In the final of the Dallas Open, Denis Shapovalov defeated No. 2 seed Casper Ruud 7-6(5), 6-3. Previously, he eliminated No. 1 seed Fritz in the second round, defeated No. 6 seed Mahachi in the quarter-finals, and defeated No. 3 seed Paul in the semi-finals!
For Shapovalov, he had a perfect week at the Dallas Open. He said in an interview at the venue:
"There's so much to be happy about. Of course, this is the most important championship of my career. I had a good chance against Medvedev a few years ago [in Vienna in 2022], but he played a great match after losing the first set. I'm really happy to stay strong and win this time. ”
Dallas has been upgraded this year to become an ATP 500-level event. So, this is the highest-ranking title of Shapovalov's three Tour titles.
Shapovalov relied on his powerful and deceptive left-handed play to keep Ruud running left and right on the court. He made 13 aces throughout the match and opened up space with his forehand to find an opportunity to reach the net.
It was Shapovalov's first win against Ruud, and the head-to-head record was changed to 1:2. The previous two encounters had come on clay, where Ruud is preferred.
Shapovalov's top-10 wins over the world this week include a victory over fifth-ranked Ruud in the final, a victory over ninth-ranked defending champion Tommy Paul in the semifinals, and a second-round victory over fourth-ranked Taylor Fritz. Fritz, Ruud and Paul are the top three seeds in Dallas, respectively. Before the start of the Dallas event, Shapovalov had an 11-33 record against the top 10 players.
Shapovalov believes that his victory over top seed Fritz in the second round gave him a lot of confidence. The win convinced him that he had what it took to beat these top-10 players again. He said that with his current position in the standings (54th before the tournament), there is nothing to lose against the likes of Mahachi (25), Paul (9) and Ruud (5), who are all ranked ahead of him. "So, I know I have what it takes to beat them, and I don't expect anything from that – if I lose, it's okay." I was able to play freely and give it a go. ”
After winning the title, Shapovalov moved up to No. 32 in the ATP Instant Rankings, his highest ranking since September 2023. Shapovalov ended his season with a knee injury after Wimbledon 2023. At one point last year, he dropped to No. 140 in the ATP rankings, but the former world top 10 player showed his best form at the ATP 500 this week.
Shapovalov said earlier this week:
"It's really, really tough. There were many times when I didn't know if I would ever be able to get back on the tennis court, or even if I would ever be able to do so. Even after I started playing, there were a lot of tough days. It's difficult. Sometimes I'm in good shape, sometimes I can't even lift my leg because of knee pain.
"There was a lot of hard work and sacrifice from everyone. I don't expect to get me back to where I was, even if it's just to get me back in the ring. It's incredible to be able to play like this. I'm really happy to feel like I'm getting back into shape. ”
Shapovalov's first Tour title was in Stockholm. That time he not only won the championship, but also the love. A love, an injury, a wedding, after which Shapovalov's career came to a low point in 2023. I should be glad that Shapovalov can return to his normal track for the 2024 season.
Shapovalov currently has three tour-level titles, all on indoor hard courts. His previous two titles were won in Stockholm in 2019 and Belgrade in 2024.
In ATP 250 or 500 events (since the introduction of this event category in 2009), it can be achievedWin against three of the world's top 10 playersThere are only four at the moment:
DimitrovIn Brisbane in 2017, he defeated world No. 8 Thiem, No. 3 Raonic and No. 5 Kei Nishikori.
Del PotroIn 2018, he defeated world No. 6 Thiem, No. 5 Zverev and No. 8 Anderson in Acapulco.
KyrgiosIn 2019, he defeated world No. 2 Nadal, No. 9 Isner and No. 3 Zverev in Acapulco. (Some players get red eyes when they touch Nadal, as if they just want to win Nadal.) In addition to Kjo Gauss, there are Fognini and others. [covers face])
Shapovalov In Dallas 2025, he defeated world No. 4 Fritz, No. 9 Paul, and No. 5 Ruud.
It is hoped that the 25-year-old Shapovalov can take advantage of this east wind to "make a comeback". Because his style of play is really good-looking. Without Federer, Shapovalov's SLR is the most beautiful scenery on the field.
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