In a thrilling display at the Madrid Open, Montreal’s Gabriel Diallo capitalized on an unexpected opportunity, dominating Belgium’s Zizou Bergs with a stunning score of 6-1, 6-2 in the first round of this prestigious clay-court event.
Meanwhile, in the women’s draw, 25th seed Leylah Fernandez hailing from Laval, Que., faced a shocking defeat, falling to American Ann Li with a scoreline of 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 in a tightly contested second-round battle.
Diallo stepped into the main draw as a last-minute substitution for Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka, who had to withdraw prior to the tournament.
In a flawless performance, Diallo did not face a single break point and showcased his prowess with an impressive 86 percent success rate on his first serves. He effortlessly converted all four of his break point opportunities and secured 19 points on return.
This victory came as a strong rebound after he narrowly lost to Croatia’s Borna Coric, falling 6-3, 7-6 (6) in the final qualifying round earlier in the week.
Diallo is now set to take on fellow lucky loser Kamil Majchrzak, who stepped in after two-time champion Carlos Alcaraz withdrew due to a muscle injury.
In the match featuring Li and Fernandez, both players faced difficulties in holding their service games; however, American Li edged ahead with a 5-4 advantage in break points converted.
Notably, Li displayed her strong serve, firing off eight aces compared to just two from Fernandez, highlighting her aggressive play.
This match marked a setback for the 22-year-old Fernandez, dropping her season record to 10-9. This was her first event since she reached the third round at the Miami Open in March.
