ATP roundup: Denis Shapovalov advances to Belgrade final, snapping two-year drought

Canadian qualifier Denis Shapovalov decisively defeated Czech fourth seed Jiri Lehecka to secure a place in the final of the Belgrade Open on Friday in Serbia's capital.

Shapovalov, who previously achieved a career-high ranking of 10th in the world, had not participated in an ATP Tour final since October 2022. His sole career title was won at the Stockholm Open in October 2019.

In a commanding performance, Shapovalov overwhelmed Lehecka with a score of 6-2, 6-1 in just 56 minutes, successfully winning 25 out of 26 first-service points (96.2 percent) and 15 out of 18 points on second return (83.3 percent).

In the final, he will face Serbian local favorite Hamad Medjedovic. In a match featuring two wildcards from Serbia, Medjedovic, currently ranked 156th in the world, triumphed over Laslo Djere with a score of 6-2, 3-6, 7-6. Following his victory, Shapovalov humorously remarked about the enthusiastic Serbian fans.

In Metz, France, Great Britain's Cameron Norrie is set to compete against French qualifier Benjamin Bonzi in the final after both secured victories in their respective semi-finals.

Norrie achieved a 6-2, 7-6 win over French player Corentin Moutet. He outperformed Moutet in winners (28-14) and converted four out of five break-point opportunities, although he had to come back from a 5-2 deficit in the second-set tiebreaker, winning five consecutive points to clinch the match. This marks Norrie's first final appearance of 2024.

Bonzi, aiming for his first tour-level title in front of a home audience, overcame Alex Michelsen with a score of 4-6, 6-0, 7-5.

Bonzi delivered nine aces and saved seven out of ten break points, while Michelsen managed to fend off four match points before Bonzi ultimately succeeded on his fifth attempt.

SportsLigue