Almost there, but not quite for Gabriel Diallo.
The Canadian faced defeat for the third consecutive time this year against American Taylor Fritz, losing 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (3) in the first round of the Japan Open on Thursday.
Fritz, the second seed and currently ranked fifth globally, previously triumphed over Diallo in a five-set match at Wimbledon and a straight-sets victory at the National Bank Open in Toronto.
During this clash of powerful servers, Fritz seized a mini-break on the very first point of the tiebreak, maintaining his lead without looking back.
This marked Diallo’s first outing since his second-round exit at the U.S. Open on August 28. He stands as the world No. 35.
Despite hitting 40 winners, Diallo struggled to navigate his way out of trouble during the tiebreak.
Fritz, the reigning champion of the Japan Open from 2022, quickly transitioned after participating in the Laver Cup team event in San Francisco last weekend.
Next up for Fritz is a matchup against Portugal’s Nuno Borges in the second round.
