Shapovalov exit caps disappointing year for Canada’s budding stars

Nobody in the world loses five-set squeakers with as much panache as Denis Shapovalov.

One minute, he’s dead and buried. An hour later, he’s rising from the grave. An hour after that, they’re shoving the casket lid closed on him.

It doesn’t earn him extra ranking points, but it makes for compelling viewing. The Canadian did it again over the weekend against Andrey Rublev – down a set, up a set, eventually upset in fifth-set tiebreak. Aside from the Serena Show, it was the most entertaining match of this U.S. Open.

“Both of us deserved to win,” Shapovalov said afterward. For once, that line wasn’t total nonsense. They were both great. Shapovalov lost 6-4, 2-6, 6-7…