Canadians Shapovalov, Pospisil advance to second round of Miami Open

MIAMI – Denis Shapovalov advanced to the second round of the Miami Open tennis tournament with a 6-3, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (6) win over Serbia’s Viktor Troicki on Thursday.

The 18-year-old from Richmond Hill, Ont., held on after giving up a 5-1 lead in the third set. He needed six match points to finish off Troicki.

Shapovalov, making his Miami debut, will meet No. 24 seed Damir Dzumhur of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the second round.

Vancouver’s Vasek Pospisil joined Shapovalov in the second round with a 7-6 (4), 7-6 (5) win over veteran Ivo Karlovic.

The hard-serving Croat had 15 aces to Pospisil’s five, but Pospisil won 81 per cent of first serve points.

Pospisil next faces 27th seed Andrey Rublev of Russia.

Milos Raonic of Thornhill, Ont., the 20th seed in Miami, had a first-round bye and will next face Swedish wild-card Mikael Ymer.