Felix Auger-Aliassime's perfect record against world No. 7 Stefanos Tsitsipas is no more.
Heading into Wednesday, Auger-Aliassime had never lost a set to Tsitsipas, let alone either of the two matches the young stars had played against each other. However, Auger-Aliassime's dominant run against the 21-year-old ended in the round of 32 at the Rolex Shanghai Masters as Tsitsipas claimed a 7-6(3), 7-6(3) victory over the Montreal native.
Auger-Aliassime, 19, forced a tiebreak in each of the two sets as he saved five break points (including two set points in the opening frame) in the back-and-forth battle. Play was as even as the final scoreline suggests, with Tsitsipas only winning three more total points (85-82) than Auger-Aliassime.
Not to be today for Félix Auger-Aliassime, as he goes down 7-6(3), 7-6(3) to Stefanos Tsitsipas at the #ShanghaiMasters.
— Tennis Canada (@TennisCanada) October 9, 2019
After over two hours of play, it could have gone either way. European indoor courts await FAA.#FélixRising pic.twitter.com/hE7yKfXPGM
Denis Shapovalov, the other Canadian in singles action on Wednesday, fared no better than his compatriot.
The 20-year-old had the daunting task of facing top-ranked Novak Djokovic in his round of 32 match, and while Shapovalov put up a valiant effort, Djokovic's guile and experience were simply too much for the youngster to overcome.
No angle, no problem 🤷♂️@DjokerNole #RolexSHMasters pic.twitter.com/qPnJGMWTmd
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) October 9, 2019
Djokovic needed just 70 minutes to earn a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Shapovalov, who entered the tournament ranked 36th in the world.
Just too good from the World No. 1.
— Tennis Canada (@TennisCanada) October 9, 2019
Denis Shapovalov battles fiercely but can’t power past Novak Djokovic’s defenses, falling 6-3, 6-3 in the second round of the #ShanghaiMasters.
Up next: Antwerp. 🔜 pic.twitter.com/FbyNpultrT
Auger-Aliassime and Shapovalov are both still alive in doubles play in Shanghai. Along with Italian partner Matteo Berrettini, Auger-Aliassime has advanced to the round of 16 on Thursday for a match against French duo Nicolas Mahut and Édouard Roger-Vasselin.
Meanwhile, Shapovalov and India's Rohan Bopanna will take on the team of Marcelo Melo (Brazil) and Lukasz Kubot (Poland).