Canadian tennis player Denis Shapovalov experienced the joy of victory for the first time since the 2023 edition of Wimbledon last July.
On Tuesday, the 24-year-old athlete defeated Frenchman Hugo Gaston in straight sets 6:1 and 6:3 in the first round of the Open Sud de France.
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“Shapo” was injured at Wimbledon, which ended his last season very early. He returned to action at the Auckland tournament earlier this month, but lost early on. He suffered the same fate the following week at the Australian Open.
Shapovalov needed 66 minutes to triumph against Gaston. He had 11 aces and won 92% of contested rallies on his first serves. The world's 137th player also saved his rival's three break points.
The Maple Leaf representative will face Alexander Bublik in the second round of the event held in Montpellier. The latter is the runner-up in this competition.
The Quebecer also takes part in the Open Sud. He is waiting to find out who his opponent will be in the second round, who will benefit from a bye due to his status as third seed.