Shapovalov bounces No. 3 Zverev at Aussie Open, books date with Nadal

Denis Shapovalov booked a spot in a Grand Slam quarterfinal for the third time in his burgeoning career.

The 14th-seeded Canadian outclassed No. 3 Alexander Zverev 6-3, 7-6 (5), 6-3 at the Margaret Court Arena to progress to the quarterfinal stage of the Australian Open for the first time.

Shapovalov will next face sixth-seeded Rafael Nadal after the Spanish icon dispatched Frenchman Adrian Mannarino in straight sets earlier in the day. Nadal is seeking a record 21st Grand Slam title.

The victory was Shapovalov's third against Zverev in seven meetings and first at a major tournament. The result is also the 22-year-old's second-ever win over a top-five opponent, with the other coming against Nadal in 2017.

Despite recording 11 double faults in the match that took 2 hours and 22 minutes, Shapovalov was a dominant force, capturing four of six break points in an affair where Zverev managed just 18 winners to Shapovalov's 35.

Shapovalov could be joined in the quarterfinals by countryman and No. 9 seed Felix Auger-Aliassime, who faces Croatia's Marin Cilic on the opposite side of the men's bracket. Shapovalov joins Milos Raonic (five times) and Michael Belkin (1968) as the only Canadian men's players to reach the quarterfinals of the Australian Open.