Shapovalov completes epic Dallas run, earning three top-10 wins en route to biggest career title
Denis Shapovalov won his first ATP 500 title on Sunday evening against Casper Ruud
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Former World No.10 Denis Shapovalov is playing like a future Top 10 player once again. After a precipitious drop in the rankings due to injuries that saw him outside the Top 100 this time last year, Shapovalov has made the long trek back to higher ground.
On Sunday he stood at the summit in Dallas, completing a scintillating title run that saw him become the first player to take out each of the top three seeds at an ATP hardcourt event since Daniil Medvedev at the 2020 ATP Finals.
Shapovalov toppled No 2-seeded Casper Ruud 7-6(5), 6-3 for his third career title and first at the ATP 500 level.
“I just have to keep working hard, keep putting in the work,” Shapovalov said after his victory. “Obviously it’s paying off.”
The Ontario, Canada native improves to 5-25 lifetime against the Top 5, with two of those wins coming this week, and he becomes the third player to record three Top 10 wins at an ATP 500 event since the categories’ inception in 2009.
It was yet another eye-catching performance, from the service stripe and the baseline, as the world No 54 hit out with precision in power in the opening set, producing 12 aces and 27 winners and taking it in a tiebreak in 57 minutes.
Shapovalov, who took out top-seeded world No 4 Taylor Fritz in three sets in the round of 16 and third-seeded world No 9 Tommy Paul in straight sets in the semifinals, defeated second-seeded Ruud for the first time in three career meetings on Sunday.
It was the pair’s first meeting on a hardcourt and the speedier surface gave Shapovalov an edge that he used as he rifled winners whenever he ran into trouble against the fifth-ranked Norwegian.
“It’s great to see you back and playing so well,” said Ruud with a smile, “But a little bit annoying today.”
With the momentum firmly in his favor, Shapovalov broke Ruud for 2-0 in set two, then saved a break point to hold for 3-0.
It was uncanny how Shapovalov was able to deliver a perfect passing shot or ground stroke winner seemingly every time he was in trouble against Ruud on Sunday. He ripped two more passing shot winners to earn a pair of break points with Ruud serving in the fourth game.
It was crisis averted in that game for Ruud, full credit to the 26-year-old, but he could not find a way back against surging Shapovalov. He had 15-30 in Shapovalov’s last two service games, but both times the Canadian came up with incredible shotmaking to preserve his advantage.
When he closed the contest with a smash winner Shapovalov fell to the court on his back – a moment of hard-earned jubilation for a man who is on his way back up the rankings. For Denis Shapovalov, the best may still be coming…
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