Shapovalov nabs spot in ATP Next Gen Finals
His first round victory in Basel secured the spot in Milan.
Denis Shapovalov is heading to Milan for the inaugural ATP Next Gen Finals. On Monday, the 18-year-old defeated Yuichi Sugita after losing the first set, 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (3). The match ended a little anti-climatically on a double fault, but the two-hour battle was quite a show.
Shapovalov's one-handed backhand was a strong component in the fight, whipping up a number of flashy winners:
The world No. 49—the youngest member of the Top 50—also pulled out a pretty half volley:
Shapovalov is currently ranked fourth in the Race to Milan, in a field that includes Alexander Zverev, Andrey Rublev, Karen Khachanov, Jared Donaldson and Borna Coric. The tournament is set to begin on Nov. 7.