At 18 years old, Shapovalov has already all of a large

Photo: Timothy A. Clark Agence France-Presse
Denis Shapovalov during his time in the 8th final of the US Open on Friday

The Canadian Denis Shapovalov has made Friday a big splash in the Elite of world tennis by accessing the 8th finals of the US Open in 18 years. “This month of August has changed my life,” he admitted.

It must go back to 1989 to find a player even earlier than Shapovalov at Flushing Meadows : this year, a young American of chinese origin, Michael Chang, was hoisted in 8th of final of the US Open in 17 years.

A few weeks earlier, Chang had won to everyone’s amazement Roland Garros in sickening especially in the 8th — finals- with a service to spoon the stuff of legend — Ivan Lendl, then the number 1 in the world.

A month of August marking

Shapovalov has not yet title of the Grand Slam, or even ATP tournament to his name, but he was successful early wailers on the circuit-and especially in the month of August with impressive quarter-final in the Masters 1000 of Montreal and an 8th finals in New York from his second tournament of the Grand Slam.

“This month of August has completely changed my life […] I will have to take the time after the tournament to enjoy what I have done,” explained Shapovalov, who, after the Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, 12th in the world, in the 2nd round, broke the British Kyle Edmund (N. 42) Friday.

“It all happened very quickly, in fact : my goal in the beginning of the season was to finish in 2017 to be in the top 150 and now I can aim at the top 50 in the world,” said the winner of the junior tournaments at Wimbledon in 2016.

Shot of wrath historical

The son of a former player in the soviet who went into exile, first in Israel with her husband, before moving with their two children in 1999 in Toronto, the new sensation of canadian tennis was first made known to the general public for a big shot of anger in the Davis Cup.

Last February, when Canada was fighting at home in Britain, he had caused the defeat of his team (3-2).

Clearly dominated in the fourth single by Edmund, his opponent in the 3rd round on Friday forced to abandon the race on an injury to the neck, he had expressed his frustration after a point lost, by hitting a ball in the direction of the stands.

Except that the ball ended his run in the open in the face of the referee chair, the French Arnaud Gabas, who had no other choice than to disqualify him and give the victory to Great Britain.

By his own admission, the incident has matured : “I’m a different man, a different player “, had assured the 69th world before her match of the 3rd round.

Despite his young age, the prodigy doesn’t seem the type to take the big head, parents who know the tennis, but who are not ubiquitous — they have not made the trip to New York — and his coach, former canadian player Martin Laurendeau, whom he presents as his mentor.

“I’ve had a lot of new things, very quickly, but my entourage is in so that I remain focused only on my next match,” he explained.

In 8th of final, it will be opposite to the Spanish Pablo Carreno Busta, 19th world, ” an aggressive player that I don’t know really “, he confessed.

But Shapovalov is already more far. “In a year or two, the rankings will actually change, there are a lot of young players who are emerging and at the same time a lot of veterans, we are in a period of transition,” he warned.