3 hours, 29 minutes. @denis_shapo survives a spirited Gilles Simon to reach the second round 6-2 7-5 5-7 6-3. #RolandGarros
"It's almost like playing on another, third surface" - Shapovalov reviews playing conditions following his first round win at Roland Garros
ATPWednesday, 30 September 2020 at 13:45
Canadian sensation Denis Shapovalov required three and a half hours to dispatch of French veteran Gilles Simon in their first round encounter at Roland Garros.
The 21-year old overcame a spirited effort from Simon, as he battled to a 6-2 7-5 5-7 6-3 victory on Tuesday. The match could have gone the distance had Simon successfully served out the second set at 5-3 40-0, but the Frenchman squandered his set points and allowed the Canadian back into the set.
“Definitely very happy to get the win,” Shapovalov said. “Coming back in the second set was huge, otherwise I felt like it would have been a long five-set battle.
“Of course, to play Gilles is super tough, especially on these courts. Super happy to get the win.”
When asked about his rapid transition from hard-court to clay, Shapovalov thanked his team and current coach Mikhail Youzhny. He stated that working with former ATP pro Youzhny in Florida during the season's shutdown contributed to his success on the red dirt, at a much faster rate than even he anticipated.
"They [Florida] don’t have red clay, but we spent a lot of time on green clay and just got used to playing on clay, working the points and just building my game on that surface,” Shapovalov said. “So I really feel like it’s been super helpful but I don’t think anyone expected for my transition to be that good and to play that well in Rome and leading into even this tournament.
“To play so well today, the conditions are way different than they are in Rome. It’s almost like playing on another, third surface.
Following his victory, the World No.11 has set a second round clash with Roberto Carballes Baena. The Spaniard dropped just two games in his 6-1 6-1 6-0 drubbing of American Steve Johnson in the first round.
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