Shapovalov beats Haase to reach 3rd round in Rome, clay court legend Nadal next
ROME — Canadian teenager Denis Shapovalov’s breakout season on clay is about to face the ultimate test.
Shapovalov reached the third round of the Italian Open on Wednesday with a 7-6 (3), 6-7 (5), 6-3 win over Dutch veteran Robin Haase. Next up for the 19-year-old from Richmond Hill, Ont., is top seed Rafael Nadal, a master of the clay court.
Shapovalov posted his biggest win to date when he beat Nadal in three sets in the round of 16 at last year’s Canadian Open in Montreal. But that was on a hardcourt surface, not Nadal’s preferred clay.
Nadal improved to 15-1 this season — and 404-36 in his career — on clay with a 6-1, 6-0 rout of 31st-ranked Damir Dzumhur on Wednesday. His only defeat on the surface in 2018 was against Dominic Thiem in the quarterfinals of last week’s Madrid Open.