Ten years ago, unseeded Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga was a surprise finalist at the Australian Open. He had defeated four seeded players to get there, including then world No 2 Rafael Nadal in straight sets in the semi-finals. The athletic Frenchman bounded into the hearts of tennis fans with his post-match leaps of joy, his beaming smile and amiable ways.

Over the years, Jo-Willie has electrified many a tennis court around the world. On his day, he’s capable of beating anyone. He defeated Novak Djokovic in the quarter-finals of the 2010 Australian Open, and stunned Roger Federer from two sets down in the 2011 Wimbledon quarter-finals.

Tsonga was the runner-up at the Australian Open 10 years back. Reuters

At times a tad inconsistent, Tsonga is perhaps the most talented player of his generation – with the exception of Tomas Berdych – not to win a Grand Slam. A five-time quarter-finalist (or better) in the first Major of the year, Tsonga can claim to feel quite at home in Melbourne.

On Wednesday, the 32-year-old sentimental favourite took on the hottest rising Next Gen star in what was always going to be an exciting battle of the generations.

Battle of the generations

Canadian teenager Denis Shapovalov was catapulted into the top 50 last season, becoming the youngest player in the top 100. Stunning victories over Juan Martin del Potro and Nadal at the Montreal Masters, followed by a fourth-round appearance at the US Open, shot him into the limelight. His fellow players voted him ATP’s Most Improved Player while the Canadian Press named him Male Athlete of the Year.

The 2016 Wimbledon junior singles champion was invited personally by Anna Wintour to participate in a photoshoot for Vogue’s November issue. Both on and off the court, his star was shining brightly by the end of the last season. Which is why his Australian Open debut this year – the first time he entered the main draw of a major directly – was a source of much anticipation.

Add to that the fact that Shapovalov had beaten Tsonga in straight sets at the US Open last year. Their second-round encounter had the potential to be epic. And it didn’t disappoint.

Shapo, as he is nicknamed, is a fearless hitter. He has a big lefty serve and a massive forehand as well as a rare single-handed backhand. Dressed in a bright pink and black ensemble, with his trademark blond hair hanging loose to his shoulders beneath a baseball hat, the Canadian teen plays rock and roll tennis – sometimes verging on the wild side. His appearance, and his recent successes, have obviously made a big splash, but from there to actually winning a Major can prove to be a very long road. Just ask compatriot Milos Raonic, or, for that matter, Tsonga.

Shapovalov unleashed some of his tremendous groundstrokes in Wednesday’s match to take the first set over the Frenchman who has been suffering from a calf injury. But Tsonga came back to take the second set.

They traded the third and fourth sets, with both players demonstrating some entertaining shot-making, including an accidental tweener from Tsonga at 5-5 in the final set. When Tsonga won the fourth set tiebreak, it seemed that he had the momentum. It would take a miracle for a young teenager with little five-set experience to actually pull off the upset.

But Shapovalov got off to an excellent start in the deciding set, breaking Tsonga to go up 3-0. For a minute there, it really looked like he might be able to get the sensational win. In the end, however, his inexperience may have proved to be crucial, as he allowed Tsonga to crawl back from a 5-2 deficit.

The final score was 3-6, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 (7-4), 7-5, yet another testament to Tsonga’s ability to come back from tight situations. Afterwards, Tsonga said in the on-court interview, “I’m tired but really happy. I did a big fight today, it’s not easy to play against these young guns - they go for everything.”

This was no doubt a crushing disappointment for Shapo, but it will hopefully prove to be a valuable lesson as he goes forward. The spectators in the Margaret Court arena may have caught a glimpse of the future of men’s tennis today. But for now, things are exactly as they have been for the last year or so – with veterans in their 30s proving resistant to any challenge.