Denis Shapovalov
Denis Shapovalov is two wins away from a long-awaited victory.
The Canadian cruised past Australia’s Christopher O’Connell 6-2, 6-2 in the Belgrade Open quarterfinals on Thursday, sending him to a semifinal matchup against fourth-seeded Jiri Lehecka of Czechia.
Unseeded Serbians Laslo Djere and Hamad Medjedovic will meet in Friday’s other semifinal of the ATP 250 event.
Shapovalov fired 12 aces to just two for O’Connell and converted four of his six break points while winning each of his service games.
The Richmond Hill, Ont., native’s only victory on tour came in the 2019 Stockholm Open. He is currently ranked 78th in the ATP standings.