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It wasn’t their first outing.
It wasn’t their most essential or their most memorable.
However on March 9, there was a number of all-Canadian hype when our nation’s prime ATP delegates teamed up in the men’s doubles event of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells.
All of us thought Félix Auger-Aliassime and Denis Shapovalov could be inseparable after their good junior careers, however sustaining issues grew to become a bit extra sophisticated as they moved up within the rankings, competed in several tournaments and set their sights on their very own objectives.
Shapovalov has had a number of success with veteran Rohan Bopanna, whereas Félix managed to grab his first joint title with Hubert Hurkacz on the 2020 Paris Masters regardless of enjoying far much less doubles.
What’s to not love in regards to the two Canadians who’ve been buddies since childhood and reached such heights?
In 2015, the youngsters gained the Junior Davis Cup and US Open boys’ doubles title.
Three years later, they teamed up on the NBO in Shapo’s hometown of Toronto. Their opening match drew an enormous crowd however resulted in elimination by the hands of Novak Djokovic and Kevin Anderson.
Barely two years after that, they took their doubles to the subsequent degree to safe the ATP Cup in Brisbane, Australia.
Shapovalov and Auger-Aliassime grew up collectively and broke by way of collectively. Once they competed collectively to clinch the 2022 Davis Cup, they made Canada one of many world’s elite tennis nations.
Whereas they didn’t pair up on the century-old competitors, their excellence in singles and doubles offered our nation with enviable depth.
On the night of Thursday, March 9, on a secondary court docket in Indian Wells, the duo locked in an easy two-set win over Holger Rune of Denmark and Ben Shelton of the US (6-1, 6-3) in simply 56 minutes.
Within the following spherical, a walkover offered by Cam Norrie (and Lucas Miedler of Austria) meant they’d punched their ticket for the quarters.
Read the analysis of their doubles win.
In Canada, their first match went viral because of the superb effectivity of social networks and #Shauger.
That’s SHA- for Shapovalov plus AUGER.
Evidently, portmanteaux—phrases that mixes two others—aren’t new and really pop up typically within the language. Consider phrases like podcast, smog and mansplain.
Learn additionally: Auger-Aliassime saves six match points to reach singles quarter-finals in Indian Wells
How do you’re feeling about Shauger?
I’ll come again to it. First, let’s check out a number of the tennis monikers that got here earlier than.
FEDAL, THE WOODIES AND ISNERMAN
The latest and most well-known tennis nickname belongs to 2 males who didn’t truly workforce up all that a lot.
That’s Fedal, coined on the inaugural version of Laver Cup in Prague again in September 2017, when the 2 legends paired up for the very first time. A wonderful and sudden second of tennis magic.
And earlier than Fedal, there have been a number of different portmanteau pairs.
Who may overlook the enjoyable nickname that grew to become a trademark for our very personal Vasek Pospisil and American Jack Sock after they gained Wimbledon as an unseeded workforce in 2014?
Pospisock.
Australians Jason Kubler and Rinky Hijikata have but to determine between Kubikata or Janky. Somebody urged Staff Kinky, however the pair flip them down with a smile.
This title, gained on their very first joint quest, got here virtually precisely one 12 months after one other Australian duo had secured it for themselves.
Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis shaped the aptly named Particular Ks. A nod to the breakfast cereal, the nickname launched a tonne of tie-ins like this t-shirt.
Protecting issues within the southern commonwealth, there was the golden age of the Woodies, Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde, who took residence 61 professional titles together with 11 Slams and a pair of Olympic medals (gold in 1996 and silver in 2000).
And as for the obvious nickname, it nonetheless stays the only and establishes the best doubles pair of all time: the Bryan brothers, Bob and Mike.
The twins gained twice as many ATP titles because the Woodies (119), 16 majors and Olympic gold (2012). Bob being left-handed and Mike being right-handed made them the right pair.
Final however not least is probably the most unlikely workforce.
In Might 2022, the tallest man on the ATP Tour joined forces with the shortest, and collectively they claimed the doubles crown on the clay in Rome. Quicker than a rushing bullet, John Isner and Diego Schwartzman grew to become Isnerman—a superhero nickname that caught from the get-go.
YEA OR NAY?
Getting again to Shauger.
Do you prefer it?
Alexandre Régimbald, who hosts the weekly Sur La Ligne National Bank Open podcast and was on the match, questioned if Shapoliassime could be a better option.
Lots of letters, for certain.
There have been just a few different options, together with mine:
DENIX
FÉLIS
SHAPOVISSIME
ALIASSOV
SHAPÉLIX
SHAPOFÉLIX
Care so as to add any?
No matter whether or not the nickname endures or not, we most undoubtedly wish to see them on the identical facet of the web extra typically.
Their bond and their smiles are irresistible. One fan even devoted a whole put up to Shauger smiles.
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Courriel : privard@tenniscanada.com
Twitter : @paul6rivard
Comply with all our Canadians in motion here.
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