Footwork adjustment paying off red-hot Shapovalov
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The 20-year-old from Richmond Hill, Ont., started working with coach Mikhail Youzhny last summer and the move paid quick dividends.
"He really made me change my footwork and start moving a lot more with smaller steps and much more actively," Shapovalov said Tuesday from Athens. "I feel like that just made such a big difference early on. At first it was a little bit tough for me in practices. I was getting tired quickly. But it really paid off quickly.
"I feel with that little adjustment I was able to just play a lot better and move a lot better on the court. It really helped me in those matches."
"From the first day I felt like he was really able to pick me up and really see my game," Shapovalov said. "He had a clear vision of how he sees me playing the game and how to coach me and how to work with me.
"I think he really clicked with me from the first day and the first practice. I think it's been very positive working with him."
The footwork change gave Shapovalov more time to prepare his shots, set up a plan of attack and follow through on court.
"I felt like I was able to do whatever I wanted with the ball a lot better," he said. "You know, control it, play it anywhere I wanted to. I feel like that's why I was able to play really well in Winston-Salem and at the (US) Open."
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Try to see his new footwork here:
Highlights Alexander Zverev vs Denis Shapovalov Paris Open 2019