Auger-Aliassime's win over Shapovalov sets up must-see match vs. Nadal

Pound for pound, there may be no better draw in men's tennis than the Madrid Open. This clay-court Masters tournament boasts just 56 players, with quality, rather than quantity, given the right of way. The last direct acceptance into this year's draw was world No. 47 Andreas Seppi; unseeded players included Pablo Carreno Busta, Lucas Pouille, Alex de Minaur and Denis Shapovalov.

The nature of the draw—ATP Masters 1000 rules mandate the great majority of top-ranked players enter—yielded some fascinating first-rounders, none more compelling than Shapovalov versus fellow Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime. As wild cards go, the one who will be discussed most in Madrid is David Ferrer, who is retiring on home soil. That is, unless Auger-Aliassime decides to make Madrid the moment his already-refined game makes an impact on a big stage, as Shapovalov and compatriot Bianca Andreescu have done at tournaments of similar renown.

The 18-year-old's start couldn't have gone better: a 6-2, 9-7 (7) win over Shapovalov, his first victory over his buddy in three tries at the professional level. Auger-Aliassime's finely calibrated groundstrokes played beautifully on the slow-yet-quick surface, with his forehands and backhands moving Shapovalov around the court and demanding first-class responses. Shapovalov, all of 20, was capable of scaling those heights many times—when Auger-Aliassime raised, Denis wasn't afraid to push a large stack of chips into the pot and go over the top.

But Auger-Aliassime's all-around steadiness and excellence forced Shapovalov into high-risk maneuvers too many times for his own good. Auger-Aliassime broke Shapovalov's serve three times, and surrendered just one break of his own. Shapovalov saved multiple match points, one with a searing backhand that grazed the baseline. But rather than let such bravado affect him, Auger-Aliassime continued hitting like it was any other day.

It wasn't: this was a significant win for Auger-Aliassime, who has given himself an opportunity to make a giant impact on a big stage right away. He doesn't need to reach the final four to do so; he needs to win just one more match. Rafael Nadal, 11-time French Open champion—but riding a two-tournament losing streak on clay—awaits the ascendant star, who will come into the contest with nothing to lose. Combine that pressure-free air with Auger-Aliassime's veteran-level shotmaking, and you have a must-see second-rounder. Madrid wouldn't have it any other way.