Auger-Aliassime, Shapovalov Win Indian Wells Openers

Félix Auger-Aliassime and Denis Shapovalov each impressed on Friday in Indian Wells, getting their campaigns off to profitable begins. 

Each gained their opening matches in straight units, with Auger-Aliassime advancing to the third spherical after his first-round bye, whereas Shapovalov moved into spherical two after his match was pushed again to Friday as a result of rain on Thursday night time. 

Mixed with Milos Raonic’s victory, each Canadian man gained their opening match in Indian Wells. 

This week marks one yr since Auger-Aliassime final reached the quarter-finals of a Masters 1000 occasion in Indian Wells, however he confirmed indicators of re-finding that kind in his opening-match win over Fixed Lesitenne on Friday in Tennis Paradise.  

Auger-Aliassime managed the match from begin to end, breaking early in each units and by no means letting his opponent an opportunity again within the match as he superior to the third spherical of 2024’s first Masters 1000 occasion with a 6-4, 6-1 win. 

Whereas not the cleanest efficiency from the Canadian, Auger-Aliassime did sufficient to get the job carried out. Regardless that he solely put 57 per cent of his first serves in play, he gained 85 per cent of these factors, shedding simply 4 complete within the match, and saved the one three break factors he confronted.  

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A fast begin proved essential for Auger-Aliassime, as he broke serve within the opening sport and managed to take care of the initiative by way of the opening set.  

Whereas he struggled to tug away from Lestienne, together with failing to transform a pair of break factors at 3-1, the Canadian did sufficient to maintain the Frenchman on the defensive. Auger-Aliassime didn’t face a break level within the first set. 

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As soon as once more the Canadian made his transfer early within the second set. Auger-Aliassime pulled out every kind of spotlight reel pictures within the third sport, clinching the break with a forehand winner adopted by placing away a smash. 

Consolidating the break was one of many hardest moments of the match for Auger-Aliassime, as he confronted break factors for the one time all day. He discovered his finest pictures when he wanted to although, putting a pair of winners to avoid wasting the primary two break factors earlier than Lestienne missed a backhand on the third, permitting the Canadian to carry. 

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Auger-Aliassime then punished his opponent within the following sport, piling on the stress on return and ultimately changing his fourth break level of the sport with some large hitting to make it a double break lead. In the long run, he gained the final six video games in a row, including a 3rd break to seal the win. 

The final time Auger-Aliassime went on a run at a Masters 1000 occasion, it was ended by Carlos Alcaraz within the 2023 Indian Wells quarter-finals. The Canadian might need a shot at revenge within the third spherical this yr if the second-seeded Spaniard can defeat Matteo Arnaldi on Friday night time. 

Shapovalov Renaissance 

Up to now in 2024, Denis Shapovalov has proven flashes of what he’s able to on a tennis courtroom however has struggled to do it with consistency as he works his approach again from damage. 

That was not the case on Friday as he delivered one in every of his finest performances in months, blowing away Botic van de Zandschulp in straight units 6-1, 6-4.  

Gone had been the excessive error counts and rushed factors that Shapovalov could be liable to. As an alternative, he stored his opponent underneath stress with out overdoing it and was glad to profit from an error-filled match by van de Zandschulp. 

The Dutchman dedicated 18 unforced errors and solely managed seven winners, whereas Shapovalov fired 20 winners, practically twice as many as he had errors. It was a scientific serving efficiency from the Canadian who misplaced simply six factors on his first serve and solely dropped serve as soon as late within the match. 

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Following in Auger-Aliassime’s footsteps, Shapovalov received off to a fast begin, breaking in his opponent’s first service sport as he raced out to a 3-0 lead.  

It was one-way visitors for the Canadian, who was enjoying clear tennis and permitting his opponent to beat himself. Within the fourth sport, van de Zandschulp let a 40-love lead slip away as Shapovalov broke as soon as once more.  

Van de Zandschulp hung with Shapovalov early within the second set, however some spectacular defence resulting in a lob winner from the Canadian to arrange double break level at 2-2 appeared to interrupt the Dutchman’s will. He double-faulted on the subsequent level to give up the break. 

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After Shapovalov broke once more to go up 5-2, with the way in which he was serving it appeared just like the match was over. Nonetheless, the Canadian blinked for the primary time all day, going through a few break factors and finally netting a forehand after a line name he disagreed with to drop serve. 

For a minute, it seemed like Shapovalov was on the point of full collapse as he then went down 15-40 when he served for the match a second time at 5-4, however he managed to get again to the extent the place he had been all day, pulling out 4 straight huge factors to complete off the win. 

Shapovalov will meet No. 26 seed Lorenzo Musetti within the second spherical. He may face his countryman Milos Raonic within the third spherical in the event that they each upset seeds in spherical two.