WHAT HAPPENED: The white lights of Arthur Ashe Stadium lit the stage for a coming-out party for Denis Shapovalov, a wildly talented 18-year-old Canadian qualifier with flowing blonde locks, a scorching forehand and unbridled enthusiasm.
Playing high-octane but poised and tactical tennis, Shapovalov upset a shell-shocked Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France, 6-4, 6-4, 7-6.
"I always dreamed of playing a night match on Arthur Ashe. It's a dream come true for me. Thanks for making my dream come true guys," the wiry 6-footer told the late-night crowd following the match.
Shapovalov's weapons were drool-worthy this Wednesday night: whiplike groundstrokes off both wings; a well-directed, lefty serve; a fearless penchant for moving forward to knock off winners, and – perhaps most of all – the unmistakable confidence of youth. The teen embraced and was never intimidated by the big stage against the eighth-seeded Tsonga.
Instead, Tsonga seemed to be the one in awe. The pace, depth and direction of the young Canadian's shots surprised and stultified the 32-year-old French veteran.
Just three weeks ago, Shapovalov toppled Juan Martin del Potro and then-No. 2 Rafael Nadal at the Rogers Cup in Montreal on his way to becoming the youngest semifinalist at an ATP Masters 1000 event. Though the Canadian's ranking shot up to No. 69 from 143, he had to advance through three rounds of qualifying to make it into the main draw at his first US Open.
Tsonga, who has been as high as No. 5 in the world and reached the semifinals at all Grand Slams save the US Open, had few answers for Shapovalov's onslaught. The youngster repeatedly knifed lefty serves, opening the court to uncork his devastating forehand.
To open the match, Shapovalov sent a confident message, immediately breaking Tsonga at love. He again broke the big-serving Frenchman early in the second set while holding his own serve with relative ease.
The Canadian stumbled only once, when serving for the match at 5-4. Shapovalov went down 0-40, saved two break points but surrendered his serve to a suddenly aggressive Tsonga.
Shapovalov could not capitalize on two break points in the next game, but he composed himself to hold serve at love and get into a third-set tiebreak. Shapovalov played the breaker like an old pro, swinging for the corners as he marched to victory.
WHAT IT MEANS: The 2017 US Open was expected, at least in part, to mark the arrival of fourth-seeded Alexander Zverev as tennis' next big star. Yet Shapovalov – on a day that Zverev lost in the second round, shrinking from the lofty expectations on his shoulders – made a strong claim for himself on Wednesday night.
Shapovalov's flashy, athletic game is full of potential, yet it was his self-assuredness and commitment to a smart game plan that impressed as much as his showy strokes.
Tsonga has won three tournaments in 2017, but now well into his 30s, he isn't quite the imposing figure he was when he was one of the strongest players on tour and one of only three to defeat all members of the so-called Big Four (Federer, Nadal, Djokovic and Murray) in majors. He's been in a slump since his early loss at the French Open this summer.
MATCH POINT: Shapovalov finds himself in very fortuitous terrain: the depleted bottom half of the men's draw where only one remaining man, Marin Cilic, has advanced to a Grand Slam final. Shapovalov is now on a five-match win streak and will next meet Kyle Edmund of Great Britain in the third round. The young Canadian has shown himself to be in a hurry to make his mark; in a wide-open draw, how deep can he go?
