Shapovalov and Walton advance to semifinals in Los Cabos
Canadian Denis Shapovalov confirmed his strong form in his debut at the Mifel Tennis Open by Telcel Oppo, advancing to the semifinals of the ATP 250 tournament after a convincing victory over Australian Tristan Schoolkate 6-3, 6-2 in just one hour and 18 minutes on the main court of the Mextenis Stadium.
Shapovalov, the tournament’s third seed and world number 33, showed solidity from the baseline and power with his serve, hitting 10 aces and increasing his effectiveness to 64%, well above his opponent’s 37%. Despite losing his serve early in the match, the Canadian quickly corrected course to close out the first set in 33 minutes and then dominate the second with confidence and aggression. “I had a shaky start, losing 3-1 and missing a lot of close calls. It’s easy to get tense and just want to sink the ball, but that’s not good for my game. I’m happy I kept trying, the shots started falling, and I felt like I was in control of the match,” Shapovalov said after the victory.
The 25-year-old left-hander, coming off the grass-court tour, acknowledged that he didn’t expect to play so well in his first appearance at the Los Cabos tournament:
“The first two matches were great. The first one was very tough, so I’m very happy with how everything is going for me.”
Walton defeats Duckworth and completes the semifinals
Later, in a first-ever duel between compatriots and doubles partners, Adam Walton defeated James Duckworth in three sets, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, in a two-hour match played at the Grandstand of the sports complex.
Duckworth, who had started strongly by winning the first set, couldn’t sustain the pressure against a Walton who significantly improved his serve (10 aces in total) and took advantage of his opponent’s 14 unforced errors. In the third set, with the score tied 3-3, Walton achieved a crucial break to take the lead and close out the match with authority.
With this victory, the eighth-seeded Australian advances to his first semifinal in Los Cabos, where he will face an in-form Shapovalov.
Information and photos courtesy of MIFEL TENNIS OPEN BY TELCEL OPPO