Vienna Tournament | Medvedev and Shapovalov in the final

(Vienna) Canadian Denis Shapovalov earned his ticket to the Vienna Tennis Tournament final with a straight-set 7-6 (4), 6-0 win over Croatian Borna Coric on Saturday afternoon.

Faced with a rival against whom he had suffered two losses in three career clashes, Shapovalov won in 1h 28 minutes thanks in particular to a 95% efficiency rate (37 points out of 39) after having lodged his first service ball in play.

After a 55-minute battle in the first set, Shapovalov needed only 33 minutes to win the second set.

The 23-year-old Ontarian had seven aces, all in the first set, and faced only one break point, which he managed to erase in the third game of the second set. He himself scored three service breaks in four opportunities, all acquired during the second set.

Since the beginning of the week, Shapovalov has won his four matches and conceded, in passing, a single set. He notably defeated the American Taylor Fritz, 10^e world player, and the Briton Daniel Evans, ranked 26^e

In Sunday’s final, Shapovalov will face Russian Daniil Medvedev, who defeated Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov 6-4, 6-2 in the other semi-final previously presented.

Serving Dominants

In the first set, Shapovalov and Coric left only crumbs to the opponent on their service.

Of the two, Coric was the least generous, giving only six points to Shapovalov while he managed to collect nine when the Canadian was serving.

However, it was Shapovalov who saved himself with the tiebreaker by registering the only mini-break of this decisive game from the very first point.

The Canadian followed up by winning his serve to start the second set and from then on, Coric seemed to lose all his means.

In his three service games, the 25-year-old Croatian has only gained five points. He committed two double faults and the second came to end the game.

With this victory, Shapovalov will participate in a sixth career final and a second in 2022. On October 2, he lost in the final match of the South Korean tournament, against the Japanese Yoshihito Nishioka.

He will also try to add a second title to his list, after his triumph in Stockholm in 2019.

Shapovalov will have to achieve the feat against Medvedev, a former world number one who has won his last three games against the Canadian after losing the first two.