Denis Shapovalov won the battle of the NextGen stars as he fought back to beat Stefanos Tsitsipas at the Miami Open, but another up and coming youngster in Frances Tiafoe stands in his way of a semi-final place.
The 19-year-old Shapovalov came out on top of the 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-3) scoreline with the match ending just before 01:40 local time.
Shapo seals it in style 🤘
🇨🇦 @denis_shapo d. Tsitsipas 4-6 6-3 7-6(3), earning his second top 10 win and first #MiamiOpen QF
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) March 27, 2019
One break of serve was enough for Australian Open semi-finalist Tsitsipas to take the first set, but his Canadian opponent raced into a 5-1 lead in the second set and then served it out.
After no breaks in the decider, it was Shapovalov who held his nerve in the tie-breaker.
“I knew Stefanos was going to be a tough match. I was ready for a long battle and, sure enough, it went the distance,” Shapovalov said.
“I’m just happy with the way I controlled myself and the way I played today.”
Next up is another NextGen star in Tiafoe after the American beat David Goffin 7-5, 7-6 (8-6).
Goffin twice had the edge in the first set courtesy of breaks of serve, but Tiafoe won the final four games of the set and then produced a steady tie-breaker in the second set.
🇺🇸 @FTiafoe celebrates his first Masters 1000 QF with the @KingJames silencer in Miami 🔥#MiamiOpen
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) March 27, 2019
Meanwhile, 23-time Grand Slam winner Federer and Daniil Medvedev were unable to get onto court due to inclement weather with the match rescheduled for Wednesday.
