Canada’s Shapovalov posts upset win on Day 1 of Wimbledon
Canada’s Denis Shapovalov produced one of the first upsets at Wimbledon on Monday with a 6-1, 7-5, 6-4 opening-round win over No. 19 Nicolas Jarry of Chile.
Shapovalov had nine aces in the match and broke Jarry four times while saving both break points he faced.
The former world No. 10 from Richmond Hill, Ont., hit 29 winners to Jarry’s 19 and scored 98 points in total.
The 25-year-old Canadian, who entered the match ranked 121st in the world, will next face the winner of a match between Germany’s Daniel Altmaier and British wild-card Arthur Fery at the grass-court Grand Slam.
WATCH: Shapovalov cruises to upset win in 1st round:
Denis Shapovalov of Richmond Hill, Ont. rode a hot serve to a 6-1, 7-5, 6-4 Wimbledon victory over 19 seed Nicolas Jarry.
Shapovalov advanced to the Round of 16 at Wimbledon last year. He made it to the semifinals at the All England Club in 2021 before losing to top seed and eventual champion Novak Djokovic.
Later Monday, Bianca Andreescu of Mississauga, Ont., was slated to face Romania’s Jaqueline Cristian in a women’s first-round match.
Meanwhile, Defending men’s champion Carlos Alcaraz won easily over qualifier Mark Lajal, 7-6 (3), 7-5, 6-2.
Lajal proved to be something of a speedbump for Alcaraz, who acknowledged that his 269th-ranked Estonian opponent “surprised me a little bit” on Day 1 at the All England Club.
Alcaraz, who won his third major championship at the French Open three weeks ago, defeated Novak Djokovic in last year’s final on the grass at Wimbledon but said he was still nervous before Monday’s match.
Earlier, Aryna Sabalenka and Victoria Azarenka both pulled out of the tournament because of respective shoulder injuries.