced errors, compared to 38 for ninth-seeded Rublev, who finished with nine aces and 38 winners.
And while both players recorded four service breaks, Rublev had half as many chances as Shapovalov (nine to 17). Shapovalov entered the match as the last remaining Canadian in singles at the Grand Slam event.
Rublev broke Shapovalov for a fourth time to take a 5-4 lead in the fifth set, but the Canadian, after saving three match points, registered his fourth break to make it 5-5. The two held serves force the crucial tiebreak.
After being 3-0 down, Shapovalov came back to make it 3-3. Rublev took a 5-3 lead, the Canadian came back again to make it 5-4.
Rublev took an 8-4 lead and Shapovalov fought back to 8-6. And he pulled up to 9-7, but that’s about as close as Shapovalov would get.
Rublev and Shapovalov held at serve for the first nine games of the first set before Rublev converted his first break attempt to secure the 6-4 win. Shapovalov struggled on his first serve (39 percent) and failed to convert either of his two break points.
But the Canadian retaliated in the second set, recording two break points en route to a comfortable 5-1 lead. After Rublev held serve, Shapovalov did so in a 6-2 win to level the match.
The Canadian improved his first serve to 51 percent and went into the third set while hitting seven aces compared to just one for Rublev.
The two returned to holding for the first six games of the third set to force the tiebreak. But the Canadian was ahead and secured the 2:1 lead with the 7:3 win.
But Rublev forced a fifth and deciding set by winning the fourth 6-4. And while Shapovalov had blasted 18 aces up to that point – Rublev had five – the Canadian was only at 52 percent on his first serve (Rublev was at 60 percent) and both players had three breaks despite Shapovalov having twice as many chances (14 to 7).
BASICS: Earlier in the day, Leylah Fernandez of Laval, Que., and her partner Daria Saville of Russia lost their women’s doubles second round match 7-6 (5) 3-6 6-7 (10) to Bernarda Pera Croatia and Dalma Galfia from Hungary. … Ottawa’s Gabriela Dabrowski is now the last Canadian to stand at the US Open in New York. She and her doubles partner Giuliana Olmos play Californians Ena Shibahara and Asia Muhammad in the round of 16 on Sunday.
This report from The Canadian Press was first published on September 3, 2022.