Shapovalov up & running in 2024 in Montpellier

Denis Shapovalov is a match-winner on the ATP Tour once again.

The Canadian moved past Frenchman Hugo Gaston 6-1, 6-3 at the Open Sud de France – Montpellier on Tuesday to earn his first tour-level win since last July.

Great to watch ☺️@denis_shapo cruises past Gaston to secure his first win since July 2023 and will face Bublik in the next round!@OpenSuddeFrance | #OSDF24 pic.twitter.com/VCLBZqtbUf

— ATP Tour (@atptour) January 30, 2024

Shapovalov, who missed the second half of last season due to a knee injury, fired 11 aces and won 92 per cent (23/25) of his first-serve points to advance after just 67 minutes. He is making his third appearance in Montpellier, having reached the quarter-finals in 2019.

The former No. 10 player in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings will next play second seed Alexander Bublik.

In other action Frenchman Arthur Cazaux, who upset three of the world's Top 35 players en route to the second week of the Australian Open, maintained his good form. The 21-year-old eliminated German Maximilian Marterer 6-1, 6-3 in just one hour, 24 minutes. According to Infosys ATP Stats, Cazaux won 85 per cent of his first-serve points and saved all three break points he faced.

Former World No. 7 Richard Gasquet was unable to move on. Pablo Llamas Ruiz, a 21-year-old qualifier from Spain, ousted the home favourite 7-6(6), 7-5. It was the World No. 156's first tour-level match on a hard court.

French wild card Harold Mayot defeated countryman Lucas Pouille 6-4, 7-5 to record his first tour-level win of the season. The 21-year-old reached the quarter-finals in Metz in November. Mayot will face Benoit Paire in the second round.

French pair Gregoire Barrere and Alexandre Muller also advanced in all-French matches. Barrere beat qualifier Ugo Blanchet 6-7(7), 6-4, 6-2, while Muller downed qualifier Antoine Escoffier 7-6(4), 6-3.