Andy Murray beats Denis Shapovalov to set up Madrid Open meeting with Novak Djokovic | Tennis News

Andy Murray claimed his first win over a top 20 player this year in a 6-1 3-6 6-2 win over Denis Shapovalov; Murray will next face world No. 1 Novak Djokovic, who previously advanced to the round of 16 with a straight-set win over Gael Monfils.

Andy Murray had a thrilling encounter with Denis Shapovalov

Andy Murray overcame Denis Shapovalov in a 3-set thriller to set up a Madrid Open round of 16 match against world No. 1 Novak Djokovic.

Murray produced a stunning display in the first set before Shapovalov fought hard to level the match, but the two-time champion couldn’t be denied his first win over a tennis player in this year’s top 20, eventually fixing the score 6-1 3-6 6-2 winning in two hours and nine minutes.

The win sets up the first ATP Tour meeting since 2017 between Murray and longtime rival Djokovic, who previously advanced to the round of 16 with a straight set victory over Gael Monfils.

Murray admitted after the match that he was inspired by the prospect of meeting for the 37th time in his career with 34-year-old Djokovic.

“I thought about that a bit at the beginning of the third set,” Murray told Prime Video. “I don’t know if I’ll ever get the chance to play games like that again.

This is Murray’s first win this year against a player in the top 20

“In theory, I shouldn’t have had a chance in the game, but I’ve put myself in a great position. I’ve worked incredibly hard over the last five or six weeks to get myself here and that’s it. a great opportunity to face him again on a big court in a major tournament.”

The Scot, who marked his return to clay for the first time in two years with a straight-set win over Dominic Thiem in the first round, proved too strong for Shapovalov in the deciding set.

Murray took the lead, breaking Shapovalov’s serve twice on the way to the opening set after 36 minutes.

The British number three, behind Cameron Norrie and Dan Evans in the domestic rankings, put more pressure on Shapovalov’s serve in the fifth game of the second set.

Denis Shapovalov pushes Murray in Madrid

But Murray squandered two break points and was broken for the first time in the next game to take a 5-2 lead before Shapovalov successfully served in a full set after an hour and 25 minutes.

The decisive set ran with serves until the fifth game, before Murray took the first break of the set to take a 4-2 lead.

The Scotsman, currently 78th in the ATP rankings, drew again 5-2 and took a 40-0 lead on Shapovalov’s serve before claiming another impressive victory on points. third match.

Murray reversed his decision to skip the entire season on clay after being handed a wild card to Madrid and four weeks of training on the surface appeared to have paid off.

Djokovic beats Monfils to secure 1st place

Djokovic, entering his fourth tournament of the season after a challenging stint off the court, extended his perfect record against Monfils to 18 wins from multiple matches.

The Serb secured a record 369th week at the top of the ATP rankings with a 6-3 6-2 win and then voiced his admiration for Murray’s return.

Novak Djokovic beats Gael Monfils to reach round of 16

“I watched a few of his matches,” Djokovic said on the ATP’s website. “He’s moving well, playing better and better.

“It’s really great to watch, because he was an important player to our game. He made his mark in our sporting history by winning many gold medals and (was) ranking) number one in the world He’s one of the most important names we have.

“For him to still play is great, and for him to even play at the same level as time has passed is impressive, considering the surgery and what he’s been through over the last few years. His tenacity and fighting spirit is truly inspirational.”

Draper is down because Rublev is upset

Earlier, on Tuesday, Jack Draper collapsed during a second-round loss to Andrey Rublev.

The 20-year-old is on the verge of becoming the next British player to break into the top 100 and he has once again shown his huge potential against sixth seed Rublev, who beat Novak Djokovic at home Belgrade home to win the ultimate tournament championship.

Jack Draper made a brave effort against Andrey Rublev

Draper overwhelmed his Russian opponent in the opening set and led 3-0 in the third but Rublev fought back to win 2-6 6-4 7-5.

Draper knocked out top 30 Lorenzo Sonego in the opening round in his first match of the clay tour, and he used his big backhand and backhand serve to shock the audience. Rublev in the early stages.

The young Englishman, who beat Djokovic at Wimbledon last year, also had a good drop and was quite comfortable on the net, and he fought back from the break seconds before Rublev took the lead. before again.

Draper looked like he could find a way to win as he entered the first three decider matches, but, with the cramps beginning to kick in, Rublev finally found a way through. via.

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