Denis Shapovalov fires 16 aces en route to 1st-round win at Miami Open – MASHAHER

Canada’s Denis Shapovalov downed Italy’s Luciano Darderi in three sets on Wednesday to advance to the second round of the Miami Open.

Shapovalov, of Richmond Hill, Ont., fired 16 aces and won 77 per cent of first serves en route to a 6-3, 6-7 (3), 6-4 win in the ATP 1000 tournament.

Shapovalov next meets fifth-seeded Andrey Rublev of Russia in the Round of 64.

Fellow Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime, of Montreal, will play his first match Thursday against Australia’s Adam Walton.

WATCH | Shapovalov downs Darderiin in Miami:

Denis Shapovalov moves on at the Miami Open

Denis Shapovalov of Richmond Hill, Ont., beat Italian Luciano Darderi 6-3, 6-7(3), 6-4 to advance to the second round of the Miami Open.

Auger-Aliassime, currently ranked No. 36 in the ATP rankings, enters the tournament unseeded.

Ottawa’s Gabriela Dabrowski and partner, Erin Routliffe of New Zealand, are seeded second in women’s doubles. They’ll also be in action Thursday against Hanyu Guo of China and Ulrikke Eikeri of Norway.