Denis Shapovalov Says He and Reilly Opelka Kicked Out Two Spectators From Indian Wells Masters

It has been a thrilling, action-packed week in Indian Wells. Fans were fortunate to witness some eye-catching tennis action. As we draw curtains on the first Masters 1000 of the season, it was Taylor Fritz and Iga Swiatek who took home the coveted prize. Further, as fans witnessed their favorite tennis stars in action, emotions flared up at every point won and lost. Recently, Denis Shapovalov reflected upon an incident involving the crowd.

Denis Shapovalov was up against Reilly Opelka in the third round of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells. The American overcame a set deficit to defeat his higher-ranked opponent in a three-setter thriller. However, there were a number of stoppages during the match as the crowd was highly vocal supporting their local hero.  The Canadian opened up on an incident during the match.

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Denis Shapovalov reveals why two spectators were escorted

During the post-match press conference after his third-round loss against Reilly Opelka, the 22-year-old reflected upon the unruly behavior of the crowd. He said, “It’s not easy for the players but I mean there’s not much we can do. Most of the people are great, it’s just certain individuals sometimes so it’s difficult. All you can do is just ask them to be escorted out and that’s it. You know, I mean, obviously, if they do it accidentally it’s no problem. But if they’re you know continuously or purposely doing something then it’s just not respectful for the players.”

Further, he added, “Reilly asked for one person to be escorted out and then I did the same just because during the rally a couple of times this guy was making comments and saying stuff, and then after the points, he was kind of excessive, I felt. So I just asked because I think these two guys were actually sitting together and they kicked one out but not the other and then yeah it just seemed like it was something more behind his cheering. Both those guys got escorted.”

Can Shapovalov bounce back at the Miami Masters?

Shapovalov will be disappointed after an early exit at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells. After a decent start to the year that saw him win the ATP Cup for Canada and reach the Australian Open quarterfinals, it was a heartbreaking loss for the Canadian who is looking to break into the top-10 of the ATP rankings.

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However, he will be keen to make amends at the Miami Open. The draw for the tournament will take place later today.