ATP Cincinnati: Denis Shapovalov tops Cilic. Auger-Aliassime, Opelka, Raonic win

It was a great day for the young guns in Cincinnati on Saturday, scoring important wins in the first ATP event since the coronavirus outbreak. The 20-year-old Felix Auger-Aliassime took down Nikoloz Basilashvili 6-4, 6-1 in an hour and 16 minutes, securing his 15th Masters 1000 triumph. It was their third meeting and the third victory for the Canadian who got broken twice, delivering five return games to control the scoreboard and move into the next round. Felix had ten winners and 22 unforced errors, not great numbers but more than enough to outplay the opponent who sprayed more than 35 mistakes. They stayed neck and neck in the more advanced exchanges and it was Auger-Aliassime who had the upper hand in the quickest ones up to four strokes, hitting a return winner in almost 30% of all the points behind the initial shot. Basilashvili grabbed an early break before the youngster leveled the score at 3-3. They traded breaks in games seven and eight, and the Canadian clinched his third at 5-4 to wrap up the set.

Felix barely lost a point in his games in set number two, stealing Basilashvili's serve in games four and six and moving over the top with three winners at 5-1. Denis Shapovalov is through to the second round following a 6-3, 6-3 win over a former champion Marin Cilic in an hour and 18 minutes. The Canadian clinched his third straight triumph over the Croat with rock-solid performance, dropping 15 points in nine service games and fending off the only break chance offered to Marin. Struggling on the second serve, Cilic got broken thrice, hitting seven winners and 21 unforced errors and not following Denis' pace in the shortest rallies up to four strokes. Shapovalov saved a break point with a service winner in the fifth game, earning a break in the next one with a forehand winner to open a 4-2 gap. Serving for the set at 5-3, Denis landed three service winners to secure it in style, hoping for more of the same in set number two.

Three Canadian players are through to the second round.

There, he broke Marin at love at 1-1, confirming the break and delivering another one at 5-3 after a backhand error from Cilic to make a winning start. Pablo Carreno Busta trailed 4-2 in the opening set before shifting into a higher gear to beat Dusan Lajovic 7-5, 6-1 in an hour and 28 minutes. Reilly Opelka needed an hour and 20 minutes to beat Cameron Norrie 6-3, 6-4 for his seventh Masters 1000 victory. Firing 18 aces, Reilly defended both break points offered to Cameron, securing one break in each set to find himself over the top. In a similar encounter, Milos Raonic toppled Sam Querrey 6-4, 6-4, saving all three break chances and prevailing with a single break in each set. Landing 19 aces, Milos earned his 350th ATP victory, finishing the encounter with 28 winners and 19 unforced errors and having the upper hand in the quickest rallies up to four strokes. 

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/32gKXIz