Canada’s Denis Shapovalov ended a five-match losing streak by securing a hard-fought victory in the opening round of the ATP 500 event at The Queen’s Club in West London on Monday. The 23-year-old Canadian defeated British wildcard Jack Pinnington Jones 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (3) in a match that extended just over two hours.

Pinnington Jones, ranked 147th in the world and 106 places below Shapovalov, posed a significant challenge on his home turf. The British player broke Shapovalov’s serve to lead 6-5 in the decisive third set, but Shapovalov responded by breaking back to force a tiebreaker. In the tiebreak, the Canadian won three consecutive points, including two key returns, to clinch the victory. Both players recorded three breaks overall, with two breaks apiece in the final set. Shapovalov also recorded eight aces during the match.

This win marks Shapovalov’s first ATP singles match victory since the quarter-finals of the BMW Open in April, ending a streak of five consecutive losses. Looking ahead, Shapovalov is scheduled to face the winner of the match between top-seeded Australian Alex de Minaur and fellow Canadian Gabriel Diallo.

Meanwhile, fellow Canadian Félix Auger-Aliassime advanced to the second round of the Terra Wortmann Open, also held on grass courts, with a 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 victory over Portugal’s Nuno Borges on Monday. Auger-Aliassime, the world No. 4 and second seed in Halle, converted a critical break in the third set to take a 5-3 lead and closed out the match with an unbroken serve.

Auger-Aliassime served nine aces and defended his service games effectively, facing only two break points and saving one of them. Borges, who served well throughout, faced three break points in total. The outcome represents a turnaround from their previous encounter, where Auger-Aliassime retired with a cramp while trailing in the first round of the Australian Open earlier this year.

Auger-Aliassime is set to meet American player Learner Tien in the next round of the ATP 500 event in Halle.