Denis Shapovalov's run at the 2018 Miami Open is over after he was defeated 7-6, 4-6, 6-4 by world No. 36 Borna Coric in the round of 16 Tuesday.
It was a matchup featuring two of the most promising young players in the game, with 21-year-old Coric playing the role of seasoned veteran. Like two of Shapovalov's three previous matches at the tournament, Tuesday's match required all three sets to decide a victor.
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Unlike the matches that led to his showdown with Coric, however, Shapovalov did not take the first set. The Croatian claimed the opening set after a tiebreak despite some spirited play from Shapovalov, forcing the Canadian teenager to play from behind for the first time in the tourney.
Bullseye with the backhand! 🎯@denis_shapo #MiamiOpen pic.twitter.com/gZ7G2tqSUF
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) March 27, 2018
Shapovalov stormed back in the second set, going nearly perfect on his service points while also playing well enough on the return to claim the set. The 18-year-old broke Coric a third of the available times while not allowing any break points in the middle frame, forcing a deciding set.
The third set started off as a real back-and-forth contest, with both players able to see the finish line after a hard-fought match. Unfortunately for Shapovalov, Coric's experience began to shine through as the Croatian worked to hold off his younger opponent. Coric built up a 4-2 lead before Shapovalov battled back to win the next two games and pull level at 4-4.
From there, Coric started to pull away for good. True to form, Shapovalov fought right until the end, and it took a challenge to determine the winning point after a rally near the net resulted in a Coric backhand cross-court winner.
A challenge to win it! (literally!)@borna_coric fights through to the quarterfinals 7-6(2) 4-6 6-4 over Shapovalov.#MiamiOpen pic.twitter.com/fGeyYpfMfQ
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) March 27, 2018
Coric advances to the quarterfinal round, where he will face Alexander Zverev.