Novak Djokovic put on one of his most impressive physical and tactical performances to win a 24th Grand Slam title

Denis Shapovalov and Mikhail Youzhny began working together last August, with Shapovalov mired in a 2-6 stretch and just a 17-18 record for the year. After hiring Youzhny, Shapovalov captured his first ATP title in Stockholm and reached his first ATP Masters 1000 final in Paris.

While they both defer the credit, it’s clear something clicked between the pair. Shapovalov has vastly improved his rally tolerance and shot selection since the “Colonel” came aboard. The Canadian is into the US Open third round for the fourth consecutive year.

US Open ATP Match of the Day: Denis Shapovalov vs. Taylor Fritz

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The 21-year-old will try to reach the fourth round of a major for the first time since 2017 against an in-form Taylor Fritz. The American, just one spot from his career high ranking of No. 24, dismantled the always tricky Gilles Simon, 7-5, 6-3, 6-2.

Fritz and Shapovalov have met twice before, and while Shapovalov owns a 2-0 head-to-head advantage, they have yet to play a match with this high of stakes. Fritz has never made it past the third round of a Grand Slam and this is arguably going to be the most important match of his young career.

Both players are already two of the game’s best ball-strikers, so this match will likely boil down to first-serve percentage, and fitness. Fritz and Shapovalov can catch fire during any given set, but both also have a tendency to suffer from spells of inconsistency. In the end, expect Shapovalov and his slightly cleaner groundstrokes to ultimately outlast the huge-serving 22-year-old.

The Pick: Denis Shapovalov

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