Frances Tiafoe and Denis Shapovalov Face Upset at Japan Open

Frances Tiafoe and Denis Shapovalov, notable seeds in the Japan Open, experienced stunning first-round defeats. Tiafoe, seeded eighth, fell to qualifier Marton Fucsovics, frustrated by a faltering first serve and ultimately smashing his racket.

Shapovalov, the tournament's seventh seed, succumbed to a 7-5, 6-3 loss to Daniel Altmaier. This abrupt exit follows Tiafoe's recent string of losses, including defeats at the U.S. Open and Davis Cup qualifiers.

Fucsovics advances to the second round, where he will face either Jordan Thompson or Brandon Nakashima. Altmaier prepares for competition against either Damir Dzumhur or Aleksandar Vukic.

(With inputs from agencies.)