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Félix Auger-Aliassime and Denis Shapovalov each impressed on Friday in Indian Wells, getting their campaigns off to successful 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 on account of rain on Thursday evening.
Mixed with Milos Raonic’s victory, each Canadian man gained their opening match in Indian Wells.
This week marks one 12 months since Auger-Aliassime final reached the quarter-finals of a Masters 1000 occasion in Indian Wells, however he confirmed indicators of re-finding that type 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 finished. 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 whole within the match, and saved the one three break factors he confronted.
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A fast begin proved crucial for Auger-Aliassime, as he broke serve within the opening sport and managed to keep up the initiative by means 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 all types of spotlight reel photographs 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 greatest photographs when he wanted to although, hanging 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 strain on return and ultimately changing his fourth break level of the sport with some enormous hitting to make it a double break lead. Ultimately, 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 in the 2023 Indian Wells quarter-finals. The Canadian may need a shot at revenge within the third spherical this 12 months if the second-seeded Spaniard can defeat Matteo Arnaldi on Friday evening.
Shapovalov Renaissance
Thus far 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 among his greatest 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 may be liable to. As a substitute, he stored his opponent underneath strain with out overdoing it and was joyful 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, almost twice as many as he had errors. It was a medical 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 acquired 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 site visitors for the Canadian, who was taking part in 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 best way he was serving it appeared just like the match was over. Nonetheless, the Canadian blinked for the primary time all day, dealing with a few break factors and in the end netting a forehand after a line name he disagreed with to drop serve.
For a minute, it regarded like Shapovalov was getting ready to 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 might face his countryman Milos Raonic within the third spherical in the event that they each upset seeds in spherical two.
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