Denis Shapovalov may have finally found his game.
The 20-year-old Canadian has struggled this season, but after defeating Yuichi Sugita in the semifinals at the Stockholm Open, he is officially in his first final of 2019 — and the first ATP Masters 1000 final of his career.
Denis Shapovalov. @ATPTour finalist.
— Intrum StockholmOpen (@IntrumSthlmOpen) October 19, 2019
This will most probably become a regular recurrence in the coming decade(s), but remember it happened here first 😏#SthlmOpen | @denis_shapo pic.twitter.com/jweg0Ntjal
Trailing 5-4 in the opening set, Shapovalov came back to take the set 7-5 as he fired off an ace to cap the one-set lead. It was an uphill battle, as he staved off three of four break points and double-faulted three times. He did break Sugita twice, had five total aces and won 84 percent of his first-serve points.
In the second set, Shapovalov controlled the play from the get-go, eventually winning 6-2. The Richmond Hill, Ont., native netted five aces, won all of his first-serve points (12-for-12) and broke Sugita twice.
Prior to Saturday's win, Shapovalov had faltered in seven semifinals. He did play in two semis earlier in the year; however, he lost both. Back in March, he lost to Roger Federer at the Miami Open, and in August, he lost to Hubert Hurkacz at the Winston-Salem Open. It was at Winston-Salem where he started working with former World No. 8 Mikhail Youzhny before making a run at the U.S. Open — starting with a big win over countryman Felix Auger-Alissiame in the opening round.
It's been a big week for the Canadian, as he qualified for the Next Gen ATP Finals showcasing the top 21-and-under players on tour on Thursday. Ranked No. 34, Shapovalov will face the 60th-ranked Filip Krajinovic in the final on Sunday, aiming for his first career title.