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Shorn locks just first change for tennis star Denis Shapovalov

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Denis Shapovalov has lopped off his signature tresses, the heavy blond mane usually restrained by a baseball cap flipped around backwards.

“I liked my long locks but I just wanted to switch it up, go short a bit. It got a little boring for me. It was just kind of in the moment, you know? Screw it, let’s go shorter.”

Ch-ch-ch-changes, the Richmond Hill teenager has undergone a few.

Oh, the 19-year-old lefty is still a smashing entertainer on the tennis circuit, climbing up the ATP pecking order — achieved new career-high rankings 11 times in 2018, his sophomore season on the big boys tour, currently No. 27.

But he’s also feeling the whirl of it all and for the first time is acknowledging sheer exhaustion.

Shapovalov withdrew from the Next Gen finals earlier this month after qualifying a second straight year for an event showcasing the sport’s young studs. Just prior, he’d struggled in a first-run loss in Paris, losing in straight sets to Richard Gasquet despite racing out to a 3-0 lead in the first. That performance convinced him he’d run out of gas.

For the moment.

“Look, at the end of the day I’m only 19,” Shapovalov told the Star this past week following an exhibition match against Davis Cup captain Frank Dancevic, a charity gig for the Lights Foundation, in front of a posh crowd at Toronto’s Hotel X.

“I told myself that in the last part of the year I was going to play a lot of tournaments.’’ Which he has. “And obviously it wore me down.’’

Bound to catch up with him, given a non-stop schedule and still trying to figure out how to balance his time, his commitments, his endorsement contracts and his heavy media obligations. A player can consult all he or she likes with colleagues, tour veterans, but ultimately it’s an issue of personal pace beyond the touring commitments. Shapovalov may have been playing tennis under his mother’s training eye since age 5, but it’s been a dizzying calliope pretty much since he won the Wimbledon juniors title in 2016.

Then, of course, came a breakthrough 2017 and that wondrous Rogers Cup in Montreal — dispatching, as a qualifier, the likes of Juan Martin del Potro and then-world No. 2 Rafael Nadal before bowing out to Alexander Zverev in the semis, catapulting him up the rankings. The buzz continued unabated as Shapovalov knocked off “youngest-ever” records straight through his sophomore season as a pro, making history in Madrid as the youngest semifinalist in tournament history — one of three semifinal appearances on the ’18 calendar, albeit he’s yet to collect an ATP title.

No dreaded sophomore slump for Shapo, clearly. But man, so tired.

“Next year I’m going to play it different, definitely,” said Shapovalov, who has recently started working with new coach Rob Steckley. “I’m learning, just as much as my team is learning, everyone’s learning. I just ran out of fuel the last couple of weeks. I pushed through it, did everything I could, but it just wasn’t in me.

“I made the call. I said: Listen, right now I’d rather just go home. Just see my family, rest up for the off-season, come back in 2019 on fire and ready to go again.’’

It was, he’s certain, the right decision, allowing him a fortnight of grace with the folks before heading to the Bahamas to regird his tennis loins.

The punishing schedule has become a point of contention for all players, having to defend points, expected by the ATP to draw ticket-buyers for tournaments all over the world. It’s a non-stop global odyssey.

“Zverev has addressed it a couple of times and I’m definitely going to address it as well. It’s got to change. You can’t keep adding weeks in the year and just expect us to show up every time. It’s a long season and we’re obligated to play a lot of tournaments. And it’s everything — the travel, switching hotels. Even when you’re not playing a tournament week, you’ve got to practise, you’ve got to get ready for the following one.”

Shapovalov notes that it’s even more draining for young players, in the No. 30 to 40 range, trying to climb the rankings ladder. Like best friend and compatriot Felix Auger-Aliassime, he’s scrambled between the ATP 1000 series, the 500, even the 250. “So that we can get points to get into the bigger tournaments. It drains you and it’s obviously understandable why guys like Rafa and Stan (Wawrinka) and these guys are getting injured. It’s impossible to go a career without injuries because it’s so much tennis, so much wear on your body.’’

He’s still growing into his, at six feet and 167 pounds, building muscle and stamina. But certainly Shapovalov has established his tennis trademarks: explosive energy, dramatic leaping winners, massive flat balls on the backhand, a dogged ability to rally.

At times, it seems like the vaunted Next Gen set is indistinguishable one from another, perhaps because so many of the young men look alike — tall, gangly, fair-haired and not yet a slam-challenge for the vintage Big Four, though Zverev mounted the superstar crest by last weekend beating Novak Djokovic in the ATP final.

“There’s a lot of talent on the rise,” says Shapovalov, “a lot of guys that are the real deal. It’s motivating in a way. Almost every week there’s someone else, someone new, doing really well. It’s inspiring for all of us. Everyone is different. (Daniil) Medvedev has his own style, (Stefanos) Tsitsipas has his own style. I have my own style. We all have weapons and weaknesses. It’s going to be interesting to see who’s able to be the best version of themselves, who’s on top the next couple of years. I definitely see a lot of rank changes in the coming years.’’

He’s lived that already, his career rocket-propelled.

“I believe I’m capable of beating anyone out there. But obviously I did not expect to be where I am at this moment. It’s been happening so quick. Mentally, I’ve had to kind of catch up, you know? When my ranking shot up to 50, I was like, what is going on? I was 150 just two months ago and now it’s a completely different ball game. I’m playing top guys all the time.

“This year I just wanted to stay top 50, maintain that ranking. So I’m really happy to be where I am, 27 in the world. It’s a huge jump from last year. It’s been a really successful season for me. But I have so much room to improve and to grow, so I’m really excited to hit the off-season, hit the next year.”

Shapovalov was asked, if he could time travel, what advice his 19-year-old self would have given his 17-year-old self.

He laughed.

“I’d tell him that at 19 you’re going to be 27 in the world. Any my 17-year-old self would tell me that I’m full of s–t.’’

Rosie DiManno is a columnist based in Toronto covering sports and current affairs. Follow her on Twitter: @rdimanno

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Anglais

Nostalgia and much more with Starburst XXXtreme

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Get a taste of adventure with Starburst XXXtreme based on the legendary NetEnt Game. The nostalgic themes are sure to capture fans of the classic version as they get treated to higher intensity, better visuals, and features. The most significant element of the game is its volatility. Patience will not be an essential virtue considering the insane gameplay, and there is a lot of win potential involved. It retains the original makeup of the previous game while adding a healthy dose of adrenaline. 

Starburst Visuals and Symbols

The game is definitely more conspicuous than before. The setting happens over a 5-reel, 3-row game grid with nine fixed win lines, which function if a succession from the left to the right reel is present. Only those players that that attain the highest win per bet line are paid. From a visual standpoint, the Starburst XXXtreme slots illustrates lightning effects behind the reels, which is not surprising as it is inherited from the original version. Available themes include Classic, Jewels, and Space. The game is also available in both desktop and mobile versions, which is advantageous for players considering the global pandemic. According to Techguide, American gamers are increasingly having more engaging gaming experiences to socialize to fill the gap of in-person interaction. Starburst XXXtreme allows them to fill the social void at a time when there is so much time to be had indoors. 

Starburst XXXTreme Features

Players get to alternate on three features which are Starburst Wilds, XXXtreme Spins, and Random Wilds. The first appears on reels 2,3, or 4. When these land, they expand to cover all positions while also calculating the wins. They are also locked for a respin. If a new one hits, it also becomes locked while awarding another respin. Starburst XXXtreme offers a choice between two scenarios for a higher stake. In one scenario with a ten times stake, the Starburst Wild is set on random on reels 2,3, or 4, and a multiplier starts the respin. The second scenario, which has a 95 times stake, starts with two guaranteed starburst wilds on reels 2,3, or 4. it also plays out using respin game sequence and features. The game also increases the potential with the Random Wilds feature to add Starburst Wilds to a vacant reel at the end of a spin. Every Starburst Wild gives a random multiplier with potential wins of x2, x3, x5, x10, x25, x50, x100, or even x150.

The new feature is sure to be a big hit with the gaming market as online gambling has shown significant growth during the lockdown. AdAge indicates the current casino customer base is an estimated one in five Americans, so Starburst XXXtreme’s additional features will achieve considerable popularity. 

What We Think About The Game

The gambling market has continued to diversify post-pandemic, so it is one of the most opportune times to release an online casino-based game. Thankfully Starburst XXXtreme features eye-catching visuals, including the jewels and space themes. These attract audience participation and make the gameplay inviting. The game also has a nostalgic edge. The previous NetEnt iteration featured similar visuals and gameplay, so the audience has some familiarity with it. The producers have revamped this version by tweaking the features to improve the volatility and engagement. 

That is characterized by the potential win cap of 200,000 times the bet. Starburst XXXtreme does not just give betting alternatives for players that want to go big. The increase of multipliers also provides a great experience. If the respins in the previous version were great, knowing that multipliers can go hundreds of times overtakes the game to a new level. 

Players should get excited about this offering. All of the features can be triggered within a single spin. Whether one plays the standard game or takes the XXXtreme spin route, it is possible to activate all of the features. Of course, the potential 200,000 times potential is a huge carrot. However, the bet size is probably going to be restricted and vary depending on the casino. It is also worth pointing out that a malfunction during the gameplay will void all of the payouts and progress. Overall, the game itself has been designed to provide a capped win of 200,000 times the original bet. 

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Anglais

‘We’re back’: Montreal festival promoters happy to return but looking to next year

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In downtown Montreal, it’s festival season.

In the city’s entertainment district, a musical act was conducting a sound check on stage Friday evening — the second day of the French-language version of the renowned Just For Laughs comedy festival. Tickets for many of the festival’s free outdoor shows — limited by COVID-19 regulations — were sold out.

Two blocks away, more than 100 people were watching an acoustic performance by the Isaac Neto Trio — part of the last weekend of the Festival International Nuits d’Afrique, a celebration of music from the African continent and the African diaspora.

With COVID-19 restrictions continuing to limit capacity, festival organizers say they’re glad to be back but looking forward to next year when they hope border restrictions and capacity limits won’t affect their plans.

Charles Décarie, Just For Laughs’ CEO and president, said this is a “transition year.”

“Even though we have major constraints from the public health group in Montreal, we’ve managed to design a festival that can navigate through those constraints,” Décarie said.

The French-language Juste pour rire festival began on July 15 and is followed by the English-language festival until July 31.

When planning began in February and March, Décarie said, organizers came up with a variety of scenarios for different crowd sizes, ranging from no spectators to 50 per cent of usual capacity.

“You’ve got to build scenarios,” he said. “You do have to plan a little bit more than usual because you have to have alternatives.”

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Anglais

MELS new major movie studio to be built in Montreal

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MONTREAL — MELS Studios will build a new film studio in Montreal, filling some of the gap in supply to meet the demand of Hollywood productions.

MELS president Martin Carrier said on Friday that MELS 4 studio construction will begin « as soon as possible », either in the fall or winter of next year. The studio could host productions as early as spring 2023.

The total investment for the project is $76 million, with the Quebec government contributing a $25 million loan. The project will create 110 jobs, according to the company.

The TVA Group subsidiary’s project will enable it to stand out « even more » internationally, according to Quebecor president and CEO Pierre Karl Péladeau. In the past, MELS Studios has hosted several major productions, including chapters of the X-Men franchise. The next Transformers movie is shooting this summer in Montreal.

Péladeau insisted that local cultural productions would also benefit from the new facility, adding that the studio ensures foreign revenues and to showcase talent and maintain an industry of Quebec producers.

STUDIO SHORTAGE

The film industry is cramped in Montreal.

According to a report published last May by the Bureau du cinéma et de la télévision du Québec (BCTQ), there is a shortage of nearly 400,000 square feet of studio space.

With the addition of MELS 4, which will be 160,000 square feet, the company is filling part of the gap.

Carrier admitted that he has had to turn down contracts because of the lack of space, representing missed opportunities of « tens of millions of dollars, not only for MELS, but also for the Quebec economy. »

« Montreal’s expertise is in high demand, » said Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante, who was present at the announcement.

She said she received great testimonials from « Netflix, Disney, HBO and company » during an economic mission to Los Angeles in 2019.

« What stands out is that they love Montreal because of its expertise, knowledge and beauty. We need more space, like MELS 4, » she said.

There is still not enough capacity in Quebec, acknowledged Minister of Finance, the Economy and Innovation Eric Girard.

« It is certain that the government is concerned about fairness and balance, so if other requests come in, we will study them with the same seriousness as we have studied this one, » he said.

Grandé Studios is the second-largest player in the industry. Last May, the company said it had expansion plans that should begin in 2022. Investissement Québec and Bell are minority shareholders in the company.

For its part, MELS will have 400,000 square feet of production space once MELS 4 is completed. The company employs 450 people in Quebec and offers a range of services including studio and equipment rentals, image and sound postproduction, visual effects and a virtual production platform.

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