December 16, 2021
World No.14 Denis Shapovalov enjoyed a dream Abu Dhabi debut taking only 55 minutes to win the opening match of the 13th Mubadala World Tennis Championship at the International Tennis Centre, at Zayed Sports City.
The Canadian ace proved too good for US No.1 Taylor Fritz, winning in straight sets 6-3, 6-0 to set up a semi-final clash with close friend, world No.5 Andrey Rublev on Friday.
Shapovalov broke his opponent in game seven and didn’t look back from there, racing through the remainder of the first set, before ruthlessly seeing out the match.
“It was great to get through it. Taylor is a great player and this was my first match since Stockholm (in October) so it’s good to get that match under my belt,” said Shapovalov after his victory.
“It’s been a really good season for me, and I just want to keep getting better. It’s great be here at this time of the year. I’m happy with the work I’ve been putting in. We just need to clean a few things up and get a bit more consistency.”
Tickets for the 13th Mubadala World Tennis Championship, starting from AED 100 for adults and AED 50 for children, are available from ticketmaster.ae and Virgin Megastores across the UAE. Tournament organisers have made it game, set match for fans with special promotions on group tickets. Groups of 10 or more Premier Hospitality, Category 1 and Category 2 tickets are available at 15% discount. Premier Hospitality tickets offer fans a premium F&B menu and courtside seating providing prime viewing and an unparalleled experience.