The Shape Of Things To Come: Denis Shapovalov!

stringertom said:
That's pro level for both...you can play all levels as amateur or pro but once you take the step to declare pro you're barred from the amateur tournaments.
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Yeah that's what I thought, because you see a ton of guys make the majority of their living playing those challenger events, especially the ones that don't make it through qualifying at the larger events like slams and Masters 1000 events.
 
Gregor vs "The Kid" Denis , Gregor has a somewhat better baseline game than Nick, interesting to see how he responds and fairs in this match.

Cheers
3Fees :)
 
InvisibleSoul said:
That's a weird way to put it.

They're basically around the same skill level right now, except Shapovalov has more than 1.5 years on FAA. I'm curious to see what FAA will have achieved by November of next year.
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How do you figure they are at the same level? FAA lost to Duckworth, yes it was a close match, and is ranked 789 on ATP. Denis beat Kyrgios just now and won Junior Wimbledon. I don't doubt that skill wise they might be very close, but FAA has some maturing to do. Last year around this time he beat Denis in two sets, s it would seem that age is important, maturity vs immaturity possibly.
 
Erratic match. One miss made him break down completely, though Dimitrov was playing pretty solid. Hit one tweener where Kyrgios would receive 2 weeks of flaming for unnecessary showmanship, but naturally now it's all ridiculous talent instead.
 
Red Rick said:
Erratic match. One miss made him break down completely, though Dimitrov was playing pretty solid. Hit one tweener where Kyrgios would receive 2 weeks of flaming for unnecessary showmanship, but naturally now it's all ridiculous talent instead.
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That tweener looked like his only option at the time, the more impressive part was that he followed it up with a really good shot instead of admiring his previous shot.
 
Shapo has got great strokes.... very strong backhand for his tender years. But he's got a lot to learn about managing his game. He just threw the first set away
 
Here's why I like Shapo
(an essay by gogo)

He is fearless.
He goes for it.
The ATP has become so vanilla and they need exciting players.
He has a OHBH.
He is a lefty.
He has a LHOHBH.
He falls down, and then dusts himself off and gets back up again.
He's not a head case. (at least that I've heard or seen)
He's confident, yet not disrespectful of his opponent.
He doesn't argue/yell at the ump.
He cares about his family.
He has good friends that he speaks up for; and they speak up for him.
He has hockey hair and he is comfortable with that.
And, he has some amazing shots.

THE END
 
Yeah, that tweener seemed like he pulled it out of a bad position. He was trying to run around a backhand to hit a forehand, but clearly messed up and wasn't able to get around the ball to hit a forehand because it went further than he thought it would, and ended up bunting it between his legs. It looked like inspiration to get out of a bad position after a mistake, not intentional showboating (to me at least).
 
gogo said:
Here's why I like Shapo
(an essay by gogo)

He is fearless.
He goes for it.
The ATP has become so vanilla and they need exciting players.
He has a OHBH.
He is a lefty.
He has a LHOHBH.
He falls down, and then dusts himself off and gets back up again.
He's not a head case. (at least that I've heard or seen)
He's confident, yet not disrespectful of his opponent.
He doesn't argue/yell at the ump.
He cares about his family.
He has good friends that he speaks up for; and they speak up for him.
He has hockey hair and he is comfortable with that.
And, he has some amazing shots.

THE END
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2016 has been a delightful odyssey for the young man. I can attest personally the path he took through the Florida USTA Futures is no kind walk through a rose garden. A countryman of his named Raonic played the Vero Beach Futures in 2008, qualified and then lost 1R. Denis avoided the qualies by previous results that included two titles, one in January when he did go through qualies, and one title the previous week in Orange Park. His subsequent results at the Channel Slams two months later were also much stronger than Raonic's...a SF and a title vs 1R and 2R.

Players take different paths to reach their levels as full aged professionals. He may or may not match Raonic's peak, just as another recent Canadian junior champion, Filip Peliwo, has failed to blossom. However, the signs sure point to an end result closer to or better than Raonic, thanks much in part to those intangibles you have listed as reasons to like the young man.
 
Shapovalov looks like a caricature of the loser Targaryen brother from Game of Thrones. I'm sorry that I don't want him representing my country, but I don't.

Denis-Shapovalov-pulls-off-upset-in-first-round-of-Rogers-Cup.jpg


latest
 
WhiskeyEE said:
Shapovalov looks like a caricature of the loser Targaryen brother from Game of Thrones. I'm sorry that I don't want him representing my country, but I don't.
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What your last couple of posts seem to be saying is that you only like professional tennis players you find to be attractive. Okey dokey.
 
WhiskeyEE said:
Great. Another fake Canadian. Wtf is up with this kid's goofy face? Can't any semi-normal looking immigrants decide to represent us?

Now I know how the Aussies feel - producing nothing but embarrassments.
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Are you drunk? :)
We should be celebrating that Canada has another young hope. Even better, yet another Vancouverite!
Go Shapo, go!

Sent from my SM-G900W8 using Tapatalk
 
Rina said:
How do you figure they are at the same level? FAA lost to Duckworth, yes it was a close match, and is ranked 789 on ATP. Denis beat Kyrgios just now and won Junior Wimbledon. I don't doubt that skill wise they might be very close, but FAA has some maturing to do. Last year around this time he beat Denis in two sets, s it would seem that age is important, maturity vs immaturity possibly.
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His win against Kyrgios has a huge asterisk beside it. Kyrgios did everything he could to lose. Shapovalov still had to play well to win it, sure... but it's silly to believe he actually beat the #19 ranked player in the world straight up.

Before that, I think the highest ranked player Shapovalov had beaten was #227 Sidorenko, and that was just a couple weeks before Wimbledon.

FAA beat #205 King last year, when he was still 14 years old.

And don't forget, FAA had match points to win Junior French Open before Shapovalov won Junior Wimbledon. They are really both around the same level right now, and I'm hoping they both become big stars.
 
Teen phenom Shapovalov eliminated by Dimitrov in second round of Rogers Cup
RACHEL BRADY

TORONTO — The Globe and Mail
Published Wednesday, Jul. 27, 2016 10:57PM EDT
Last updated Wednesday, Jul. 27, 2016 11:15PM EDT


A magical couple of weeks in the spotlight have ended for 17-year-old rising Canadian tennis star Denis Shapovalov. Now the next chapter in his promising career begins.

Two weeks after winning the junior boys Wimbledon title, the youngster from Richmond Hill, Ont., became a surprise story at the Rogers Cup, stunning World No.19 Nick Kyrgios on Monday in just his second-ever ATP match. His run ended Wednesday in a second-round loss to World No. 40 Grigor Dimitrov, 6-4, 6-3.

The precocious lefty wildcard was not only the youngest player in the Rogers Cup main draw, but he became the youngest Canadian in the Open era to win a main draw singles match at this event. His week was filled with interviews and autograph-seeking fans lining the court as he practiced. Fans hollered his name and filled the stadium to get a look at the auspicious kid. A photo of the fiery, fair-haired player topped the Rogers Cup website Wednesday, alongside those of Milos Raonic and World No.1 Novak Djokovic.

Shapovalov – pronounced ‘Shapo-valov’ – took the court Wednesday night just minutes after famed Canadians Raonic and Genie Bouchard had each dusted their competition in straight sets. York University’s Aviva Centre seemed to be dusted in feel-good Canadian mojo.

The youngster broke Dimitrov just minutes into the match. The Bulgarian had turned pro himself at age 17. He climbed as high as No. 8 in the world back in 2014, but then plummeted out of the Top 20 in the past year. It was conceivable to imagine that maybe Shapovalov could capitalize on the recent inconsistencies of 25-year-old Dimitrov.

But Dimitrov’s superior experience began to shine through. He handled Shapovalov’s serve well and benefitted as the Canadian suffered with unforced errors. Shapovalov kept fighting even when it became apparent another upset wasn’t in the cards. He even had a between-the-legs trick shot that delighted the fans and pointed to the kid’s cool demeanour. Shapovalov took what he could from the experience.

“I think I really need to improve my serve. I thought I had a good serve until I played Kyrgios who was just bombing aces past me; same with Dimitrov. He was blocking my serve back like nothing when I was putting it in,” said Shapovalov. “I felt like Grigor really figured me out after – you could see he really thinks during the match. I mean, that comes with experience. Just playing more matches – more tough matches like that – will improve me.”

Shapovalov is the No.2-ranked player in the junior boys’ singles world rankings after his back-to-back titles at Roehampton and Wimbledon, in addition to a semi-final appearance at the Junior French Open. He began the 2016 tennis season ranked No. 1,132 in the ATP World Rankings, and climbed to No. 370 coming into Toronto – still the youngest player in the Tour’s Top 400. He is expected to crack the Top 300 for the first time next week.

“He’s been doing incredible things,” said Raonic, who watched Shapovalov play this week and at Wimbledon. “It’s an exciting time for Canadian tennis. It’s a big spotlight, so it’s a pleasure to share.”

He will now resume play on the ATP Challenger Tour – the ATP’s secondary circuit – part of his quest to become a regular on the ATP Tour in coming years. He said he plans to play two Challengers in Quebec next month: in Granby and Gatineau.

“I’m not gonna think about this result too much. Every week is not going to be like this,” said Shapovalov. “I’m trying to see my game, you know, one, two years from now, how to hit the top 100, how to hit the top 50.”


http://www.theglobeandmail.com/spor...n-second-round-of-rogers-cup/article31146163/
 
It hard to win back to back wins especially the first opponent is Kryrios! Takes a lot out of you mentally and physically!
 
BlueB said:
There can't be any asterisks when the winner is a 17 year old, who's just starting on ATP. A win is a win and one over a top player is huge at that stage of career.
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My point is his skill level is nowhere near being able to compete against the top players yet, and that's totally fine, and there's no way he would have won if Kyrgios actually tried. This shouldn't even be up for debate. Kyrgios absolutely threw the match, no ifs and buts about it.

Not sure if you actually watched the match, but most media articles kind of focused on Shapovalov instead of talking about Kyrgios' play, but this one talks about it:

http://www.sportsnet.ca/tennis/shapovalov-keeps-cool-rogers-cup-despite-kyrgios-shenanigans/

Every now and then, between unforced errors and half-hearted swings of the racquet, Kyrgios would unleash a stunner with a simple flick of the wrist, a reminder of what he’s capable of. You know, when he feels like it.

...

Yet, as he tried to push the pace as the match progressed, Kyrgios responded time and again with soft shots and blasé slices.

...

When Kyrgios was on serve, all the 17-year-old had to do was wait for the Aussie to implode. Kyrgios finished with 18 double-faults, including more than a few ill-timed in the third and final set.

...

By then, though, it was beyond clear Kyrgios wasn’t giving the local kid his best effort. Down 2-0 in the third, Kyrgios watched the ball leave Shapovalov’s racquet and, before it hit the ground, walked over to the other service box ready for the next point, willing to secede an ace. The serve, it turns out, was wide. Down 3-0 now, he hit another lazy shot, and boos fluttered from the crowd.

...

Not to be the Baby Ruth floating in the Bushwood pool, but it needs to be acknowledged that Shapovalov’s impressive win came against a player who, for extended stretches on Monday night, appeared to be merely going through the motions.

...

It took until Kyrgios was down 3-0 in the third set before he seemed to care. He got it to as close as 5-3, but Shapovalov wasn’t about to let this opportunity slide. It’s not every day a top-20 player tries to hand you a win. It was … bizarre.
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It's one thing to be off and not play well, it's another to completely not try at all.
 
InvisibleSoul said:
His win against Kyrgios has a huge asterisk beside it. Kyrgios did everything he could to lose. Shapovalov still had to play well to win it, sure... but it's silly to believe he actually beat the #19 ranked player in the world straight up.

Before that, I think the highest ranked player Shapovalov had beaten was #227 Sidorenko, and that was just a couple weeks before Wimbledon.
FAA beat #205 King last year, when he was still 14 years old.

And don't forget, FAA had match points to win Junior French Open before Shapovalov won Junior Wimbledon. They are really both around the same level right now, and I'm hoping they both become big stars.
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I have to admit those are all valid points that I didn't take into account. I wish them both the best, they seem like nice kid. Unless they object to me calling them kids like Taylor Fritz does. Don't call Fritz a kid, he said so in Washington Post interview, he is an adult, and married after all. In his own words.
 
StanTheMan said:
Will we ever see a canadian player with a canadian-sounding name again?

Pospisil, Raonic, this kid now...
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Exactly what do you think a Canadian-sounding name is? Everyone's name came from someplace else, unless you are referring to names in their aboriginal dialects from way, way before all the newbs showed up from Europe.
 
Let's see how he deals with all the media hype and expectations thrown at him. A big difference between the times we live in, and the days of yesteryear. Most definitely plays a factor in the mentality make-up of today's youngsters.
 
The Green Mile said:
Let's see how he deals with all the media hype and expectations thrown at him. A big difference between the times we live in, and the days of yesteryear. Most definitely plays a factor in the mentality make-up of today's youngsters.
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I agree. But I think the fact that he goes for a couple of challengers rather than accepting WCs to ATPs is a good sign, which I like a lot
 
Gut Check said:
What your last couple of posts seem to be saying is that you only like professional tennis players you find to be attractive. Okey dokey.
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But 85% of the men on here do this routinely on here and are never called out on it. It's hilarious to see the men here drooling over Avatars of models, inanely thinking it's the poster themselves. When they find out it's not the poster, they lose interest immediately. Remember the 500 posts about Tsonga's GF last year?

Double standard much?
 
Isn't that comment about Canadians not being Canadians a bit of uncalled for? Aren't Pete Sampras's parents immigrants from Greece? Agassi's Dad from Iran? Tiafoe 's parents are Sierra Leone, Kozlov in Macedonia, Mmoh dad is from Nigeria and he grew up in Saudi Arabia. They are just as American as those kids are Canadian.
 
Nice TO tournament.

But agree that he should play Challengers and not go for ATP wild cards - yet.

Anyone else think who the natural coach is for him? Johnny Mac!
 
BeatlesFan said:
But 85% of the men on here do this routinely on here and are never called out on it. It's hilarious to see the men here drooling over Avatars of models, inanely thinking it's the poster themselves. When they find out it's not the poster, they lose interest immediately. Remember the 500 posts about Tsonga's GF last year?
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No I don't remember the Tsonga GF posts. I don't spend that much time on this forum.

BeatlesFan said:
Double standard much?
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Pure deflection on your part. Any prior occurrences of similar don't excuse this one, regardless of gender. The types of posts you are referring to are all worthy of imbeciles.
 
Interesting that McEnroe could no longer compete with Sampras physically. Now, the "things to come" can only conquer the game when the older generation can no longer physically play tennis.
 
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