Rain washes away most of Day 1 motion at Jarry Tennis Centre

Article content material

Can Denis Shapovalov discover a strategy to win a tennis match?

Article content material

We’ll have to attend till Tuesday to search out the reply to that query.

The delight of Richmond Hill, Ont., and Australian Alex de Minaur had been locked in a battle of carefully matched 23-year-olds when a torrential downpour halted first-round motion on the Nationwide Financial institution Open Monday night. The match in IGA Stadium will resume Tuesday afternoon, with de Minaur main 7-5, 6-6 and the tiebreaker deadlocked at 3-3. Will probably be the third match on centre court docket after matches that includes Canadian wild playing cards Vasek Pospisil and Alexis Galarneau. Pospisil performs Tommy Paul of the U.S. at 11 a.m. and Laval native Galarneau will face Fifteenth-ranked Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria.

Shapovalov, who has been touted as a future Grand Slam champion, has had problem successful matches since he beat Rafael Nadal en path to the quarter-finals of the Masters 1000 in Rome in early Might.

Article content material

Whereas the left-hander insisted Sunday that he’s enjoying effectively, he conceded the outcomes haven’t been there and he has gained solely certainly one of his final 9 matches.

The primary set provided a microcosm of Shapovalov’s efficiency over the previous three months. His serve was magnificent over the primary 5 service video games, as he put 81 per cent of his first serves in play and gained 21 of 24 factors on his serve. Needing a maintain within the twelfth recreation to drive a tiebreaker, his recreation broke down. He served his fifth ace early within the recreation, however two free factors allowed de Minaur to convey the sport to deuce and the Australian gained the following two factors for the break and the set.

Shapovalov gained an early benefit within the second set when he broke de Minaur within the third recreation after which fought off two break factors within the subsequent recreation by delivering two unreturnable serves. De Minaur pulled even at 4-4  when Shapovalov double-faulted on break level.

Article content material

The up-and-down nature of Shapovalov’s recreation was on show within the tiebreaker as effectively. He reeled off three consecutive forehand winners to take a 3-1 lead, however let de Minaur draw even with two errors.

Rain proved to be a headache at each ends of Monday’s schedule. There was a five-hour delay to begin the day session. The rain was forecast to renew at 6 p.m., nevertheless it held off lengthy sufficient to offer the night crowd with some leisure, even when there was an unsatisfactory and moist conclusion.

Two different matches had been suspended by the rain and eight matches had been postponed. The result’s a busy scheduled for Tuesday with organizers shifting the beginning forward one hour to 11 a.m. whereas hoping the weatherman’s prediction of morning showers is unsuitable.

Article content material

Swiss veteran Stan Wawrinka regarded uncomfortable in his first hard-court match since final March and he dropped a 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 choice to Emil Ruusuvuori of Finland. A 3-time Grand Slam champion, the 37-year-old Wawrinka is getting back from a left foot harm that sidelined for many of final 12 months.

Russian Karen Khachanov outlasted Francisco Cerundolo of Argentina 7-6(4), 5-7, 6-3; Jenson Brooksby of the U.S. defeated Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan 6-2, 6-3 and Alec Molcan of Slovakia eradicated  Mackenzie McDonald of the U.S. 7-6 (1), 6-4.

phickey@postmedia.com

twitter.com/zababes1