Canada's Shapovalov advances to third round of US Open with entertaining win over Royer

NEW YORK - Denis Shapovalov advanced to the third round of the U.S. Open with an entertaining and error-filled 7-6 (6), 3-6, 7-6 (4), 6-3 win over France's Valentin Royer on Thursday.

Shapovalov picked up his sixth break on match point in a contest where both players struggled to hold serve.

The 27th-seeded Canadian fired 29 aces but hit into 43 unforced errors, two more than Royer, in a match that took three hours 36 minutes to complete despite lasting just four sets.

Later Thursday, Leylah Fernandez of Laval, Que., teamed with tennis legend Venus Williams to defeat sixth-seeds Ellen Perez of Australia and Lyudmyla Kichenok of Ukraine 7-6 (4), 6-3 to open women's doubles play.

Fernandez and Williams, the 45-year-old seven-time Grand Slam winner who recently returned to action, were given a wild card into the tournament on Wednesday.

They completed the upset when Fernandez served to love in the final game and will next face Japan's Eri Hozumi and Ulrikke Eikeri of Norway.

Royer had broken Shapovalov early in the first three sets and looked set to do so again in the fourth game of the fourth set. But the 26-year-old from Richmond Hill, Ont., saved five break points before completing the hold.

Shapovalov finally went ahead in the set when he broke to love, with Royer double-faulting on game point, to take a 4-3 lead. 

And after a hold, Shapovalov broke again when Royer clipped the net on match point, to the delight of the pro-Canadian crowd in attendance at Court 7.

Shapovalov will have his work cut out for him if he wants to progress further. He is drawn to face defending champion and world No. 1 Jannik Sinner of Italy in the third round.

Shapovalov twice fought back from being down a break in the first set, forcing a tiebreaker with Royer serving for the set.

Royer led 6-5 in the tiebreaker before Shapovalov took three straight points, winning with a forehand on set point. After the set-winning point, he cupped his ear and nodded, getting a loud response from the crowd.

Royer again scored the first break in the second set to go up 4-2, and this time he didn't relinquish the lead. Shapovalov's attempted comeback ended in the ninth game when Royer won on his third set point.

Both men had trouble keeping serve to start the third set, with the first three games resulting in breaks, including a break to love by Royer to go up 2-1. 

Shapovalov broke again in the sixth game to tie the set 3-3.  He then had a chance to win the set on return, but Royer saved three set points en route to creating a 5-5 with a hold. Shapovalov had a short but animated argument with the chair umpire after losing his first set point.

Shapovalov finally took the set on his fifth set point, taking the tiebreaker 7-4 with a wicked cross-court backhand.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 28, 2025.