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SPORTS Wednesday 16 May 2018

Shapovalov shoots up the rankings with win over Berdych

ROME (AP) — Canadian to work towards for all my "I just couldn't find my foot- of play was delayed and 16th-seeded Lucas Pouille
teenager Denis Shapovalov life," Shapovalov said. "So, ing the first set. The clay then interrupted by rain, held off Italian wild card
pulled off another big win, to be able to do that, it's is so different here," said ninth-seeded David Gof- Andreas Seppi, 6-2, 3-6, 7-6
overcoming a slow start to pretty crazy. Hopefully I Shapovalov, who is making fin struggled to beat Italian (3)
beat 15th-seeded Tomas could lead the country to a his Rome debut. "But I just wild card Marco Cecchi- Greek qualifier Stefanos Ts-
Berdych 1-6, 6-3, 7-6 (5) in Davis Cup victory one day." kept fighting, kept com- nato 5-7, 6-2, 6-2 before a itsipas, who reached the fi-
the first round of the Italian Shapovalov is already the peting. And I'm really hap- partisan crowd; 14th-seed- nal of the Barcelona Open
Open on Tuesday. youngest player in the top py I got to turn the match ed Diego Schwartzman last month, advanced
Also on the red clay of 30 since Richard Gasquest around." eliminated Chilean qualifier when Borna Coric retired
the Foro Italico, three-time reached No. 17 in 2005 at On a day in which the start Nicolas Jarry 6-4, 6-1; and while trailing 4-1.q

Denis Shapovalov, of Canada, returns a ball to Tomas Berdych,
of Czech Republic, during the Italian Open tennis tournament, in
Rome, Tuesday, May 15, 2018.
Associated Press

Rome champion Maria the age of 19.
Sharapova defeated 16th- Showing off his crafty
seeded Ashleigh Barty 7-5, game, Shapovalov made
3-6, 6-2, defending cham- an audacious foray to the
pion Elina Svitolina routed net to conclude one point
Petra Martic 6-1, 6-2, and with an overhead smash as
defending French Open he ran out to a 4-0 lead in
winner Jelena Ostapenko the decisive tiebreaker.
eliminated Zhang Shuai 6-2, Berdych came back to
7-5. make it 5-5 but the left-
The 19-year-old Shapovalov handed Shapovalov then
is coming off a semifinal drew his opponent into the
appearance in last week's net and unleashed a wick-
Madrid Open, where he ed one-handed backhand
beat fellow Canadian Milos passing shot down the line.
Raonic in the Round of 16. On his first match point,
Already up to a career-high Shapovalov wrong-footed
ranking of 29th this week, Berdych with another shot
the victory over Berdych will down the line that his op-
move Shapovalov ahead ponent couldn't get back.
of No. 22 Raonic when next The risk-taking Shapovalov
week's rankings come out committed twice as many
— making him the top Ca- unforced errors as Berdych
nadian. but also hit more than three
"It's something I've wanted times as many winners.