ROME — Canadian tennis player Gabriel Diallo faced a challenging debut in the men’s singles at the prestigious Italian Open on Thursday.
The Montreal native succumbed to American Marcos Giron, losing the match with a score of 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.
Despite hitting more aces—four compared to Giron’s two—and boasting a superior first-serve percentage (70% against 58%), Diallo struggled to capitalize on break points. Giron converted on two of his three break opportunities, while Diallo was successful just once out of two.
In other tournament news, Denis Shapovalov from Richmond Hill, Ont., the 27th seed, is set to clash with Lithuania’s Vilius Gaubas in his singles match on Friday at this clay-court Masters event.
Fellow Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime, seeded 26th, is also in the lineup, further showcasing Canada’s talent on the international stage.
On the women’s circuit, Toronto’s Victoria Mboko, Bianca Andreescu from Mississauga, Ont., and Leylah Fernandez of Laval, Que., are gearing up for their second-round matches scheduled for Friday.
Diallo clinched his place in Rome’s main draw without qualifying, following an impressive run to the quarterfinals at the Masters-level Madrid Open last week. This performance has propelled him to a career-high world ranking of No. 53.
