By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Wednesday July 7, 2021
Denis Shapovalov is into his first Grand Slam semi-final at Wimbledon and playing the best tennis of his career. Ahead of his clash with 19-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic on Friday at SW19, the Canadian is buoyed by belief.
“I do believe that I have the game to beat him and the game to win that match,” he said.
Shapovalov, 22 and a former Boys Singles champion at Wimbledon, had only managed one professional win at the Championships prior to 2021. But he has rolled through the draw, winning a pair of five-setters, and seemingly growing in belief the whole way.
Now comes the ultimate challenge: facing a man who has won 19 consecutive matches at Wimbledon and in the Grand Slams.
“We've played a couple times,” Shapovalov said of his career head-to-head with Djokovic (he’s 0-6 and taken two sets in total). “Obviously he's gotten the better of me. But the last couple times that we've played, it's been really, really tight. I'm feeling really good. I'm feeling great physically and tennis-wise.
Obviously he's been playing really well. It's definitely a tough battle ahead of me. Like I said, when you walk out on that match, the score is 0-0. It's a tennis match. Anything can happen. I'm going to fight for every point and believe in myself.”
Asked if he would be embracing the “underdog mentality” against the World No.1 on Friday, Shapovalov was quick to rebuff the notion.
“No. I just think, again, it's not something I'm focused on,” he said. “I'm just going to play my game. I'm not thinking about any of this stuff. It literally just comes down to who's the best player on Friday, and that's it.
“I think when you're at the semifinals of a tournament, there's not really underdogs, overdogs, whatever you want to call it. Obviously he's got experience, this and that. Like I said, the score is 0-0 and you play the match. It's tennis. It could go any way. Anything can happen. That's really my mindset.”