Cabeza del Demonio
Professional
Melbourne, Australia - Minutes before the clock strikes six on Margaret Court Arena, Denis Shapovalov fires a forehand deep into the deuce corner, laden with power, spin and intent. Scramble as his opponent might, the killing blow has been struck. A primal scream of victory echoes through the sparse, COVID-restricted crowd as Sascha Zverev's backhand finds the net. It was a milestone victory notched - and an ominous message sent to the locker room.
It was as imperious a performance as ever from Canada's hotheaded virtuoso - a 6-3 7-6 6-3 demolition of the World No.3 and reigning ATP World Champion. To some, it came as a shock; the notoriously inconsistent Shapovalov could very well have folded against Zverev's methodical, consistent tennis. But to some who had watched his development over the years, it was merely confirmation - a long-overdue signal that the swashbuckling left-hander was destined for more than a career of second-rate stability.
After all, it wasn't Daniil Medvedev or Dominic Thiem that Rod Laver had predicted years earlier to be the heir to tennis's throne. Shapovalov's meteoric rise to fame had begun long before any true changing of the guard had occurred - all the way back in 2017, when he announced himself on the world stage with a shock upset against World No.1 Rafael Nadal. That win introduced the world to everything that would continue to inspire fans long after that Montreal run - a brand of tennis both arrestingly beautiful yet violently impetuous, a rebellious streak that empowered him against opponents and umpires alike, and a commitment to playing the game on his terms.
But as the years rolled on, it became an all-too-familiar story. As new names like Tsitsipas, Medvedev, Zverev, and Berrettini ascended to the top of the game, Shapovalov's results began to stagnate. For such apparent talent, progress became frustratingly slow. He wouldn't reach a Masters final until 2019, a Grand Slam quarterfinal until 2020, and a semifinal in 2021. He still only has one career title as of today, and remains out of the top 10. Seeing the rising star slowly but surely losing altitude next to his more stable but less inspiring peers, one wondered if his talent was simply a mirage. Had we overrated this guy simply because he beat Nadal once?
But that wouldn't explain the stretches of genius he continued to produce - displays of elegant, creative tennis reminiscent of Roger Federer. Nor would it explain his inexplicable tendency to lose big points with even bigger errors. Take the Wimbledon semifinal - if the Nadal win in Montreal exhibited all of Denis's strengths, this straight-set defeat against Djokovic highlighted all his pitfalls. After a trademark display of quality all-court tennis to grab the early break, Shapovalov led throughout the first set and served for the match. But instead of playing it safe as most of his NextGen peers would do, he went for broke once again and paid an embarrassing price - a putaway forehand sent long when Djokovic had literally hit the ground. It would be enough to turn the momentum to Djokovic's favor for the rest of the set. It was a microcosm of every disappointing loss for the Canadian: outplaying his opponent and looking in control only for the scoreboard to say otherwise.
The loss against Djokovic was a bitter pill to swallow, taking the wind out of Shapovalov's sails for the rest of the season. One disappointing loss after another - many of them self-inflicted - put him out of the tennis world's consciousness. Coming into 2022, he was merely an afterthought for most experts. A new elite generation was solidifying at the top of the ranks, and Shapovalov was not one of them.
But if there is anything one can predict about the young Canadian, it's unpredictability. With the usual suspects struggling to start their seasons on a high note and fans' attention locked on Djokovic's Australian visa debacle, Shapovalov began to quietly find his range at the ATP Cup, stringing together some impressive wins. While his performance wasn't without the usual ups and downs, it showed something that his tennis had lacked even during that 2017 honeymoon phase: maturity. Up against dangerous opponents like Struff and Carreno Busta, opponents who may have spelled death sentences for his game a year ago, he displayed an uncharacteristic patience, consistency, and focus. The usual fights with umpires and constant attempts at highlight-reel shots were noticeably toned down, and it paid off. Canada secured their first ATP Cup win, giving him a desperately-needed confidence boost going into the Australian Open.
They still didn't take notice. It was still a foregone conclusion that Denis would do what Denis always does, and self-destruct somewhere during the first week. He nearly did just that in his 2nd round, but held off a spirited challenge from both Kwon Soon-Woo and his own internal demons. Then he took out Reilly Opelka, a match pegged by experts beforehand as a possible upset. It was another quintessential Shapovalov match, his all-or-nothing approach costing him at times but ultimately winning him the match.
Still, the oddsmakers gave Zverev heavy odds to win their 4th round clash. After all, you never knew which Shapovalov would show up.
Today, though, it was the one which many fans had all been waiting for. Every part of Shapovalov's game was firing, especially his return - a shot which he had struggled with over the years, but was now finding its range and denying the 6'6 German free points on serve. That his greatest weakness had now become key to his success was a testament to his maturity and willingness to capitalize on his potential. The raw talent and shotmaking genius that we had only seen glimpses of in small tournaments was finally yielding results on the big stage. In two hours and 21 minutes, with one of the top title contenders sent packing, he had gone from an afterthought to a serious contender to the title.
There is still plenty of work to do. Nadal awaits in the quarterfinal. Tsitsipas and Medvedev look in top form. But today's win was arguably one of the most important of his career; a victory over one of tennis's biggest names, on the big stage, marked by calm consistency and end-to-end control of the match. This wasn't the performance of an overambitious youngster giving it his all; it was the performance of a man who believed he could win it all. And now he's thrust himself into that very position: a position he's been in before, and one he may well be ready to capitalize on. After 4 years of baby steps, Shapo has poised himself to take the biggest step of all.
If anyone is taking note, it will be Nadal. The Canadian had pushed Nadal to the brink in Rome last year, only to fall short after squandering match points. After all, the Matador of Mallorca will be in no mood to see his quest for the Slam record thwarted. The outcome of their battle is far from a certainty. But what's certain is that whether Denis Shapovalov wins or loses, he'll be doing it on his terms.
It was as imperious a performance as ever from Canada's hotheaded virtuoso - a 6-3 7-6 6-3 demolition of the World No.3 and reigning ATP World Champion. To some, it came as a shock; the notoriously inconsistent Shapovalov could very well have folded against Zverev's methodical, consistent tennis. But to some who had watched his development over the years, it was merely confirmation - a long-overdue signal that the swashbuckling left-hander was destined for more than a career of second-rate stability.
After all, it wasn't Daniil Medvedev or Dominic Thiem that Rod Laver had predicted years earlier to be the heir to tennis's throne. Shapovalov's meteoric rise to fame had begun long before any true changing of the guard had occurred - all the way back in 2017, when he announced himself on the world stage with a shock upset against World No.1 Rafael Nadal. That win introduced the world to everything that would continue to inspire fans long after that Montreal run - a brand of tennis both arrestingly beautiful yet violently impetuous, a rebellious streak that empowered him against opponents and umpires alike, and a commitment to playing the game on his terms.
But as the years rolled on, it became an all-too-familiar story. As new names like Tsitsipas, Medvedev, Zverev, and Berrettini ascended to the top of the game, Shapovalov's results began to stagnate. For such apparent talent, progress became frustratingly slow. He wouldn't reach a Masters final until 2019, a Grand Slam quarterfinal until 2020, and a semifinal in 2021. He still only has one career title as of today, and remains out of the top 10. Seeing the rising star slowly but surely losing altitude next to his more stable but less inspiring peers, one wondered if his talent was simply a mirage. Had we overrated this guy simply because he beat Nadal once?
But that wouldn't explain the stretches of genius he continued to produce - displays of elegant, creative tennis reminiscent of Roger Federer. Nor would it explain his inexplicable tendency to lose big points with even bigger errors. Take the Wimbledon semifinal - if the Nadal win in Montreal exhibited all of Denis's strengths, this straight-set defeat against Djokovic highlighted all his pitfalls. After a trademark display of quality all-court tennis to grab the early break, Shapovalov led throughout the first set and served for the match. But instead of playing it safe as most of his NextGen peers would do, he went for broke once again and paid an embarrassing price - a putaway forehand sent long when Djokovic had literally hit the ground. It would be enough to turn the momentum to Djokovic's favor for the rest of the set. It was a microcosm of every disappointing loss for the Canadian: outplaying his opponent and looking in control only for the scoreboard to say otherwise.
The loss against Djokovic was a bitter pill to swallow, taking the wind out of Shapovalov's sails for the rest of the season. One disappointing loss after another - many of them self-inflicted - put him out of the tennis world's consciousness. Coming into 2022, he was merely an afterthought for most experts. A new elite generation was solidifying at the top of the ranks, and Shapovalov was not one of them.
But if there is anything one can predict about the young Canadian, it's unpredictability. With the usual suspects struggling to start their seasons on a high note and fans' attention locked on Djokovic's Australian visa debacle, Shapovalov began to quietly find his range at the ATP Cup, stringing together some impressive wins. While his performance wasn't without the usual ups and downs, it showed something that his tennis had lacked even during that 2017 honeymoon phase: maturity. Up against dangerous opponents like Struff and Carreno Busta, opponents who may have spelled death sentences for his game a year ago, he displayed an uncharacteristic patience, consistency, and focus. The usual fights with umpires and constant attempts at highlight-reel shots were noticeably toned down, and it paid off. Canada secured their first ATP Cup win, giving him a desperately-needed confidence boost going into the Australian Open.
They still didn't take notice. It was still a foregone conclusion that Denis would do what Denis always does, and self-destruct somewhere during the first week. He nearly did just that in his 2nd round, but held off a spirited challenge from both Kwon Soon-Woo and his own internal demons. Then he took out Reilly Opelka, a match pegged by experts beforehand as a possible upset. It was another quintessential Shapovalov match, his all-or-nothing approach costing him at times but ultimately winning him the match.
Still, the oddsmakers gave Zverev heavy odds to win their 4th round clash. After all, you never knew which Shapovalov would show up.
Today, though, it was the one which many fans had all been waiting for. Every part of Shapovalov's game was firing, especially his return - a shot which he had struggled with over the years, but was now finding its range and denying the 6'6 German free points on serve. That his greatest weakness had now become key to his success was a testament to his maturity and willingness to capitalize on his potential. The raw talent and shotmaking genius that we had only seen glimpses of in small tournaments was finally yielding results on the big stage. In two hours and 21 minutes, with one of the top title contenders sent packing, he had gone from an afterthought to a serious contender to the title.
There is still plenty of work to do. Nadal awaits in the quarterfinal. Tsitsipas and Medvedev look in top form. But today's win was arguably one of the most important of his career; a victory over one of tennis's biggest names, on the big stage, marked by calm consistency and end-to-end control of the match. This wasn't the performance of an overambitious youngster giving it his all; it was the performance of a man who believed he could win it all. And now he's thrust himself into that very position: a position he's been in before, and one he may well be ready to capitalize on. After 4 years of baby steps, Shapo has poised himself to take the biggest step of all.
If anyone is taking note, it will be Nadal. The Canadian had pushed Nadal to the brink in Rome last year, only to fall short after squandering match points. After all, the Matador of Mallorca will be in no mood to see his quest for the Slam record thwarted. The outcome of their battle is far from a certainty. But what's certain is that whether Denis Shapovalov wins or loses, he'll be doing it on his terms.
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