Spanish tennis star Carlos Alcaraz is set to face off against Canada’s Denis Shapovalov, with a spot in the Round of 16 on the line.
Alcaraz, aiming for his third title at Indian Wells, the first Masters 1,000 event of the season and one often referred to as the fifth Grand Slam, had an impressive start on Saturday. He defeated French player Quentin Halys in straight sets, scoring 6-4, 6-2. Now, he must contend with Shapovalov, currently ranked 28th in the world, for a chance to advance to the next round, where he would encounter the victor of the match between Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov and France’s Gael Monfils.
The second round witnessed a significant upset as top-seeded players fell, including Germany’s Alexander Zverev, who faced an early exit in the absence of Jannik Sinner, as well as Casper Ruud, Andrey Rublev, Félix Auger-Aliassime, and Novak Djokovic, whom Alcaraz could have faced in the quarter-finals. This sets up a challenging encounter for Alcaraz against Shapovalov, with whom he has only played once before. In their previous meeting during the third round of the 2023 French Open, Alcaraz emerged victorious, winning in three sets with scores of 6-1, 6-4, and 6-2. This upcoming match will mark their first clash on outdoor hard courts.
Shapovalov, aged 25 and previously ranked as high as 10th in the world back in September 2021, began his 2023 season at the ATP 250 event in Hong Kong, where he was defeated in the first round by Kei Nishikori. He faced another second-round exit in Adelaide before having a mixed performance at the Australian Open. He managed to win against Spain’s Roberto Bautista but fell to Italian Lorenzo Musetti. However, he redeemed himself by claiming the title at the ATP 250 in Dallas, defeating Casper Ruud in the final, and overcoming notable players such as Taylor Fritz, Thomas Machac, and Tommy Paul along the way. Just two weeks ago, he reached the semifinals at the ATP 500 event in Acapulco but was eliminated by Alejandro Davidovich.
The match between Carlos Alcaraz and Denis Shapovalov has been scheduled during the afternoon session at Indian Wells, which translates to an early morning start of at least 2 AM on Tuesday, March 11, in Spain. Fans can catch the live action on Movistar.