Nikoloz Basilashvili beats Shapovalov at Shanghai Masters
SHANGHAI — Nikoloz Basilashvili won his sixth straight match Tuesday, beating Denis Shapovalov of Richmond Hill, Ont., 6-2, 6-2 in the first round of the Shanghai Masters.
Basilashvili, who won the China Open last week and has moved up to a career-high ranking of No. 23, never faced a break point on his serve. The Georgian earned his first victory at the tournament after qualifying in 2015 and 2017.
On Sunday, Basilashvili upset fourth-seeded Juan Martin del Potro in the final in Beijing. Earlier this year, he became the first Georgian man to win an ATP title when he won in Hamburg — playing as a qualifier.
“It was a very good week for me in Beijing,” Basilashvili said. “Since Hamburg I got a lot of confidence and that helped me in Beijing.”