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Canadian Denis Shapovalov advances to second round at French Open

The Canadian teen, seeded 24th, defeated John Millman of Australia 7-5, 6-4, 6-2 in a first-round match on Tuesday.
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Canada’s Denis Shapovalov celebrates winning against John Millman of Australia during their first round match of the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, France, Tuesday, May 29, 2018. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Denis Shapovalov has advanced to the second round at the French Open.

The Canadian teen, seeded 24th, defeated John Millman of Australia 7-5, 6-4, 6-2 in a first-round match on Tuesday.

Shapovalov, from Richmond Hill, Ont., rallied from a 5-2 deficit in the first set, fighting off one set point in the process.

After a rail delay halted play for an hour with Shapovalov trailing 3-2 in the second set, the Canadian lost just three games the rest of the way in his French Open main draw debut.

Shapovalov will face Maximilian Marterer of Germany, ranked 70th in the world, in the second round. Marterer defeated American Ryan Harrison 6-1, 6-3, 7-5 on Tuesday.

Shapovalov, 19, is competing in his fourth consecutive Grand Slam and his first as a seed. His best performance came in last year’s U.S. Open, where he reached the fourth round.

Peter Polansky of Thornhill, Ont., and Vasek Pospisil of Vancouver are scheduled to play first-round matches at the French Open later on Tuesday.

Related: Canada’s Denis Shapovalov advances after upset win at U.S. Open

Related: Canadian teen tennis star rockets up world rankings

The Canadian Press

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