MONTREAL — Canadian teenager Denis Shapovalov downed former U.S. Open champion Juan Martin del Potro on a gusty Wednesday at the men's Rogers Cup.

The 18-year-old Shapovalov took the second-round match 6-3, 7-6 (4).

"He's my idol," said Shapovalov of the unseeded Del Potro, who has struggled with injuries since winning the 2009 U.S. Open. "Just to play against him is a huge honour for me.

"But to beat a player of this category, of this talent, is very inspiring for me, a huge confidence boost."

It set up a possible third-round meeting with top-seeded Rafael Nadal, who played Borna Coric later Wednesday.

Shapovalov became the youngest player to reach the round of 16 of a Master Series tournament since Nadal in 2004 at Miami.

It likely had mostly to do with Roger Federer playing earlier in the day, but the centre court stands were packed, which is unusual for a weekday afternoon. They threw full support behind the left-handed Shapovalov, who caused a stir at last year's Rogers Cup by ousting Aussie star Nick Kyrgios.

"I've never played in an atmosphere like this," he said. "On match point, when I hit that double right before it, I mean, my ears almost popped. They were cheering so loud, it was insane. It's just so much fun to be out there."

Shapovalov forced an early service break enroute to a quick first set, but the Argentine veteran battled back with a break early in the second. Shapovalov's ability to kept a cool head when there are setbacks, such as when he fell behind early in the tiebreaker, made the difference. The crowd exploded in sound when he finished it off.