Tennis

Shapovalov scores upset to move to 3rd round in Paris

Canada's Denis Shapovalov is off to the third round of the Paris Masters after recording his first win over a top-15 player since March.

Will face No. 6 Alexander Zverev; Milos Raonic loses to Dominic Thiem

Denis Shapovalov, pictured in Stockholm earlier this month, is into the third round of the Paris Masters. (Associated Press)

Canada's Denis Shapovalov is off to the third round of the Paris Masters after recording his first win over a top-15 player since March.

Shapovalov, from Richmond Hill, Ont., upset No. 11 seed Fabio Fognini of Italy 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 on Wednesday.

"I'm really happy with the win today," Shapovalov said. "Fabio's had an unbelievable season. To beat a player like him, it's a huge confidence booster for me and it really shows me where my game's at."

The 20-year-old Shapovalov, ranked 28th in the world, will next face No. 6 seed Alexander Zverev on Thursday. The German is 3-0 lifetime against Shapovalov.

WATCH | Shapovalov upsets No. 11-seed Fognini:

The Canadian is 2-13 lifetime against top-10 players. But Shapovalov has been playing some of his best tennis in recent weeks, highlighted by his first career ATP Tour title at the Stockholm Open.

"He's a great player," Shapovalov said of Zverev. "He's pretty solid off both wings. He's got a great serve. I'm really going to have to try to take it to him and take my chances."

Milos Raonic, the other Canadian in the singles draw, lost 7-6 (5), 5-7, 6-4 to No. 5 seed Dominic Thiem of Austria.

Thiem withstood 30 aces from Raonic.

The two-time French Open runner-up also saved nine break points out of 10. Thiem broke Raonic, from Thornhill, Ont., for the first time in the ninth game of the deciding set before serving out the match.

WATCH | Raonic falls to Thiem:

Raonic falls to Thiem in Paris Masters 2nd round

5 years ago
Duration 1:09
Milos Raonic of Thornnhill, Ont., lost 7-6 (5), 5-7, 6-4 to No. 5 seed Dominic Thiem of Austria in the second round of the Paris Masters.

Federer drops out of inaugural ATP Cup

Roger Federer has pulled out of the inaugural ATP Cup in Australia.

Organizers wrote on Twitter that Federer withdrew "due to family reasons and therefore Switzerland has been withdrawn as a country that qualified at the first entry deadline."

The ATP Cup will open the 2020 season in Australia from Jan. 3-12, with two four-team groups in each of Brisbane, Perth and Sydney. The Swiss were drawn into a group with Belgium, Britain and one other nation.

Eight teams from the six-day group stage advance to the knockout rounds in Sydney.

The ATP Cup joins a crowded 2020 season. It includes two other team events -- the Davis Cup and Laver Cup, which the 38-year-old Federer part-owns -- and the Tokyo Olympics.

With files from The Associated Press