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By Chris Oddo | Saturday March 24, 2018

 
Frances Tiafoe

Frances Tiafoe edged Kyle Edmund to join Denis Shapovalov in the third round at Miami for the first time.

Photo Source: Clive Brunskill/Getty

There are a host of talented players rising up the ATP rankings from North America, perhaps none with more potential than Denis Shapovalov of Canada and Frances Tiafoe of U.S.A.

More: Zverev Survives Tough Three-Setter with Medvedev

Both players reached the third round for the first time on Saturday at Miami, earning a chance to make a deep run at the prestigious second leg of the “Sunshine Double.”

Shapovalov, still 18, made relatively short work of 24th-seeded Damir Dzumhur, 6-1, 7-5, putting his full eye-popping skillset on display in the process.


It hasn’t been a meteoric rise this season for Shapovalov but he has been very steady, typically grinding a win or two at every event he has played, and always producing some of the magic that fans became aware of last season when he stormed the Rogers Cup and became the youngest player to ever reach a Masters 1000 semifinal.

Shapovalov was hardly on the radar at this point last season. He was tucked just inside the top 200 and about to begin a run of six consecutive losses on the challenger circuit and in qualifying. It’s healthy to look back and to consider that he has climbed 150 rankings points in 12 months, rather than to want too much too soon from the only player 18 or younger to even rank inside the Top 100.

Tiafoe has had to battle to raise his ranking but things appear to be coming together after the 20-year-old notched his first title at Delray Beach in February (he beat Shapovalov in the semis).

He has won seven of eight matches and sits just three spots shy of his current career-high ranking of 60.

Delray taught me a lot,” Tiafoe said on Saturday after defeating Kyle Edmund, 7-6(4), 4-6, 7-6(5).

“I beat some quality players back-to-back-to-back, which I've never done. I've played so many matches in my career so far where I played unbelievable, came up just short. Now I'm feeling really comfortable when it gets tight. I actually embrace it, I want it. Yeah, it's fun for me. I'm just trying to ride this wave as long as I can.”

Shapovalov and Tiafoe differ quite a bit from a technical perspective, but they share the same lust for tennis and each possesses quite a bit of swagger and positive body language when fully engaged.


It’s part of the reason that both players have grown such big followings in their young careers. But Tiafoe knows he’s not the only one that fans of Generation Next can cheer for. There are currently seven Americans aged 21 and under in the ATP’s Top 200. Shapovalov and Felix Auger-Aliassime are two of the four players 18 or younger inside the Top 200. There’s a bright future for both nations and competition will serve the young players.

“I'm really happy with all the stuff we're doing,” Tiafoe said of his fellow Americans. “It's only going to help each other. I'm not going to sit here and tell you they're doing well, no, screw that, I got to win today, can't have them one up me. I think it's good. It's great for all of the Americans to have each other. We're all great friends, really happy for each other. When Mmoh won yesterday, I screamed in the eating area. I'm just very happy for him. Yeah, I mean, I hope we all keep going. I hope it's going to be six or seven guys in the top 10 one day.”

Tiafoe faces Tomas Berdych in the third round while Shapovalov will face Sam Querrey.

No.10-seeded Berdych defeated Yoshihito Nishioka, 6-1, 6-4, while No.11-seeded Querrey defeated Radu Albot, 7-6(4), 6-1.

In other early action on Day 5 in Miami, Borna Coric continued his fine form by defeating Leonardo Mayer, 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-4. No.28-seeded David Ferrer defeated Evgeny Donskoy, 6-2, 6-2, while Karen Khachanov defeated Marius Copil, 7-5, 6-3.

 

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