Canada's Shapovalov upsets Fritz to reach Vienna Open quarter-finals
The Canadian Press | Posted: October 26, 2022 8:45 PM | Last Updated: October 27, 2022
Fellow Canadian Auger-Aliassime overcomes Huesler to advance at Swiss Indoors
Canada's Denis Shapovalov is on to the quarter-finals of the Vienna Open.
Shapovalov upset fourth-seeded Taylor Fritz of the United States 6-1, 4-6, 6-3 on Wednesday in the event's round of 16.
It's the seventh time the two have played each other, with the Richmond Hill, Ont., native improving to a 5-2 record against Fritz. Fitz defeated Shapovalov a few weeks ago in the semifinals of the Japan Open in Tokyo.
Both Shapovalov and Fritz had 10 aces in their match but the Canadian won 78 per cent of his service points to the American's 60 per cent.
Shapovalov also saved two of three break points to the Fritz's two of six.
He will play Dan Evans of the United Kingdom in Friday's quarter-final.
WATCH | Shapovalov tops Fritz at Vienna Open:
Auger-Aliassime advances at Swiss Indoors
Third-seeded Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime beat 6-7 (3), 6-4, 6-4 Swiss wild-card entry Marc-Andrea Huesler at the Swiss Indoors earlier on Wednesday.
Auger-Aliassime will next face 28th-ranked Serb Miomir Kecmanovic in the round of 16 as he seeks his third consecutive title and a spot in the ATP Finals.
He currently sits seventh in the points race for the eight-man event, but 10th-place Novak Djokovic is guaranteed a spot due to his Wimbledon victory.
WATCH | Auger-Aliassime rallies to 9th straight win:
Meanwhile, top-ranked Carlos Alcaraz eased into the quarter-finals at the Swiss Indoors by beating Botic van de Zandchulp 6-4, 6-2 on Wednesday.
The 19-year-old Spaniard clinched the win with his only ace in a second-round match where he had 20 winners and made just nine unforced errors.
Alcaraz's serve was broken once and he trailed 2-0 in the second set before reeling off six straight games against the 35th-ranked Dutchman.
Two seeded players lost their first-round matches, with No. 7 Alex de Minaur falling 6-2, 7-5 against 25th-ranked teenager Holger Rune.
In the previous Swiss Indoors edition, in 2019 before the tournament was cancelled twice because of the COVID-19 pandemic, De Minaur lost in the final as Roger Federer won a record 10th title at his hometown event.
Eighth-seeded Lorenzo Musetti cruised through the first set before losing 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 against Albert Ramos-Vinolas, the 34-year-old Spaniard.
In a second-round match, Arthur Rinderknech beat Alex Molcan 6-2, 6-4.