Down time with puppy Yatzy, fighting mindset propel Denis Shapovalov to Dallas Open final

FRISCO, Texas—Denis Shapovalov has been locked in at the Dallas Open, taking out the top two Americans on the ATP Tour en route to Sunday's championship match.

So what’s the secret to his good fortune this week? Quality time with fiancée Mirjam Bjorklund and a new addition to their family named Yatzy.

“We just got a puppy. I have Mirjam here with the dog and with the hotel being so close, I'm really just able to disconnect and enjoy the area here,” Shapovalov told TENNIS.com after ending Tommy Paul’s title defense, 7-5, 6-3.

“Obviously, the facilities are amazing, so you don't mind spending time here at all as a player. It's never just one factor when things click, it's a combination going right.”

Shapovalov arrived to the Lone Star State with a modest outlook. His January slate of events didn’t yield the results he anticipated, and his back flared up ahead of a planned Davis Cup appearance for Canada.

“We had a really good pre-season. I felt like I was playing some really good tennis in practice and unfortunately we just weren't rewarded in Australia and that swing,” said Shapovalov.

“I had a little bit of a stomach flu, lost a little bit of momentum, came out a little bit hesitant in the Australian Open and wasn't really able to play my level. (Dallas) definitely shows all the work that we've been doing is really paying off.”

Playing without the same expectations he set for himself Down Under has certainly freed up the left-hander under the roof of host venue Ford Center at the Star. After holding off Miomir Kecmanovic over three sets in his first match, Shapovalov ousted fourth-ranked Taylor Fritz in a deciding tiebreaker

The 25-year-old backed that victory up by blasting past sixth seed Tomas Machac ahead of Saturday’s win over No. 9-ranked Paul.

“Not knowing what my game was gonna be like, what physically I'm gonna feel like, it's taken a lot of pressure off of me being loose here,” he said.

“Even in practices, I wasn’t playing too great. So it just really got me into a fighting mindset this week. I'm really happy that I've been able to find my game in the matches, pull out some great wins.”

Not knowing what my game was gonna be like, what physically I'm gonna feel like, it's taken a lot of pressure off of me being loose here. Denis Shapovalov

At the end of last season, Shapovalov ended a title drought spanning just over five years when he triumphed in Belgrade. His form here feels reminiscent of what was produced that week when he “was killing opponents”, according to the No. 54, while also acknowledging the stakes are higher on this occasion given the level of competition he’s faced and a maiden ATP 500 title being on the line.

“I'm gonna leave it all out there. I haven't won a 500, so it'd be a big step for me as well,” said Shapovalov. “At the end of the day, the most important thing is to keep (to) what I've been doing the whole week, which is to play my game, enjoy myself on the court, and try my best. We'll see if it's in the stars.”

Speaking of the Stars, Shapovalov is well versed with the city’s NHL franchise. Should he go on to defeat Casper Ruud and lift his biggest career trophy at the headquarters of the Dallas Cowboys, would the NFL team convert a new supporter?

“They can have me as a fan because I don't follow football. I don't even watch the Super Bowl that much. I might watch the halftime show,” he laughed. “Hockey is my sport. I'll definitely watch the Stanley Cup Finals.”

Ruud leads their head-to-head 2-0, with both prior clashes coming on clay.