Royer seizes his chance

Eliminated in qualifying, then a lucky loser, Royer now takes on Shapovalov in the round of 16, and he’s already troubled the Canadian!

I remember their US Open match well—Royer was starting sets better before tightening up and missing a lot of chances. It wasn’t the best version of Shapo across the net, with 15 double faults, but mentally the Canadian fought hard. I’d also say it wasn’t the best version of Royer either, especially in terms of confidence; he’s taken a small step forward since on the Asian swing. Early in this tournament I can say I like what Royer’s been producing already since the qualies—he lost to Majchzrak in a high-level match and just played a good one against the tenacious Collignon! Shapovalov impressed me a lot yesterday too with a great attitude; he didn’t get frustrated and raised his level when needed, and he also cut down the double faults after the first set. We’ve got a good version of the Canadian, and he didn’t seem physically diminished either. Shapo’s level can vary a lot from one match to another, and it’s hard to take his first round for granted. I also like Royer’s net game, which will put Shapo under pressure and won’t let him play as much like Giron did; the Frenchman is brave and will go and take his match—that’s a good sign. I don’t have tomorrow’s order of play yet, but if it’s on Court 1, which is faster, I think Royer is a bit more favored than if they’re on center court with more room behind the baseline.