Monday Digest: More Victories for Masters, Wheelchair Athletes

Across all levels of professional tennis last week, Canadians were scoring big wins, including at Masters and wheelchair events.

While the focus may have been on the Miami Open, some hardware is making its way back to Canada from some smaller events around the globe.

Here’s what you need to know.

Under the Radar: More Medals for the Masters

A week after Canada picked up a gold and a silver medal at the Masters ITF World Team Championships, they did it again in the individual event in Antalya, Turkey.

Chris Burr and Tim Griffin, who were a part of Canada’s gold-medal winning over-75 team the week prior, won gold in the over-75 doubles event. They did not drop a set on their way to another gold, defeating top-seeded Michael Beautyman of the United States and Bernd Martin of Germany in the final.

Griffin also reached the singles final but had to settle for silver after falling in three sets to the top seed Jairo Velasco Ramirez.

Over on the ITF Wheelchair circuit in Lima, Peru, Thomas Venos won his first title of the season, claiming the doubles crown at the Peru Open.

He and Costa-Rican partner Jose Pablo Gil cruised to the title, not dropping a set in three matches. They lost just four total games in their first four sets before clinching the title with a 6-4, 6-4 win over the Colombian tandem of Eliecer Oquendo Barrios and Manuel Sanchez.

It is the seventh ITF doubles title of Venos’ career. He won two in 2023.

On the ITF men’s circuit, Benjamin Sigouin won his second ITF doubles title of 2024, claiming the M25 in Calabasas, California alongside American Finn Reynolds. It is Sigouin’s sixth ITF doubles title overall.

Sigouin and Reynolds did not drop a set on their way to the final where they rallied from a set down to ultimately squeak out the title 13-11 in the match tiebreak.

This week, Sigouin shifts his attention to the ATP Challenger Tour, where he joins Davis Cup team members Vasek Pospisil and Alexis Galarneau in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, as well as Billie Jean King Cup team members Marina Stakusic, Rebecca Marino, and Carol Zhao in the women’s draw.

You can follow the Canadians in action every week here. 

In Case You Missed It: Shapovalov Scores an Upset

Rain stole the show in week one of the Miami Open, with a near washout on Friday creating a very busy weekend.

All three Canadians competing in singles managed to get at least one win under their belt, but none managed to reach the second week in Florida.

Denis Shapovalov had the most impressive run, defeating Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets in the second round for his first Top 20 win in two years. Unfortunately, he ran out of gas in the third round against Matteo Arnaldi.

Félix Auger-Aliassime was able to get through his opening match in straight sets but also had a brutal round-two draw. Unlike his compatriot, he was unable to pull the upset and fell at the hands of Alexander Zverev.

Leylah Annie Fernandez had a bye and got through her second-round match in straight sets before going toe-to-toe with world No. 5 Jessica Pegula in round three, a clash won by the American in two tight sets.

Gabriela Dabrowski has been locked in with Erin Routliffe in the doubles. The second-seeded pair were the first team to book their spot in the quarter-finals and did so without dropping a set in two matches.

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What to Watch: Gaby Again

As was the case in the first half of the Sunshine Double, Gabriela Dabrowski will be the lone Canadian competing in week two of the Miami Open.

She and Erin Routliffe may have to wait a while to find out who they will play in the quarter-finals, as there is a first-round match being played today to determine who will face Ashlyn Kruger and Sloane Stephens in round two. The winner of that match will meet Dabrowski and Routliffe in the last eight.

The highest-seeded team left in their half of the draw is the No. 4 tandem of Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Ellen Perez, who are a potential semifinal opponent.

Written By

Pete Borkowski