Shapovalov exits Stuttgart Open early with loss to 61st-ranked Otte
Fellow Canadian Auger-Aliassime reaches quarter-finals at Libema Open
Canada's Denis Shapovalov was eliminated early once again.
The Richmond Hill, Ont., native was upset by home favourite Oscar Otte 7-6 (6), 7-6 (4) at the Stuttgart Open on Thursday.
Otte, of Germany, is through to the quarter-finals, where he'll face French player Benjamin Bonzi.
Shapovalov also lost his first match at the French Open, where he fell to 28th-ranked Holger Rune of Denmark.
WATCH | Shapovalov falls to Otte in Stuttgart:
Meanwhile, fellow Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime fared better against a local favourite at the Libema Open in the Netherlands, beating Tallon Griekspoor 7-6 (2), 7-6( 5) to advance to the quarter-finals.
The Montreal native fired 13 aces and saved both break points he faced.
Auger-Aliassime never had a chance to break Griekspoor, but he dominated the first-set tiebreak and won on his first set point with Griekspoor serving.
Auger-Aliassime led the second tiebreak 6-3 before Griekspoor made it close by winning two points on serve. That gave Auger-Aliassime the opportunity to serve for the match, and he converted the match point.
The Canadian, ranked ninth in the world, is seeded second at the grass-court event held outside the Dutch city of s'Hertogenbosch. He will next face Russia's Karen Khachanov.
WATCH | Auger-Aliassime beats Griekspoor:
At the Nottingham Open, top-seeded Maria Sakkari recovered from a poor start to beat Canada's Rebecca Marino in three sets on Thursday and reach the quarter-finals on another rain-affected day at the grass-court event.
The Greek player won 1-6, 6-3, 6-3 to keep alive her bid for a second WTA title, after the Morocco Open on clay in May 2019.
Sakkari will next play seventh-seeded Beatriz Haddad Maia of Brazil, who defeated Yuriko Miyazaki 6-2, 7-6 (4).
WATCH | Marino thwarted by Sakkari in Nottingham:
Murray into Stuttgart quarters
Back in Stuttgart, two-time Wimbledon champion Andy Murray defeated seventh-seeded Alexander Bublik 6-3, 7-6 (4) to reach the quarte-finals.
The 35-year-old Murray dropped his intensity in the second set but saved three set points as he rallied from 5-2 down to win in 1 hour, 42 minutes.
Murray missed much of the clay-court season to focus on his preparations for grass. He reached the semifinals of the Surbiton Trophy last week, when he was beaten by Denis Kudla.
Tsitsipas defeated Murray in their only previous meeting at the U.S. Open last year.
Also, Nick Kyrgios defeated the fifth-seeded Nikoloz Basilashvili 6-7 (4), 6-4, 6-3 and will next face Marton Fucsovics for a place in the semifinals.
Italy's Lorenzo Sonego defeated another German, Jan-Lennard Struff, 7-6 (2), 7-6 (4) in their match that had been suspended on Wednesday due to rain. Sonego next plays second-seeded compatriot Matteo Berrettini.
With files from The Canadian Press and CBC Sports
