TORONTO — In a dazzling debut, Canada’s Liam Draxl captivated the home crowd during his inaugural ATP Tour singles match on Monday night at the National Bank Open presented by Rogers.
Unfortunately, the outcome fell slightly short of his vibrant spirit.
Draxl launched into a thrilling first set but ultimately succumbed to Spain’s Pablo Carreno Busta, finishing with a scoreline of 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 at Sobeys Stadium.
“I tightened up after snatching the first set,” Draxl admitted. “I was eager to cross the finish line.”
The 23-year-old from nearby Newmarket, Ontario, relished the center court party at the beginning of their first-round clash on a warm, clear evening in northwest Toronto.
After winning a key point in the second game, Draxl celebrated with an exuberant fist pump, frequently encouraging the crowd to cheer him on. His winners were often followed by an index finger raised to the sky.
His flair was reinforced by a robust serve and clever shot selections, which initially unsettled Carreno Busta—a former champion at this event in 2022. However, the Spaniard soon found his groove.
A veteran ranked 93rd in the world and a former top-10 player, Carreno Busta shifted to a more strategic play style in the second set, capitalizing on Draxl’s increasing unforced errors.
By breaking Draxl for a 4-3 lead, he seized his first set point and equalized.
Draxl struggled with right shoulder tightness, which became increasingly apparent. The world No. 113 grimaced during serves and called for a medical timeout after conceding another early break in the third set.
Despite having some chances in the final set, a double fault during a critical break point gave Carreno Busta the advantage at 4-3. He then closed the match in two hours and 21 minutes.
“He’s clearly a phenomenal player with extensive tour experience,” Draxl reflected. “I’m still finding my footing on the tour, so it was clearly a matter of experience for me.”
The day had mixed outcomes for Canadian participants.
Wild-card entry Alexis Galarneau from Laval, Quebec, triumphed with a score of 7-6 (2), 6-3 against Arthur Rinderknech from France in a late match.
Earlier, Dan Martin—also hailing from Laval—saw his unexpected run in the Masters 1000 tournament come to a halt as he fell 6-3, 6-0 to Spain’s Jaume Munar.
Ranked 560th, Martin received a wild-card invite to the 32-man qualifier and achieved his first ATP Tour main draw appearance with an upset over Japan’s Taro Daniel over the weekend.
The 26-year-old struggled to find his rhythm against the 51st-ranked Munar, who won ten consecutive games in a 70-minute match.
“Playing in front of such a large crowd for the first time was quite an experience,” Martin said. “I’m pleased with my performance and eager to see how the season unfolds.”
After playing collegiate tennis at Dartmouth and the University of Miami, Martin was gearing up for a Challenger circuit stop when he received the wild-card news.
“I learned about it quite late,” he explained. “I was away training for another tournament, drove 14 hours to Illinois, and then had to rush back another 10 hours when I got the wild card.”
“It was quite the adventure. Honestly, when I heard, I was incredibly excited and it’s a life experience for sure.”
Martin stunned the 156th-ranked Daniel in a rain-delayed three-set match that concluded Sunday morning. After a suspension at 5-5 in the third set, he resumed play to hold serve and break Daniel for the win.
“It was definitely a tough night’s sleep, visualizing the concluding points,” Martin recalled. “But I visualized a lot, and it worked out for me.”
He saved his first break point against Munar for a 3-2 lead, but things quickly spiraled downward as his serve was broken five times in a row by the Spaniard.
Nevertheless, Martin will take home a cool US$23,760 for the largest payday of his professional career.
“This is huge,” he acknowledged. “It’ll definitely sustain me for a couple of months.”
With all 32 seeded players resting, Monday’s action at the newly enhanced tournament featured a multitude of qualifiers, wild-card players, and lucky losers.
Among the highlights, Australian qualifier Tristan Schoolkate triumphed over Brazilian teen sensation Joao Fonseca with a score of 7-6 (5), 6-4, and American Mackenzie McDonald bested Belgium’s David Goffin 6-4, 6-4.
