NEW YORK — So, Denis Shapovalov, do tell: It can’t really be the case that 18-year-olds like yourself never get tired, right?

“No, it’s true. We don’t,” the Canadian joked Friday after becoming the youngest man to reach the U.S. Open’s fourth round since Michael Chang in 1989.

Shapovalov needed to go through three qualifying matches just to get into the main draw, so he has played a half-dozen times in an 11-day span.

“It’s been a long ride,” said Shapovalov, who was born in Israel to Russian parents, who moved to Canada when he was a baby. “It feels like I have been here a month already.”

There will be a first-time Grand Slam finalist at the U.S. Open now that 2014 champion Marin Cilic exited in the third round – and the entertaining-on-court, engaging-off-it Shapovalov is one of those who still have a shot at getting that far.

Just 21/2 months after his runner-up finish at Wimbledon, the No. 5-seeded Cilic bowed out with 80 unforced errors in a 4-6, 7-5, 7-5, 6-4 loss to No. 29 Diego Schwartzman of Argentina.

Advertisement

Not much later, Shapovalov advanced when Kyle Edmund of Britain stopped playing in the fourth set because of an injured neck.

“It’s never great to win this way,” Shapovalov said. “Hopefully, it’s nothing too serious.”

Neither he nor Schwartzman had ever been to a major’s fourth round before, nor had another of the afternoon’s winners, 35-year-old Paolo Lorenzi of Italy, who actually began his Grand Slam career with an 0-13 record.

American Sam Querrey, who reached the semifinals at Wimbledon, advanced to face No. 23 seed Mischa Zverev, who knocked off No. 10 John Isner of the U.S. in straight sets.

Women’s winners included No. 3 Garbine Muguruza and No. 13 Petra Kvitova, a pair of Wimbledon champions who will meet in the fourth round. Also advancing were Venus Williams and Sloane Stephens, who is coming back from foot surgery and is back in the fourth round in New York for the first time since 2013.

Cilic was the only owner of a major title on the entire bottom half of the men’s draw when the tournament began.

“That’s right: A few surprises and lots of withdrawals,” Schwartzman noted. “This is the moment to take advantage.”

That part of the bracket originally included three-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray, but he withdrew because of a hip injury. The depleted field is also missing Novak Djokovic, Stan Wawrinka, Kei Nishikori and Milos Raonic.

“It’s kind of a transition time for the ATP,” Shapovalov said, “but I think there is a lot of talent coming up.”

Copy the Story Link

Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.