Denis Shapovalov of Toronto, Ontario was an underdog in his first round match at the 2024 Madrid Masters on Wednesday, and came through with a big 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 win over Facundo Diaz Acosta of Argentina. Diaz Acosta is currently seeded 47th in the world, and Shaopovalov is 132nd.
A major reason why Shapovalov came through with the win came down to the velocity of the serve. Shapovalov had seven aces, while Diaz Acosta only had one.
This was the first match head-to-head between Shapovalov and Diaz Acosta. Shapovalov will now face another Argentinian in the second round. Shapovalov’s opponent is Tomas Martin Etcheverry, the 26th ranked player in Madrid, and the 27th ranked player in the world. This will be the first meeting between Shapovalov and Etcheverry. It should be noted that Etcheverry is a clay court specialist, as he reached the final in Chile and Houston in 2023.
Two more Canadians won this week. In the first round in men’s play, Felix Auger-Aliassime of Montreal, Quebec beat Yoshihito Nishioka of Japan 4-6, 6-1, 6-4. In the second round in women’s play, Leylah Annie Fernandez of Montreal, the 32nd seed, beat Anastasia Potapova of Russia, 7-5, 6-3.
Auger-Aliassime will next face France’s Adrian Mannarino in round two. Meanwhile, Fernandez will face Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur in round three. Jabeur is the eighth seed, and three-time grand slam finalist. She reached the final two at Wimbledon in 2022 and 2023, and the United States in 2022.
