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Canada’s Denis Shapovalov falls in first round of Monte-Carlo Masters

Apr 15, 2019 | 7:21 AM

MONTE CARLO — Canada’s Denis Shapovalov has made an early exit at the Monte-Carlo Masters.

The No. 15 seed from Richmond Hill, Ont., lost 5-7, 6-3, 6-1 to unseeded German Jan-Lennard Struff in the first round of the ATP Tour Masters 1000 clay-court event on Monday.

Struff, ranked 44th in the world, now has wins over the top two Canadians this year — Milos Raonic and Shapovalov.

Struff, 28, won 72 per cent of his points on first serve, 10 per cent better than Shapovalov.

The 19-year-old Shapovalov was coming off a run to the semifinals at the Miami Open, the last ATP Masters 1000 event.

Montreal’s Felix Auger-Aliassime, a wild card, is expected to be play his first-round match against Argentine qualifier Juan Ignacio Londero on Tuesday.

Like Shapovalov, the 18-year-old Auger-Aliassime made it to the semis in Miami. 

Shapovalov and Auger-Aliassime also are scheduled to play doubles together in Monte Carlo.

The Canadian Press