The Shape Of Things To Come: Denis Shapovalov!

sjwoo

Rookie
So nice to have the OHBH still alive and kicking, even with the kids. I'm glad it's making a comeback, at least here in Wimbledon 2016.
 

vernonbc

Legend
Shapo's hat is driving me crazy. Either he's got a small head or his hat is three sizes to big but that huge strap sticking way out is very distracting. :D

C'mon Denis. Two more games. You can do it!!!!
 

vernonbc

Legend
Shapo is the 2016 The Championships boy's winner! 4-6 6-1 6-3.

O Canada!
First one down, two more to go. ;)

Way to go Denis! What a terrific accomplishment and he will forever be a Wimbledon champion. Good for him.

That's the first singles match I've seen Denis play. He has quite the game and I hope he's got good coaches that can harness that talent. I think FAA is the better tennis player, more solid with the basics, but Denis certainly has the bigger game.

The doubles should be interesting if the same guys are commentating. They mangled Shapovalov's name all through the match and at the end, they really bungled FAA's when they mentioned the doubles. Really, for professional broadcasters, you wouldn't think it would be too difficult for them to ask the players ahead of time how to pronounce their names.
 

gogo

Legend
Wow....I just have to say that I enjoyed watching Shapo play today. (not live) Once he shook off his nervous adrenaline overload of the first set, it was a joy to watch him. He goes for it. He has a variety of shots. He is emotionally engaged in the match. That serve. And, of course, that backhand!! Oh and the "hockey flow" hair. Heck, why not?

His style and personality are the opposite of Milos. They are a good contrast to each other.

Can't wait to see more of Denis playing!

I wonder if Rogers Cup will give him a WC into the MD now? I would definitely prefer to watch him rather than the regular crop below Raonic/Pospisil, who are stuck in the 200 - 300+ ranking range.
 

InvisibleSoul

Hall of Fame
Wow....I just have to say that I enjoyed watching Shapo play today. (not live) Once he shook off his nervous adrenaline overload of the first set, it was a joy to watch him. He goes for it. He has a variety of shots. He is emotionally engaged in the match. That serve. And, of course, that backhand!! Oh and the "hockey flow" hair. Heck, why not?

His style and personality are the opposite of Milos. They are a good contrast to each other.

Can't wait to see more of Denis playing!

I wonder if Rogers Cup will give him a WC into the MD now? I would definitely prefer to watch him rather than the regular crop below Raonic/Pospisil, who are stuck in the 200 - 300+ ranking range.

A shame they didn't include his best backhand of the match... it was the point before the inside out forehand winner at 1:34 in the highlights video. It was absolutely Wawrinka-like.

Don't know about Rogers Cup, but... Shapovalov got a wildcard entry into the Citi Open in Washington!

http://www.tenniscanada.com/denis-shapovalov-make-atp-main-draw-debut-washington/
 

stringertom

Bionic Poster
A shame they didn't include his best backhand of the match... it was the point before the inside out forehand winner at 1:34 in the highlights video. It was absolutely Wawrinka-like.

Don't know about Rogers Cup, but... Shapovalov got a wildcard entry into the Citi Open in Washington!

http://www.tenniscanada.com/denis-shapovalov-make-atp-main-draw-debut-washington/
Hometown kid, Junior Wimby champ...no brainer for at least a qualies WC, maybe even a MD. Of course, he could also earn his way into MD with a SE if he does well enough the week before at Washington.
 

The Green Mile

Bionic Poster
Saw a bit of his Singles Final. Liked what I saw. Lefty with a great looking one hander? Now that's talent ;) All kidding aside, I liked what I briefly saw of his game. Aggressive style.
 

gogo

Legend
Saw a bit of his Singles Final. Liked what I saw. Lefty with a great looking one hander? Now that's talent ;) All kidding aside, I liked what I briefly saw of his game. Aggressive style.

In the first set the announcers were saying that they wouldn't want to be his coach...that all he did was simply try to bash the cover off the ball. By the second set they were changing their view and commenting on his varied play. By the third set they were saying his backhand was like Wawrinka's, except left-handed. By the end of the match they were calling him a "rare talent". it was pretty funny to listen to them 'evolve'.

It was pretty obvious to those that had seen Denis before that he was simply a pumped up bundle of nerves in the first set and was simply over-hitting almost all of his shots as a result.
 

The Green Mile

Bionic Poster
In the first set the announcers were saying that they wouldn't want to be his coach...that all he did was simply try to bash the cover off the ball. By the second set they were changing their view and commenting on his varied play. By the third set they were saying his backhand was like Wawrinka's, except left-handed. By the end of the match they were calling him a "rare talent". it was pretty funny to listen to them 'evolve'.

It was pretty obvious to those that had seen Denis before that he was simply a pumped up bundle of nerves in the first set and was simply over-hitting almost all of his shots as a result.
Only saw the final couple of games. Yeah, even then he seemed a bit excited and anxious to end points quickly, even from awkward positions. Teeing off on the ball. But I think that had more to do with the finishing line so close. What do you make of his net game? He has an attractive game, hope he continues to work hard and stay focused.
 

gogo

Legend
Only saw the final couple of games. Yeah, even then he seemed a bit excited and anxious to end points quickly, even from awkward positions. Teeing off on the ball. But I think that had more to do with the finishing line so close. What do you make of his net game? He has an attractive game, hope he continues to work hard and stay focused.

Yes...by the end of the match he was over reaching again. He was confident and excited that he had the match in the bag and got a bit sloppy. And, to be honest, he was 'sloppy' with excitement a number of times through the match. But he had simply decided to "go for it". I presume that as he matures he will be a bit more thoughtful about when and how to take risks. In the meantime he goes all out with that naive confidence of a teenager.

From his presser:
"In the second set, I kind of found that confidence again, started going for shots. When I broke him the first time, at deuce I think I had a backhand pass. I just ripped it as hard as I could hoping it went in – and it did. The next point I had an inside/out forehand. I told myself, I’m going to go for it, I don’t care if I miss, I’m going to go for my shots. I went for it, made it, got the break."

Regarding Denis' net game, I am probably not the right person to ask. I am not technically knowledgeable. I do see Shapo trying to mix it up though and he does seem to have some touch at the net on top of his natural agility. While he can power the hits and serves, he is very comfortable running up to the net. I think that @stringertom would be a better person to comment than me though.
 

vernonbc

Legend
From Tom Tebbutt:

Shapovalov: A big boy junior
pixa-5MS_4653.jpg


With a 12-match winning streak started at the Nike Junior International in Roehampton (London) two weeks ago and completed at the Wimbledon junior boys event this past week, Denis Shapovalov has established himself as the best junior player in the world.

The 17-year-old from Richmond Hill, Ont. completed his remarkable run with a 4-6, 6-1, 6-3 victory over Alex De Minaur of Australia in Sunday’s boys final on No. 1 Court at Wimbledon.

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Photo: Wimbledon.com

It was a rocky start for Shapovalov, who later admitted to feeling very nervous. He lost his serve in the first game of the match and again in the third, bracketed around a service loss by De Minaur. But the match settled at that point and the right-hander from Sydney was able to hold the rest of the way to take the first set.

In the second, Shapovalov found his game and basically took over the match, breaking the steady but not overpowering De Minaur five times in the second and third sets. He only lost his own serve once the rest of the way to wrap up the Wimbledon boys title for Canada for the second time in five years. Filip Peliwo of Vancouver won the event in 2012, the same year Genie Bouchard captured the girls title.

pixc-5MS_4508.jpg


Shapovalov impressed a lot of hardcore tennis fans with his gusto, his serve, his volleying ability and his one-handed backhand, which one observer compared to Richard Gasquet’s.

“It was tough in the first set,” Shapovalov said about the final. “I felt like I was late a lot, especially because the way he hits the ball, he hits it very flat. It’s different from a lot of players I’ve been playing. In the second set, I kind of found that confidence again, started going for shots. When I broke him the first time, at deuce I think I had a backhand pass. I just ripped it as hard as I could hoping it went in – and it did. The next point I had an inside/out forehand. I told myself, I’m going to go for it, I don’t care if I miss, I’m going to go for my shots. I went for it, made it, got the break.”

After the match, Shapovalov spoke to his parents Tessa and Viktor at home in Canada. “They’re extremely happy,” he said. “I mean, I couldn’t see but it sounded like they even had tears in their eyes. For sure it’s very exciting for them.”

His mother runs a program called TessaTennis in Vaughan north of Toronto.

He will next get to measure himself against the top level of men’s tennis – the ATP World Tour.

The management firm Lagardere has given him a wild card into next week’s ATP 500 event in Washington, D.C. “I got the wild card to Washington, the Citi Open,” he said. “That’s going to be huge for me. I’m very excited. The Citi Open is one of the oldest and prestigious tournaments. It’s going to be great for me to play my first high ATP‑level tournament.”

Shapovalov has shown he can match it with tour players by winning three Futures events and reaching a Challenger semifinal since the beginning of 2016. His current ranking of No. 374 puts him seventh among Canadians with ATP rankings.

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Shapovalov’s only disappointment on the day was that he and great friend Félix Auger-Aliassime of Montreal were unable to win the boys doubles event. Playing back on the same No. 1 court after a ladies invitation doubles match was completed, the top-seeded Shapovalov and Auger-Aliassime were beaten 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 by second seeds Kenneth Raisma of Estonia and Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece.

“I feel bad for Félix for the doubles,” Shapovalov said. “I feel like mostly I blew it. In the third set I felt a little bit tired.”

The two can console themselves with at least already having one Grand Slam title – at the US Open last September.

So the 2016 grass-court season is complete and Shapovalov is the junior boys master. “I went 12‑0 this season on grass,” he said. “It’s unbelievable. I think my game suits it a lot. I knew going into grass courts, I was very excited for it. I knew from last year, I beat the world No. 5 first round of Wimbledon last year.

“Yeah, of course, I love playing on grass.”

It was a truncated afternoon for Shapovalov, but he was able to catch some of Milos Raonic playing for the men’s title in Centre Court. “I was following a little bit of it,” he said. “I know Milos lost in two tight tiebreakers. I saw him actually in the doping (testing). I told him, ‘tough match.’ He congratulated me.”

About Raonic and Auger-Aliassime not succeeding in their matches on Sunday, Shapovalov said, “too bad Milos couldn’t make it. He was close. He was playing good tennis. I think in the future both Félix and Milos will get their Grand Slam.”
 

stringertom

Bionic Poster
Yes...by the end of the match he was over reaching again. He was confident and excited that he had the match in the bag and got a bit sloppy. And, to be honest, he was 'sloppy' with excitement a number of times through the match. But he had simply decided to "go for it". I presume that as he matures he will be a bit more thoughtful about when and how to take risks. In the meantime he goes all out with that naive confidence of a teenager.

From his presser:
"In the second set, I kind of found that confidence again, started going for shots. When I broke him the first time, at deuce I think I had a backhand pass. I just ripped it as hard as I could hoping it went in – and it did. The next point I had an inside/out forehand. I told myself, I’m going to go for it, I don’t care if I miss, I’m going to go for my shots. I went for it, made it, got the break."

Regarding Denis' net game, I am probably not the right person to ask. I am not technically knowledgeable. I do see Shapo trying to mix it up though and he does seem to have some touch at the net on top of his natural agility. While he can power the hits and serves, he is very comfortable running up to the net. I think that @stringertom would be a better person to comment than me though.
Seeing him live on green clay isn't an accurate barometer of his all-court skills; he stayed back quite a bit but had enough fluid movement to close points aggressively when the opportunities presented themselves.

I do remember the Challenger match I streamed when he lost to Evans in a close one. His all-court game was clicking then before he faded in the third set.

He seems comfortable on all three surfaces but I would rate his preferences as it now stands as:

1. Moderate to fast HCs

2. Grass

3. Slower HCs/faster clay

4. Slow clay
 

dunlop_fort_knox

Professional
16 years old but already playing an aggressive all court game behind a wicked lefty serve and very solid movement/net skills. The FH is a bit loopy but his OHBH is sublime, coming over the ball with flat aggressive angles even on the return.

Even in today's SF loss in three sets to the veteran Daniel Evans, you can see the seeds of a game that will make his rise up in the rankings a very rapid process.

Keep him on your radar. His fellow Canadian teenager, FAA, received more attention initially but Denis is not to be ignored.
I can see the seeds of I will believe it when I see it...
 

Soul_Evisceration

Hall of Fame
I believe IMO Shapovalov will become a bigger force than Auger Aliassime. He seems mentally stronger, constructs points better, uses his variety better and hits bigger shots than Felix.
 

Soul_Evisceration

Hall of Fame
I believe IMO Shapovalov will become a bigger force than Auger Aliassime. He seems mentally stronger, constructs points better, uses his variety better and hits bigger shots than Felix.
 

Soul_Evisceration

Hall of Fame
I believe IMO Shapovalov will become a bigger force than Auger Aliassime. He seems mentally stronger, constructs points better, uses his variety better and hits bigger shots than Felix.
 

Ironwood

Professional
Heard McEnroe say....who'd have thought the Canadian juniors would be better than the American's...or something like that!
 

Dartagnan64

G.O.A.T.
I believe IMO Shapovalov will become a bigger force than Auger Aliassime. He seems mentally stronger, constructs points better, uses his variety better and hits bigger shots than Felix.

He's also 2 years older. There's a big difference between a 15 year old and a 17 year old in strength, skill, maturity and experience. Lets give Felix a couple years to catch up.

Think about yourself at 15 and at 17. I know I was far better at every sport I did at 17 than 15.
 

Dartagnan64

G.O.A.T.
Heard McEnroe say....who'd have thought the Canadian juniors would be better than the American's...or something like that!
I think he said Canadian Men's tennis future was stronger than America's Men's tennis. And clearly we dominated Wimbledon with a Men's finalist, A boy's champion and a boy's doubles finalist. No other nation did that well.
 

Rina

Hall of Fame
Is he Jewish? I have no interest in it other than I just found out this funny article in which Israeli journalist is trying to find a Jewish tennis player and he watched Blumberg against Denis, in hopes that Bloomberg is Jewish and ended up disappointed that he wasn't and thought that it is funny if his opponent might be Jewish but the journalist never figured that out. I might be reading the article wrong, it is late...

http://www.thejc.com/sport/caros-column/160164/blumberg-ticked-all-boxes-failed-jew-test
 

Soul_Evisceration

Hall of Fame
You are keeping in mind that Felix is still just 15 years old, right?

I know that people say he's 15 while Shapovalov is 17 but even if Shapovalov was 15, his game looked more impressive and seems mentally stronger but that's my opinion. I still think Shapovalov will the best prospect that comes out of Canada.
 

vernonbc

Legend
I know that people say he's 15 while Shapovalov is 17 but even if Shapovalov was 15, his game looked more impressive and seems mentally stronger but that's my opinion. I still think Shapovalov will the best prospect that comes out of Canada.
Are you new to the world of Felix fandom? I don't say that as a barb, but it sounds like you just caught up to him this last Wimbledon. Felix is going through lots of growing pains as 14 and 15 yr olds are wont to do and looks good one day and then rather ordinary the next but overall, he's a hell of a tennis player and has shown amazing mental toughness for such a young kid in many situations.

As I said on up thread, Denis is definitely flashier and has the bigger strokes but I think Felix has a better basic game - good serve, good forehand, pretty good backhand, excellent movement and, so far, that elusive 'head-on-straight' mature positive attitude especially for one so young and getting so much attention. All I know is I'm looking forward to watching both of them to see how they develop.
 

Soul_Evisceration

Hall of Fame
Are you new to the world of Felix fandom? I don't say that as a barb, but it sounds like you just caught up to him this last Wimbledon. Felix is going through lots of growing pains as 14 and 15 yr olds are wont to do and looks good one day and then rather ordinary the next but overall, he's a hell of a tennis player and has shown amazing mental toughness for such a young kid in many situations.

As I said on up thread, Denis is definitely flashier and has the bigger strokes but I think Felix has a better basic game - good serve, good forehand, pretty good backhand, excellent movement and, so far, that elusive 'head-on-straight' mature positive attitude especially for one so young and getting so much attention. All I know is I'm looking forward to watching both of them to see how they develop.

I'm only new to his prospect since Roland Garros this year. He had a winnable match vs Blancaneaux in the Finals and he definitely should of won vs De Minaur at Wimbledon. I know it's only 2 matches but I expected Felix to have found a way to dig deep and win and instead he mentally crumbled.

Denis on the other hand only loses when he's being outplayed or cannot last physically vs his opponents. That's a huge difference IMO.
 

3fees

G.O.A.T.
Wimbledon Junior Champ Shapovalov Ready To Transition Into Challengers,Jul112016

Milos Raonic wasn’t the only Canadian to make headlines this year at Wimbledon.

While Raonic was battling Andy Murray on Centre Court, Denis Shapovalov won his first junior Grand Slam singles title on Court 1. The 17-year-old from Ontario prevailed in a deciding-set win in the boys’ singles final over Alex De Minaur of Australia, 4-6, 6-1, 6-3.

But while the win was a huge coup for Shapovalov, he’s been directing most of his focus on pro events. After winning three Futures titles this year, he’s ready to make a full-time run on the ATP Challenger Tour. Shapovalov has played in three Challengers this year, with his best result being a semi-final finish on home soil in Drummondville. During that event, he became the first player born in 1999 to win a main draw match at an ATP Challenger Tour event.

“My first year on the ATP Challenger Tour has been very exciting so far. I've managed to beat some top players who have already played in the Grand Slams. It's just fun being involved in these tournaments,” he said. “Drummondville was the best Challenger so far. It was in my home country, so the atmosphere was incredible. It felt like I was playing Davis Cup at times.”

Shapovalov’s push up the rankings has been spurred on by two other up-and-coming Canadians, Felix Auger Aliassime and Benjamin Sigouin. Shapovalov and Auger Aliassime reached the boys’ doubles final at Wimbledon and prevailed in last year’s US Open.

“The way we see it, we are not competing against each other, but together as a team and trying to better one another. We are all extremely close friends and we always wish the best for each other,” said Shapovalov. “When we are traveling to the same tournaments, we make sure to hit and spend time together. They’ve definitely pushed me to become a better tennis player.”

Currently ranked No. 372 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, Shapovalov said his short-term goals are to win an ATP Challenger Tour event and finish the year inside the Top 300. But in the future, his aim is to eventually reach the same heights as Raonic.

ATP Staff

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3Fees :)


 
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