Shapovalov Rallies to Beat Bautista Agut; Marino Upset Bid Falls Short at Australian Open

All three Canadian men competing at the 2025 Australian Open are through to the second round, with Denis Shapovalov scoring a victory on Tuesday over Roberto Bautista Agut in four sets to join Félix Auger-Aliassime and Gabriel Diallo in round two. 

Rebecca Marino had a chance to give Canada a perfect 5-0 record in the first round of the year’s first major, but her upset bid against No. 22 seed Katie Boulter came up just short in a three-set thriller. 

Shapovalov struggled to find rhythm at times in his opening match at Melbourne Park, particularly early in sets. But he saved his best for late as he scored a couple of breaks at the business ends of the second and third and held his nerve in the fourth-set tiebreak to advance with a 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 7-6(8) win. 

The serve was pretty erratic for Shapovalov, as he put just 48 per cent of first serves in play, winning 87 per cent of points when he landed them but only 38 per cent when he missed. He had 24 aces but 15 double faults. His baseline game was similar as he ripped 71 winners, almost triple Bautista Agut, but had 72 unforced errors, more than double his opponent. 

It took some time for Shapovalov to find his rhythm on serve. An error-filled second service game handed a quick break to the Spaniard, although the Canadian was able to claw it back and level the set at 3-3. However, right after drawing even, he played a poor game, including a pair of double faults, to immediately gift the advantage back to Bautista Agut. 

Read also: ATP Power Rankings – Sinner Looks to Stay Dominant at Australian Open

He was unable to recover from another break deficit. Serving to stay in the set at 3-5, Shapovalov double-faulted down set point to drop the opener. 

Bautista Agut pressed his advantage at the start of the second, taking advantage of more errors from the Canadian to break to love on his way to a 3-0 lead. Just like the first set, Shapovalov was able to recover the early break, ripping a forehand winner on break point as he eventually levelled again at 3-3. 

Read also: This Week in Tennis – The Australian Open Begins

This time, Shapovalov was able to use his comeback to build momentum. At 4-4, it was Bautista Agut’s turn to throw in some errors as he went down love-40. He managed to claw back to deuce but a backhand winner from Shapovalov gave the Canadian a fourth break point and the Spaniard missed a forehand to surrender the break. Shapovalov served out the set to love, finishing with three straight aces. 

Shapovalov once again faced some early jitters on serve in the third set but this time managed to avoid being broken. Just like the second set, the ninth game was the decisive one and once again, it was the Canadian scoring a late break. Bautista Agut cracked after letting a 40-15 lead slip away, double-faulting down break point.  

Read also: Auger-Aliassime Carries Momentum to Australian Open, Beats Struff in Opener

After the constant back-and-forth through three sets, the fourth set was relatively undramatic. Both men saved a break point in their opening service game and proceeded to not face another for the remainder of the set. 

Considering the servers had mostly cruised, the returners dominated the tiebreak early. The first seven points of the breaker went to the returner before Shapovalov netted a backhand on the Spaniard’s serve to go down 5-3. Bautista Agut had three sets points up 6-3 but the Canadian had no interest in a fifth set. He saved the first with an ace, drew a backhand long on the second, and then the Spaniard double-faulted to level the breaker at 6-6. 

Read also: Diallo Marks Australian Open Debut with First Five-Set Win

Shapovalov double-faulted himself on his first match point at 7-6 and then had to save another set point, coaxing a backhand into the net from Bautista Agut. After winning a long rally to bring up a second match point at 9-8, the Canadian rifled a forehand winner to escape in four sets. 

He will meet No. 16 seed Lorenzo Musetti in the second round. The Italian won their lone previous meeting last year in Indian Wells. 

Marino Narrowly Misses Upset 

Of all the Canadians at the 2025 Australian Open, Rebecca Marino had the toughest first-round task in the form of 22nd-seeded Brit Katie Boulter. The Canadian veteran put up a phenomenal fight, giving Boulter everything she could handle for three tough sets. But in the end, the Brit held her nerve late in the decider to score a 6-4, 3-6, 7-5 win. 

Marino statistically was the better player in the match. She had more winners, 28 to 26, fewer unforced errors, 35 to 38, and won one more point overall. Failure to convert break points was what ultimately cost the Canadian as she only managed two of seven while being broken three times on just five break points on her own serve. 

Read also: WTA Power Rankings – Sabalenka Eyeing Three-Peat at Australian Open

Boulter took some time to get going in the match, hitting back-to-back double faults at deuce in her opening service game to hand an early 2-0 advantage to the Canadian. However, that quickly woke the Brit up as she broke right back in the following game. 

At 3-3, Marino played a poor game, opening with a double-fault and following up with back-to-back unforced errors to go down love-40. Boulter forced a forehand miss to seal the break. When the Brit served for the set at 5-4, Marino pushed hard to level, saving the first two set points and holding a break point to get back on serve, but Boulter was not to be denied as she hung on to take the opener. 

Read also: Fernandez Hangs On for Opening Win at Australian Open

Marino once again broke in her opponent’s opening service game of the second set but this time did not let Boulter right back in it, consolidating to love for a quick 3-0 lead. The Canadian was upping the intensity in the second set and the Brit seemed to be struggling to keep up with Marino’s huge hitting. 

Once she had the lead, the Vancourite did not let up. She continued to wail away in the rallies and with the way she was hitting the ball, the early break was enough for Marino to force a deciding set. 

The Canadian continued to apply pressure early in the third, holding a break point in an 11-minute opening game on the Brit’s serve. However, unlike the previous two sets, she was unable to secure the early break. At 2-2, Marino had another shot when she led 15-40 on Boulter’s serve but the 22^nd seed conjured an ace and a volley winner to escape the jam. 

Read also: Five Canadians Face Tricky Paths at Australian Open – Draw Analysis

Marino had a chance to score a late break at 5-5 when she led love-30 on the Brit’s serve, but Boulter reeled off four straight points to move within a game of victory. Serving to stay in it, after a near-perfect set of serving where she had lost just three points through five games, Marino cracked at the worst possible moment. A missed backhand put her down 30-40, match point, but she saved it with a big serve. A forehand winner from Boulter gave the Brit a second chance and this time the Canadian netted a forehand to end her upset bid. 

Leylah Annie Fernandez is the lone Canadian woman left in the singles draw. Overall, the Canadians went 4-1 in the first round of singles in Melbourne. Fernandez also won her first-round doubles match on Tuesday with Nadiia Kichenok in straight sets.  

Tickets for the Davis Cup Qualifiers 1^st Round tie between Canada and Hungary are now on sale. Join us February 1 and 2 at IGA Stadium in Montreal, as the Canadian team begins their quest for the 2025 Davis Cup Final 8. To access tickets at early-bird pricing, click here.