Sometimes a loss feels like a win. Exhibit A: Nicolas Arseneault.
Sometimes a loss feels like another dagger to the heart. Exhibit A: Denis Shapovalov.
Both are from Richmond Hill. Only one went home with a happy buzz Tuesday evening.
“It sucks,’’ said Shapovalov of his swift opening-round elimination at the National Bank Open by 19-year-old American Learner Tien. “Today didn’t go my way, but I wasn’t beaten, I lost. I had the match, I had the first set, I had the second set. Just a little bit nerves, a little bit just didn’t go my way. That’s tennis.’’
Sent packing in straight sets: 7-6(4), 7-5. On the cusp of taking both sets. Yet in neither frame, serving for the set, could he bring it home. Broken, broken and busted.
- Daniel Rainbird The Canadian Press
“Served a couple of bad doubles for the first set, missed backhand, just a loose game on my serve. I broke the guy twice in the second set, I was up twice. Some games on my serve slipped away. I didn’t feel like he outplayed me in any of those games; it was me missing.’’
Followed by a dollop of self-analysis: “I want to commit to playing aggressively and going for it, so I have to stay true to myself. And sometimes it’s going to happen like this. I did everything right today. Just need to be a little bit sharper serving for the sets next time.’’
Did everything a la Shapo, in fact, with the flamboyant backhands, the leaping forehands … and the nemesis double faults, the ruinous unforced errors — four of them in the first set tiebreak alone.
He simply can’t be anything other than who he is.
Let’s go with a little topspin here instead, then, in praise of the teenage Arseneault. The 18-year-old was so wired, so tangled in jangly nerves ahead of his confrontation with defending champion Alexei Popyrin that he twisted himself right into a bad case of the cramps. Turned to meditation to recover his chakra.
“It was the first time I tried meditating. Never before, but it seemed to work well. So maybe it’s a thing now.’’
And why wouldn’t the kid, a wild-card-gifted entrant at the National Bank Open, have the willies? Barely settling back down to Earth from an opening-round main draw triumph two days previously at the Masters 1000 event — his ATP Tour debut, typically a Challenge series guy at this stage — and here he was, going racket mano a mano with the fellow who copped this title a year ago in Montreal.

Canadian Nicolas Arseneault runs down a return in Tuesday’s action at the National Bank Open in ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½.
Nathan Denette/The Canadian PressMost meaningfully, the young lefty with a fledgling world ranking of No. 636 wasn’t blown off the court. In fact, he twice had set point on his racket in the first frame before it slipped away into a tiebreak and only got broken once in the second frame, losing 7-6(7), 6-3 and over the moon with it.
It’s all been quite dizzying.
“I had set points against the defending champion,’’ Arseneault repeated in self-awe.
The teen was still twanging from the phone call last week informing him that he’d been extended a wild card: “Crazy experience. I mean, this is probably the best week of my life so far. I mean, it’s unreal to be honest. I can’t wait to play here again next year.’’
A year past, he didn’t get out of qualifiers. Yet on Tuesday he didn’t look tennis callow, which was his main takeaway from the whirlwind experience up at York University: “I’ve learned that I belong with these guys, I’m not far behind.’’
Matched Popyrin with nine aces, won 87 per cent of his first-serve points.
Arseneault, who plays tour doubles with twin brother Mikael (both of them following older sister Ariana into the sport), hasn’t turned pro yet. Got a taste of it, though, as a grown-up profession with $11,435 in prize money this year to date. Nice pocket change for the teenager, who will be starting at the University of Kentucky in the fall with the school’s famous tennis Wildcats.
- Daniel Rainbird The Canadian Press
“The big points was a huge difference,’’ Arseneault acknowledged of where the match was won and lost. “He plays big points very well and I kind of freak out. I had two set points and I was overthinking: What should I do? What’s the play here?’’
Shapovalov was the featured match on Centre Court later in the evening, coming off his second tour title this season only a week earlier.
The 25-year-old, seeded 22nd and obviously over-amped, captured an early break and 4-2 lead in the first set before it all went pear-shaped — five double-faults, long his Achilles heel — en route to a tiebreak.
Seemingly in command of the match, at least forcing a deciding third set. After executing a second break, he cupped his ear to encourage cheers from a gaga crowd — but was thwarted by an opponent world-ranked No. 61, solid if stolid. Should have been the turning point. Wasn’t.
“I didn’t feel until maybe the very end that I was going to lose this match.’’
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