Shapovalov No Longer With Delgado, Loses in Geneva
Denis Shapovalov came to the Geneva Open in hopes to go one step further than his 2021 campaign where he finished runner-up to Casper Ruud.
Ilya Ivashka foiled that plan by upsetting an upset Shapovalov in R2 6-4, 6-7, 6-3. It was a good battle with lots of great shotmaking throughout, but Shapovalov’s errors held him back from applying the necessary pressure to Ivashka.
Is Jamie Delgado Still Shapovalov’s Coach?
Peter Polansky informed The Slice that he is now the Head Coach of Denis Shapovalov and that Jamie Delgado (former coach of Andy Murray) is no longer working with them.
Polansky, a current ATP player himself, told Stephen that with his age and injuries, he’s taking this opportunity to coach Denis and see how it goes.
Many Twitter critics think that Shapovalov needs more wisdom and discipline from an older coach - a contrast to Polanksy who is 33 and a friend of Shapovalov.
After a great week in Rome where Shapovalov beat Rafa Nadal followed by a first match loss in Geneva, we will need more time to see how this coaching relationship will work out.
Shapovalov Loses Early in Geneva to Ivashka
Shapovalov had a frustrating night on Centre Court in Geneva where he struggled with consistency all night. Complaining about uneven bounces on the clay, he had moments of brilliance followed by un-forced errors which can be Shapo’s default to his aggressive game style.
Ivashka served MASSIVELY winning 78% of his 1st serves which is high on clay. He only faced 1 break point which he saved.
Shapovalov has the tools to be a great clay court player with his bounce, power, and creativity but he struggles to drop into a “lockdown” mode when the bounces are off and he’s not “feeling it".”
Denis will play at Roland Garros as the 15th seed and could have a great run if his stars align.
As far as the partnership with Polansky, let’s give it a few tournament before passing judgment, tennis twitter pundits.
Stephen Boughton is the founder of The Slice, and is following the tour in Europe.