A BIG win for Alexander Blockx 🔥 The 19-year-old stuns Shapovalov in three sets to book his place in the @opendorleans quarterfinals #ATPChallenger
Denis Shapovalov's struggles continue: Early exit at Challenger deepens poor form
ATPFriday, 27 September 2024 at 01:30
Former world No. 10 Denis Shapovalov continues to struggle after an early loss, this time in a Challenger. Since breaking onto the Tour in 2017, the Canadian seemed like one of the most promising future stars, but following an injury in 2023 and several months away from the Tour, he has been unable to regain his form in 2024.
Currently ranked world No. 101, Shapovalov has not delivered strong performances. He has played some Challengers throughout the season to regain form and collect points in lower-category tournaments, but it hasn't been enough, and his results remain inconsistent.
Shapovalov: Once a Rising Star
Back in 2017, Shapovalov, at just 18 years old, put on an impressive performance at the Canadian Open, reaching the semifinals, including a victory over Rafael Nadal along the way, which frustrated the Spaniard's chances of taking the world No. 1 spot from Andy Murray.
He reached the semifinals at four other Masters 1000 tournaments, and in 2019, he reached his first final in that category. Even more impressive was his run to the semifinals at Wimbledon in 2021, though he eventually fell to the 7-time champion Novak Djokovic.
However, the great performances from his one-handed backhand seem a thing of the past. Shapovalov competed this week at the Challenger in Orleans, France, but only managed a first-round win against Benjamin Hassan (No. 192) before falling in the round of 16 to 19-year-old Alexander Blockx (No. 249).
The Belgian teenager took two hours and 19 minutes to secure a 6-4, 6-7, 6-2 victory, deepening Shapovalov's poor form. The 25-year-old Canadian had solid numbers on his first serve, but struggled with the second. He committed eight double faults, faced 10 break points, and lost five of them.
The former world No. 10 has yet to find his rhythm, despite having returned to the Tour several months ago, at the ASB Classic back in January. 'Shapo' has earned a few notable wins against top opponents like Adrian Mannarino, Nicolas Jarry, Frances Tiafoe, and Stefanos Tsitsipas. However, it hasn't been enough to regain his ranking position, and so far, 'Shapo' holds an 18-20 record this season.
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