DC Open: Feel-Good Win Lifts Shapovalov Into Washington Quarterfinals

Denis Shapovalov, DC Open, Washington
Denis Shapovalov (photo: Pete Staples/Mubadala Citi DC Open)

WASHINGTON, August 2, 2024 (by Michael Dickens)

Opening Stadium Court play on a blistering-hot summer day at the Mubadala Citi DC Open Thursday, where the temperature in Washington, D.C. soared to a high of 96 degrees Fahrenheit – and the heat index made it feel like 100 degrees – wild card Denis Shapovalov brought with him an undefeated 3-0 career head-to-head record against Miomir Kecmanovic into their third-round match of the ATP 500 hard-court event.

By the end of their one-hour, 43-minute tussle, the 139th-ranked Shapovalov of Canada had achieved a feel-good win over the No. 12 seed from Serbia, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2, to reach his first tour-level quarterfinal since the start of last season.

Coming from behind, Shapovalov dominated Kecmanovic in the final set by breaking his serve three times – in the second, sixth and eighth games – and converted four of seven overall. Add to it, the former World No. 10 improved his 2024 win-loss record to 15-17. He finished with eight aces, hit 35 winners, won 15 of 15 net points and outpointed Kecmanovic 83-72. All in all, a pretty solid job against a quality opponent.

At the conclusion of his win, Shapovalov beamed a smile toward his team. After shaking hands with Kecmanovic at the net, he turned to the crowd and raised his racquet with his left hand and tapped his heart several times with his right hand. The Canadian lefty was appreciative of what he had just accomplished.

The win, Shapovalov’s third this week in the nation’s capital city following a pair of straight-set triumphs over Robert Bautista Agut of Spain and No. 6 seed Adrian Mannarino of France, earned him a Friday match-up against World No. 14 and second seed Ben Shelton, the winner of an all-American battle over No. 13 seed Brandon Nakashima, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (4), in an hour and 45 minutes on Stadium Court in a rematch of their Houston quarterfinal. The last of Shelton’s 14 aces wrapped up his 25th victory of the season and advanced him to his sixth quarterfinal of the season.

“I’m really looking forward to playing Shapo again,” Shelton said in his post-match news conference. “We had a pretty epic five-setter on Court 1 at Wimbledon (won by the American). He’s an explosive player, electric player. Left-handed, which brings a lot of challenges. I’m looking forward to the matchup. He’s definitely going to be coming after me. Same with me.”

Looking back, Shapovalov made his ATP Tour debut in Rock Creek Park at this tournament in 2016 as 371th-ranked wild card, losing in the first round to Lukas Lacko. Now, eight years later, he’s advanced to his 38th tour-level quarterfinal – and first since 2023 at Adelaide-1 in the first week of the season.

Around the Mubadala Citi DC Open

• No. 5 seed Frances Tiafoe defeated No. 82 Aleksandar Kovacevic, 7-6 (3), 4-6, 6-3, in two hours and 29 minutes in another all-American battle on the Stadium court. The World No. 29 reached his third straight quarterfinal in Washington and became the first player to achieve the feat since Alexander Zverev reached four consecutive quarterfinals from 2015-18.

“Could have been a little easier there after the first. I had a lot of opportunities there in that second set. How the game goes. But ultimately happy with my performance,” Tiafoe said in his post-match news conference.

• No. 4 seed Sebastian Korda of the United States advanced to the quarterfinals after his opponent, No. 91 Thanasi Kokkinakis of Australia, was forced to retire in the third set. The 22nd-ranked Korda led in the match on the Grandstand, 6-7 (1), 7-5, 3-2, after two hours and 16 minutes. In Friday’s quarterfinals, Korda will face No. 7 seed Jordan Thompson of Australia, who eliminated No. 9 seed Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard of France, 7-5, 6-4.

• Spain’s Paul Badosa advanced to Friday’s quarterfinal round after No. 3 seed Liudmila Samsonova of Russia retired with an upper respiratory illness. Badosa lead after the first set of their second-round match 6-2 on John Harris Court.

As it happened, Samsonova wasn’t the only player forced to pull out of the DC Open. Later. No. 4 seed Ons Jabeur of Tunisia withdrew ahead of her opening match against 131st-ranked American wild card and local favorite Robin Montgomery due to a shoulder injury.

“After consulting with my doctor, it has been determined that participating will aggravate my condition,” Jabeur said in a statement to the tournament. “I would like to say sorry to all the fans here in Washington and the tournament, I was looking forward to performing here and getting to share fantastic moments with the Fans. Looking forward to coming back here next year healthy.”

• On Friday, Montgomery will face No. 43 Marie Bouzkova of the Czech Republic, who lives and trains in Florida. She eliminated No. 78 Taylor Townsend of the United States, 7-5, 7-6 (8), in two hours and 20 minutes after saving four set points during the second-set tie-break on John Harris Court.

• A marquee quarterfinal matchup was assured when No. 6 seed Victoria Azarenka of Belarus, ranked 20th, defeated No. 73 Wang Yafan of China, 6-1, 6-7 (5), 6-3, in two hours and 38 minutes on Stadium Court to reach her seventh last eight of the season. She outpointed her opponent 111-90. The victory advanced Azarenka to face fellow Belarusian and top seed Aryna Sabalenka on Friday evening.

What a travel odyssey for Rublev just to get to DC Open

Imagine you’re Andrey Rublev and you’ve just lost your semifinal match on Friday in the Plava Laguna Croatia Open in Umag, a city on Croatia’s Istrian peninsula. Your next destination is the Mubadala Citi DC Open in Washington, D.C. Fortunately, as the top seed, you will get a bye into the second round and won’t have to play until Wednesday afternoon. Still, flying from southern Europe to the United States isn’t a quick hop, skip and a jump and you’re there — especially if you’re trying to travel from Umag. Just ask Rublev.

Andrey Rublev

Andrey Rublev (photo: Ben Solomon/Mubadala Citi DC Open)

During his post-match news conference Wednesday evening, after enduring a nearly-three-hour rain delay to defeat Luca Van Assche, Rublev explained his travel odyssey in getting from Umag to the U.S. capital city.

“I flew all the day,” Rublev explained. “Three hours in a car to get to Venice. Three hours one flight, nine hours another flight. I arrived Saturday night.

“I went straight to the hotel, to my room. Then Sunday morning, yeah, I went to the practice. Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, I practice. Wednesday, today, I played.”

Rublev continued: “You have three options to fly from Umag: Trieste, it’s Italy; Venice, and Ljubljana is Slovenia. All of them minimum one-hour drive. Venice was two and a half, three hours.”

After driving from Umag to Venice, Rublev flew three hours from Venice to Madrid, then nine more hours to Washington. “And my bags didn’t arrive! They arrive last night finally.

“I was with nothing here for three days. Only three racquets.”

On Thursday evening, Rublev defeated No. 68 Arthur Rinderknech of France, 7-6 (4), 6-4, to reach his eighth tour-level quarterfinal of the season and first on a hard court since reaching the semifinals at Dubai last February. The loss denied Rinderknech of a first Top 20 win since 2022 and first career win against a Top 10 opponent in his ninth attempt.

Thursday’s ATP results

Thursday’s WTA results

Friday’s order of play

By the numbers

World No. 48 Flavio Cobolli of Italy reached his sixth ATP Tour quarterfinal – fifth of the season – and his first above ATP 250 level with his 1-6, 7-6 (0), 7-6 (7) victory over No. 8 Alejandro Davidovich Fokina of Spain that lasted more than three hours on John Harris Court.

The 22-year-Italian has earned 23 of his 29 tour-level wins this season. His victory over the 44th-ranked Spaniard was his third career Top 50 win on a hard court.

It’s worth noting that Cobolli saved five match points against Davidovich Fokina during their third-set tie-break and the Italian from Florence won the third-round match on his first match point to advance to Friday’s quarterfinals against No. 15 seed Alex Michelsen of the United States, who ended the run of 175th-ranked South Korean qualifier Seong Chan Hong, 6-3, 6-3.

“Quotable …”

“You just try to get down as quick as possible, get to sleep. It’s not easy. Finishing at 2 a.m., I was probably asleep at 4. It’s pretty unfortunate getting scheduled as a day match after finishing at 2 a.m. But it is what it is. It’s tennis. I asked to play night again, but it wasn’t possible.

“I came back here and got ready as best as possible, went out there and fought. Nothing’s ever going to feel perfect on the court. You’re not going to feel 100 percent.

“It’s important to just take what you get and go out there and do your best. I thought I did a great job managing my energy levels today and managing the match.”

— No. 2 seed Ben Shelton of the United States, during his post-match news conference, following his Thursday afternoon win over Brandon Nakashima. It came on the heels of his 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-3 win over 152nd-ranked qualifier Radu Albot of Moldova that finished early Thursday on Stadium Court.

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