TORONTO — Canadian Denis Shapovalov fell to Grigor Dimitrov 6-4, 6-3 on Wednesday evening in the second round of the Rogers Cup.
Shapovalov had the crowd’s support from the coin toss on, with many fans wearing red and white and waving small Canadian flags.
The Richmond Hill, Ont., native came out strong in the first set, working to a 3-3 tie with Dimitrov. But the veteran player pulled away, dominating with serves.
Down 5-2 in the second set, Shapovalov brought the fans to their feet and won the advantage with a between-the-legs forehand. Dimitrov returned the trick shot, but Shapovalov fired back another forehand, screaming in celebration when it stayed in.
"The best part is I feel is that there are kids after the match saying ‘You’re in my heart. Even though you lost, it doesn’t matter,"’ said Shapovalov. "Like they believe in me. They see me as a role model.
"That’s very inspiring for me, first of all, but also it motivates them to work harder because they want to become like me."