NEW YORK—It’s hard to imagine that a player, even an 18-year-old player with transcendent talent, could significantly improve over the course of three weeks. But if my eyes weren’t deceiving me, that’s what Denis Shapovalov did between his semifinal run in Montreal earlier this month and his US Open debut this week.

Shapovalov was solidly impressive in his first-round win over Daniil Medvedev, but befitting a brash, flashy, high-energy kid who likes to be center stage, his game really took flight in his first Ashe Stadium night match on Wednesday. That’s where he made quick and efficient work of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 (3) in two hours and 11 minutes.

“Quick and efficient” doesn’t do justice to the electricity that Shapovalov wired into the court. Neither does his 28-winner, 19-error stat line, which wasn’t all that much better than Jo’s. It was the way Shapovalov went about winning his points that told the story of this match, and left older fans with a strong sense of déjà vu.

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It was the way he hooked his lefty serve wide like John McEnroe; the way he took the next ball with his forehand and drilled it into the open court like Rafael Nadal; the way he leapt and dove and twitched and bounced the ball between his legs like a young Boris Becker; the way he kept his legs pumping up and down through the changeovers, again like Rafa. Shapovalov gives off the same vibe as other past phenoms that went on to become champions.

What we hadn’t seen as much of in Montreal, and what made such a difference in this match, was Shapovalov’s backhand and volley. His backhand was every bit the weapon that his forehand was; he found sharp angles crosscourt with it, dropped it in the corners down the line, dipped passing shots at Tsonga’s feet with it and wasn’t afraid to try a couple from mid-air. Shapovalov’s one-hander isn’t your father’s, or your grandfather’s, one-hander. He only slices it when he has no other option, and he uses it to finish points almost as often as does to set them up. As for his volley, Shapovalov closed the net with just the right mix of daring and control. And the Ashe crowd loved his leaping overhead.

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Shapovalov broke in the opening game and led the rest of the way. He said he felt good until the end, when he “got a little tight” as he tried to serve out the match at 5-4 in the third. But even that misstep didn’t daunt him. Shapovalov came back with more pace on the ball, and more vehemence in his exhortations. By the time the night was over, Tsonga looked all of his 32 years and more. But men’s tennis felt young again.

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With his play on Ashe, Shapovalov made men's tennis feel young again

With his play on Ashe, Shapovalov made men's tennis feel young again

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