NEW DELHI: Unseeded Russian player Roman Safiullin achieved a remarkable milestone in his tennis career as he reached his first-ever Grand Slam quarter-final with a stunning victory over Denis Shapovalov at Wimbledon on Sunday.
Safiullin overcame a slow start to defeat the 26th seed Canadian, winning 3-6, 6-3, 6-1, 6-3 in a thrilling fourth-round encounter.
In the early stages of the match, it seemed that Shapovalov was in control, racing through the first set. However, Safiullin demonstrated resilience and a composed approach that eventually paid off. He broke Shapovalov's serve in the sixth game of the second set, capitalising on a double fault, and maintained his advantage from there on.
As the match was levelled at one set apiece, Shapovalov's performance deteriorated significantly in the third set. He committed two more double faults, enabling Safiullin to break his serve and subsequently hold to love, securing a 2-0 lead. Safiullin further capitalised on Shapovalov's struggles and quickly gained a double-break advantage, leading 4-1 in the set.
The fourth set witnessed a further setback for Shapovalov as he appeared to aggravate an injury to his left leg. Clearly in pain, he struggled to move around the court effectively. Safiullin took advantage of the situation, breaking Shapovalov's serve and closing out the match on his own serve.
Safiullin's achievement is noteworthy as he becomes only the 12th man in history to reach the Wimbledon quarter-finals in his main-draw debut. His next opponent will be either Italian eighth seed Jannik Sinner or Daniel Galan of Colombia.
(With inputs from Reuters)
