Key Takeaways
- Denis Shapovalov came back from a set down to beat Adrian Mannarino 6-7(6), 6-3, 6-2 in Sunday's Chengdu Open quarterfinal, in 2 hours 34 minutes.
- The 27-year-old Canadian, seeded seventh, is now a two-time semifinalist in Chengdu — his first trip this deep came back in 2019.
- He faces fifth seed Hubert Hurkacz in Monday's semifinal; the Pole beat qualifier Lloyd Harris 7-6(10), 6-4 to reach his first ATP semifinal in over a year.
- The winner meets either Alejandro Davidovich Fokina or qualifier Nikoloz Basilashvili in Tuesday's final.
Denis Shapovalov needed the long way around, but he's through. The 27-year-old Canadian dropped the opening set to Adrian Mannarino on Sunday, then found another gear — and a 40-shot rally he'll remember for a while — to win 6-7(6), 6-3, 6-2 and book his place in the Chengdu Open semifinals.
A Comeback in Three Acts
The first set belonged to Mannarino's serve. The Frenchman conceded just four points behind his delivery, fired freely, and looked entirely comfortable — Shapovalov's only real test on serve came in his opening game, and the set drifted inevitably to a tiebreak. The Canadian grabbed an early mini-break for 2-0, couldn't hold it, saved a set point at 5-6, then watched the opener slip away at 7-6 after an unfortunate slip in a long rally.
That's usually the part of the story where Shapovalov — brilliant, volatile, forever one loose game from trouble — lets a match get away. Not this time. He broke straight out of the gates in the second set, survived a nearly eight-minute service game where he saved two break points, and held his nerve at 4-3, 30-all to keep the advantage. When Mannarino served to stay in the set at 3-5, Shapovalov forced the issue, won a 40-shot rally at deuce, and converted his second set point to force a decider.
The third set was the most one-sided of the match. Two hours and 34 minutes after it started, the seventh seed from Richmond Hill was into the last four.
Why This Week Matters
Shapovalov is currently ranked world No. 50 — a long way from the top-10 days, and he knows it. Runs like this one are how the climb back starts. He's now a two-time semifinalist in Chengdu, seven years after his first visit to this stage in 2019, and he's done it by winning the tight matches: three sets against Mannarino after straight-sets wins over Tallon Griekspoor and Vít Kopřiva earlier in the week.
It's also been a good week for Canadian tennis overall — Leylah Fernandez claimed her first title of the year in Singapore on the same weekend, and she'll now chase the biggest title of her career at the WTA 1000 in Beijing.
Hurkacz Awaits
Monday's semifinal is a proper test. Fifth seed Hubert Hurkacz reached his first ATP Tour semifinal in more than a year on Sunday, beating qualifier Lloyd Harris 7-6(10), 6-4. The former world No. 6 hit 14 aces and saved seven of eight break points, steadying himself after Harris pushed the first set to a marathon tiebreak. "I started to serve really well towards the end of the tie-breaker," Hurkacz said afterward. "Just took the opportunity when it came."
It's a matchup of two big servers with highlight-reel games and occasionally fragile second serves — the kind of semifinal that tends to be decided by a handful of points. The winner advances to Tuesday's final against either second seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, who beat Alexandre Muller 6-1, 7-5, or Georgian qualifier Nikoloz Basilashvili, who ended Jenson Brooksby's run 6-4, 7-6(4) to reach his first ATP semifinal since Doha 2022.
For Shapovalov, the equation is simple: keep serving like Sunday's second set, keep the unforced errors in check, and a first ATP final of the season is right there.
Sources: ATP Tour — Hurkacz sets Shapovalov semi-final showdown in Chengdu · Tennis Canada — Shapovalov completes comeback against Mannarino · Reuters — ATP roundup, Chengdu and Hangzhou · TennisUpToDate — Chengdu Open 2026 results and draw · CBC Sports — Shapovalov defeats Mannarino to reach semifinals