"I told him at the net that he's my hero" - Shapovalov on eliminating Andy Murray from the Wimbledon Championships

Facing more than just his opponent on the court, Denis Shapovalov held his nerve to overcome Andy Murray and the throng of British supporters as he booked his spot in the round of 16 at the Wimbledon Championships.

The Canadian put on an impressive performance, overcoming Murray 6-4 6-2 6-2 in perhaps his best match of the tournament. With the predominantly British crowd backing Murray, Shapovalov found a way to block out the noise and secure the victory. Nonetheless, he remained humble after his victory, stating his admiration for the two-time champion.

“Honestly, I told him at the net that he’s my hero,” Shapovalov said in an on-court interview. “Achievements aside, what he’s been able to do in the sport to come back with an injury like this, to be playing the tennis that he’s playing, moving the way he’s moving… I said after his second match it was truly like ‘vintage Andy’ and so much fun to see as a fan.

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“The first set we played today was super, super intense, I had to really, really give it my all. After that, I was able to maintain the level as he dropped a little bit. But still, it’s incredible what he’s done to reach the third round like this. Obviously he’s just starting back up, so it’s going to be amazing to see what he can do.”

The 10th seed has been having an excellent grass-court season, reaching the quarterfinals at Halle and the semifinals at Queens two weeks ago. He improves to a 20-13 record this season, and will face eight seed Roberto Bautista Agut in the fourth round.

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