TORONTO — Gabriel Diallo, the final Canadian representative in the men’s draw at the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers, faced elimination on Friday night.
The 23-year-old from Montreal succumbed to a 6-4, 6-2 defeat against world No. 4, American Taylor Fritz, in front of a nearly packed house at Sobeys Stadium in Toronto.
This year, Diallo has made an impressive leap in the world rankings, climbing nearly 50 spots to now hold the No. 36 position. As the 27th seed, he was the sole Canadian man to win his first match on home soil, advancing to the third round.
Friday’s encounter marked a rematch of their intense five-set battle at Wimbledon earlier this month, where Diallo experienced his first-ever match against a top-5 player. He described that performance as “arguably” the finest tennis he had ever played. However, in this second showdown against a top-5 opponent, Diallo couldn’t replicate the magic he showcased on the grass courts.
Diallo started on a rocky note, committing two double-faults and failing to secure a point in his opening service game, allowing Fritz to seize an early break — a crucial difference in the first set.
After the shaky start, Diallo found his rhythm, powered through his third service game with consecutive aces — clocking in at over 230 k.m.h. — and finished the sequence with a stunning crosscourt forehand winner, exclaiming, “Come on!”
He quickly shifted into a serve-and-volley approach, beginning the second set strong, denying Fritz a single point.
However, once again, Diallo encountered an early break in the second set, followed by another round of double-faults later on, giving Fritz the opportunity to capitalize on yet another break point.
