Denis Shapovalov is set to begin his Toronto Masters campaign on Tuesday, where he will face off against Learner Tien in front of his home crowd. This second-round match marks the first meeting between the two skilled left-handed players. With a current ATP ranking of 29, Shapovalov enters the tournament with confidence, having recently clinched an outdoor hard-court title in Los Cabos without losing a single set more competitive than 6-4.
In contrast, Tien, a promising 19-year-old American ranked just outside the top 100, comes into the match with slightly less rest after competing in three matches in Washington, D.C. There, he achieved victories over Emilio Nava and World No. 7 Andrey Rublev before being eliminated by Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. Despite his solid performance, Tien may lack the offensive power that Shapovalov possesses, which could give the Canadian an edge, along with the added support of the home crowd.
The winner of Shapovalov vs. Tien will look to advance against either Tomas Machac or Reilly Opelka in the next round. Opelka, a former finalist in Toronto, looks to continue capitalizing on the favorable hard-court conditions; he faces Machac, who currently holds a 2-0 advantage in their head-to-head matchups. Despite Machac’s recent struggles, Opelka’s experience and familiarity with the court could lead to an upset in this highly competitive atmosphere.
As anticipation builds for these exciting matchups, fans have a lot to look forward to, with Shapovalov aiming to leverage his recent success and home advantage to make a significant run in the tournament.