ATP live rankings has Denis up to #58 with his win tonight.
I think it's safe to say he's arrived.
Looking at his path to the quarter finals is downright tantalizing. If he stays within himself and continues executing there is no reason he cannot be squaring off against Cilic in a few days time.
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Last edited by Hot_Flatus; 08-31-2017 at 08:10 AM.
What's impressive is hearing Shapovalov worked hard on his volleys after Montreal and watching him execute effectively at the net. In like 2 weeks he's solidified that aspect, still not a huge strength but he's improved.
Meanwhile Raonic has had a poor backhand since his debut and never seems to address it.
Couple key points in the third set. Shapovalov hits a big serve and is in control of the point. After a couple rallies Tsonga hits a nice defensive shot to his backhand corner and you can tell he wants to hit the forehand bomb, but he flips and hits that sexy backhand to keep the pressure on and Tsonga puts it into the net.
Raonic would run around to his forehand taking him off the court, meaning he's either got to hit a difficult winner or be woefully out of position. That or his slice giving Tsonga the upper hand in the rally.
A small but important distinction that will serve Shapovalov very well. Being able to dictate points from either side.
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I don't think Milos is getting enough credit for recognizing the weaknesses in his game and attempting to address them. He's never going to have great footwork or be able to run down balls like Murray or even Denis, but he's certainly improved his fitness and speed over the last few years. His backhand is still a little wonky at times and his return of serve is not great, but it's much better than it used to be. One thing you certainly can't question is his work ethic, it's well documented that he's one of the hardest working guys on tour. Unfortunately, every time he seems to be making positive strides, he gets derailed by injury. Hopefully, he can resume playing on tour later this season.
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What's impressive is hearing Shapovalov worked hard on his volleys after Montreal and watching him execute effectively at the net. In like 2 weeks he's solidified that aspect, still not a huge strength but he's improved.
Meanwhile Raonic has had a poor backhand since his debut and never seems to address it.
Couple key points in the third set. Shapovalov hits a big serve and is in control of the point. After a couple rallies Tsonga hits a nice defensive shot to his backhand corner and you can tell he wants to hit the forehand bomb, but he flips and hits that sexy backhand to keep the pressure on and Tsonga puts it into the net.
Raonic would run around to his forehand taking him off the court, meaning he's either got to hit a difficult winner or be woefully out of position. That or his slice giving Tsonga the upper hand in the rally.
A small but important distinction that will serve Shapovalov very well. Being able to dictate points from either side.
I honestly don't see the point in comparing these two as they are so drastically different from one another. Raonic has limitations due to his size and natural ability, but I don't think anyone can fairly question his will to improve and commitment to training. I don't imagine you are very familiar with Raonic as he was a complete gong show his first few years on tour.
He's maximized just about every ounce that he can out of his game since he came onto the pro tour. His backhand is 100 times better than it was 5 years ago and is quite honestly becoming a weapon when he's able to get set. He has also developed an admiral net game due to sheer will to improve his movement and overall fitness.
If Denis has half the work ethic Milos does, he will find himself in a very opportune position on tour in the next year or two.
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Last edited by Hot_Flatus; 08-31-2017 at 09:20 AM.
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Yeah, no. Sharapova's not only a star and a draw, but a legitimate threat to win the tournament, as reflected by the above betting odds. Those factors make it perfectly defensible to put her on Ashe.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kidder
What's impressive is hearing Shapovalov worked hard on his volleys after Montreal and watching him execute effectively at the net. In like 2 weeks he's solidified that aspect, still not a huge strength but he's improved.
Are you sure, though? I mean, maybe you've watched a ton of his matches before Montreal, but I'd seen him play... I think twice? It's hard to know if he just had a bad run and if his volley isn't better than we say at Rogers. Same with serving; he was much better last night. Which of those players is closer to the real Shapovalov, I guess we'll see.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hot_Flatus
If Denis has half the work ethic Milos does, he will find himself in a very opportune position on tour in the next year or two.
You listen to his interviews and he's already carrying himself like a total pro. Hopefully that continues as he moves more into the mainstream and probably the top 30 pretty soon.
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Wow just saw that Bolelli and Fognini won their doubles match against Americans Johnson and Paul 6-0 6-0 in only 35 minutes!! Ouch! That might be one of the quickest matches I can remember
Watch ESPN will start to refer to Shapovalov as North American instead of Canadian to try drum up interest when the bottom half of the draw plays. It's too bad we don't have a healthy Milos he could have went far this year. Now there are really only 3 players who can win the US Open (and they all play in the top half of the draw) 4 if you include Shap which is still a huge long shot.
Chris Fowler ✔ @cbfowler All these US fans asking me - "can we please claim #Shapovalov as a (north) American?!" My Canadian friends say: "no chance. He's ours."
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Chris Fowler ✔ @cbfowler All these US fans asking me - "can we please claim #Shapovalov as a (north) American?!" My Canadian friends say: "no chance. He's ours."
Hahaha thats hilarious that didn't take long!! I would love to see a Canada vs USA Davis Cup match if we were 100% healthy I think Canada would win easily.
