Canada’s Denis Shapovalov advanced to the second round of the Swiss Indoors in Basel with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Swiss qualifier Remy Bertola on Wednesday.
The 27-year-old from Richmond Hill, Ont., fired six aces and won 80 per cent of his service points. He clinched the match with five straight wins in the second set.
Shapovalov broke Bertola four times from nine chances. He also saved one of the two break points he faced.
Shapovalov, who entered the ATP 500 tournament ranked 52nd in the world, will next face sixth-seeded American Taylor Fritz. Fritz defeated Australian lucky loser Rinky Hijikata in straight sets.
Montreal’s Félix Auger-Aliassime won the Basel title in 2022 and 2023.