(New York) On a difficult day for other Canadians on Tuesday at the US Open, Quebec’s Gabriel Diallo won his first career major tournament match.
After his compatriots Félix Auger-Aliassime, Denis Shapovalov and Leylah Fernandez were eliminated, Diallo defeated the Spaniard Jaume Munar, 72e world racket, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 and 7-5.
He had also played in the main draw of the French Open earlier this year, but failed to make it past the first round. He lost 7-5, 7-6 (3), 3-6, 1-6, 7-5 to Japan’s Kei Nishikori.
The 22-year-old Montrealer hit 20 aces, recording seven breaks in 20 attempts in this duel. Diallo will now face Frenchman Arthur Fils (24e) who defeated American Learner Tien (191e) 6-4, 3-6, 6-1 and 6-2.
Diallo earned his pass into the main draw after making it through three qualifying rounds last week.
Auger-Aliassime lost 6-2, 6-4 and 6-2 to the Czech Jakub Mensik in the afternoon.
PHOTO PAMELA SMITH, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Felix Auger-Aliassime
The 19e The tournament’s top seed was never really in the game against Mensik, losing after two hours and three minutes on Court 5.
He now has a career record of 1-1 against Mensik, 64.e world champion, after beating him in the third round of the Madrid Masters earlier this year.
The 24-year-old Quebecer was in the same portion of the draw as world No. 1, Italian Jannik Sinner, who made headlines last week after being cleared despite two positive doping tests for an anabolic steroid in March.
Shapovalov, meanwhile, lost 6-4, 7-5, 6-4 to Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp, a player he had beaten in their only previous meeting, at Indian Wells earlier in 2024.
PHOTO DOMINICK GRAVEL, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Shapovalov lost 6-4, 7-5, 6-4 to Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp, a player he had beaten in their only previous meeting, at Indian Wells earlier in 2024.
The 25-year-old Ontarian, currently 105e in the world, was broken six times. He put only 55% of his first serves in play and committed 11 double faults.
In the women’s competition, Quebecer Leylah Annie Fernandez lost 2-6, 6-4 and 7-5 to Russian Anastasia Potapova, 43e to the world.
The 21-year-old from Laval had an unblemished 4-0 career record against Potapova heading into this matchup, having beaten her in Madrid and Strasbourg earlier this season.
For her part, Ontario’s Bianca Andreescu had quite a challenge to face in the evening since she had to measure herself against Italian Jasmine Paolini, fifth seed.
PHOTO FRANK FRANKLIN II, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Bianca Andreescu
The 2019 US Open champion has lost both of her career meetings with Paolini – at the French Open and then at Wimbledon this year.