MADRID — In a thrilling showdown at the Madrid Open, Montreal’s own Gabriel Diallo made waves by reaching his first Masters-level quarterfinal, bouncing back from a set down to defeat 15th-seed Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria with a score of 5-7, 7-6 (7), 6-4 on Wednesday.
Diallo clinched the second set in a nail-biting tiebreaker, leveling the match before securing an early break in the third set that proved pivotal.
The 23-year-old Canadian sealed his victory with a well-timed forced error, earning his first match point in this intense encounter.
“Tennis is a rollercoaster, and it’s all about managing those ups and downs,” Diallo reflected. “Today, I was fortunate enough to turn it around and clinch the match.”
Dimitrov showcased his powerful serve throughout the fiercely contested second set, delivering an impressive seven aces across his final three service games and one more during the tiebreak.
However, Diallo demonstrated resilience, saving three match points and seizing two return points to put himself ahead at 8-7 before winning the second set with a decisive ace.
“I honestly believed I was going home at one point; the margins felt razor-thin,” Diallo admitted. “That might be the best serving performance I’ve ever displayed. A crucial error from him at 4-6 gave me a boost, and I felt confident serving at 5-6, managing to save yet another match point.”
The turning point in the first set occurred in Game 11, where Diallo alternated between a couple of double faults and aces, but ultimately Dimitrov managed to score the only break of the set at a critical moment.
Both competitors excelled on serve, with only two breaks throughout the match. Diallo faced just one break point, while Dimitrov encountered four.
Dimitrov amassed a total of 14 aces compared to Diallo’s eight—a remarkable tally on the clay court, known for slowing down the ball.
Next, Diallo is set to take on Italy’s 10th seed Lorenzo Musetti in the quarterfinals on Thursday.
This remarkable run at an ATP 1000 event began with fortune; Diallo entered the main draw as a lucky loser after an unsuccessful qualifying bid and dodged a significant test when Spanish star Carlos Alcaraz withdrew due to injury.
Nonetheless, Diallo has proven his mettle on the court, overcoming Belgium’s Zizou Bergs, Poland’s Kamil Majchrzak, former world No. 8 Cameron Norrie from Britain, and now Dimitrov.
With this victory, Diallo, who entered the tournament with a career-high ATP Tour ranking of 78, is projected to ascend to rank No. 54 according to the live rankings.
