AUCKLAND, New Zealand — Denis Shapovalov opened his season with a loss on Monday, falling to Joao Sousa 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 in the first round of the ASB Classic.
The seventh-seeded Canadian, who is considered to be a rising star on the ATP Tour, made 78 unforced errors and finished with eight double-faults. Sousa had 46 unforced errors.
"Denis is a great player and I knew he was playing great tennis," Sousa said. "It was the first match of the year for both of us, which is not easy."
Shapovalov, from Richmond Hill, Ont., is ranked 27th in the world.
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The Associated Press
