It took all three sets, but Denis Shapovalov was able to outlast Kyle Edmund in the quarterfinal round of the 2018 Madrid Open on Friday.
The match was a microcosm of the budding rivalry between 19-year-old Canadian Shapovalov and Great Britain's 23-year-old rising star, as neither man appeared to have an obvious advantage in Friday's contest. It was the fifth meeting between the two players, with both having won two previous matches. And on Friday, the margins were slim as Shapovalov ultimately claimed the match 7-5, 6(6)-7, 6-4.
The first set looked like it could get away from Shapovalov quickly, with Edmund jumping out to a 2-0 lead. But the Canadian answered back by winning three straight games of his own, setting up a stretch where both men traded games for nearly the remainder of the set.
With Shapovalov up 6-5 and Edmund serving, the Canadian put a temporary end to the back-and-forth nature of the match by breaking the Brit to claim the opening set 7-5.
First set: SHAPO 🧢💪
— Tennis Canada (@TennisCanada) May 11, 2018
He wins it 7-5 over Kyle Edmund. One set away from the #MMOPEN semifinals. #NeverStopFighting #GoCanada pic.twitter.com/FxY4fCCXS7
If the first set was an example of how evenly matched the two players are, the second set took it to the extreme. Neither man was able to break the other's serve, resulting in an alternating pattern of games being claimed throughout.
It inevitably led to a tiebreak, with that also going the way of the rest of the set as neither player was able to grab a decided advantage. Eventually Edmund was able to come out on top to claim the middle frame, extending the match to a deciding set.
Edmund wins the second set 7-6(6) over Shapovalov, saving a match point en route. We're going into a third! #NeverStopFighting
— Tennis Canada (@TennisCanada) May 11, 2018
The third set looked like it was going to unfold in similar fashion, with Edmund and Shapovalov each holding serve through the first two games. However, the Canadian was able to break his opponent's serve in the third game, turning the tables and giving Shapovalov the slight advantage.
From then on out, the players continued to trade games as Shapovalov edged closer to becoming the youngest player to ever advance to the semifinals in Madrid. Serving for the match, Shapovalov put on a dominant display as he won four straight points to claim victory after nearly two-and-a-half hours of battle on clay against the Briton.
Shine bright like a 💎
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) May 11, 2018
It's a second ATP Masters 1000 semi-final for @denis_shapo, who downs Edmund 7-5 6-7(6) 6-4#MMOPEN pic.twitter.com/KxcMCbER6l
“I’m happy to be in the semifinals, I never knew when my next time being in a semis would be,” Shapovalov said. “I’m more than thrilled to be there. Hopefully I can go even further.
“But it’s been an unbelievable week for me, especially on this surface,” he added. “So it’s just a massive confidence booster. Yeah, hopefully I can take it forward.”
Shapovalov moves on to face Alexander Zverev in the semifinal round.