No bones about it: Shapovalov, adorned with skeletons, 2-9 in last 11
In his first grass-court match of the season, the Canadian lost to Juan Martin del Potro at Queen's Club.
UPDATE: On Wednesday afternoon, Juan Martin del Potro withdrew from the singles and doubles tournaments at Queen's Club.
There may be no greater contrast in styles on the ATP Tour than when Juan Martin del Potro faces Denis Shapovalov. The veteran hits the ball as flat as a pancake; the youngster puts so much spin on his shots that he's like a tennis-playing sine curve. Even their apparel stylings were at odds, despite both of Nike their shirts being adorned with whimsy:
Here's a closer look at Shapovalov's top—"skeletons playing tennis and holding hands":
And speaking of sartorial patterns, knowledgable soccer fans will enjoy this quote, regarding del Potro's attire:
The two had played twice before, each winning an outdoor hard-court match in straight sets. On grass, both of their styles can win—del Potro's groundstrokes and Shapovalov's sliding serve will both stay low, and they each push the pace—and potentially overwhelm. On this day, it was del Potro who won, in impressive but overwhelming fashion, 7-5, 6-4.
Landing only 55 percent of his first serves, Shapovalov missed too many opportunities to earn free points, and began too many points from a troublesome position. Del Potro, on the other hand, didn't offer Shapovalov a break point all match. His match-point conversion—an unreturned serve—was fitting.
The two were supposed to bring their potent weaponries to bear on Tuesday, but rain washed out the entire slate of play. The circumstances mean del Potro will need to win five matches in five days in order to become king of Queen's Club; he's also playing doubles. Regardless, what's most encouraging for the Argentine is that he appears to be healthy, and hitting the ball with confidence. He's a player for all surfaces, and is unquestionably a top contender for Wimbledon outside of the Big 3.
As for Shapovalov, he's a perplexing 2-9 since reaching the semifinals of Miami—even more perplexing, three of those losses came to 35th-ranked Jan-Lennard Struff. The majority of those defeats came on clay, his weakest surface. Shapovalov is scheduled to play next week in Eastbourne; another opening-round loss would be quite concerning for the Canadian.
Regardless, we'll then find out whether the All England Club permits skeletons onto its hallowed turf.
