Lady luck has been shining on Gabriel Diallo at the Masters 1000 events this year. On Thursday at the Madrid Open, the Canadian was a last-minute addition to the main draw and, just like Indian Wells and Miami, he took advantage of his second chance to score a first-round win, defeating Zizou Bergs in straight sets.
Leylah Annie Fernandez had a tougher day than her fellow Quebecer, dropping her second-round clash with American Ann Li in three sets.
Diallo had lost in the final round of qualifying to Borna Coric but got the call early Thursday morning when Yoshihito Nishioka withdrew. Competing in his first Masters 1000 main draw match on clay, the powerful Canadian looked right at home, blowing away the Belgian 6-1, 6-2 in under an hour.
While clay is not the surface most conducive to a big serve, Diallo dominated with his delivery on Thursday, losing a mere five total points on his own serve, three on his first and two on his second. He was also incredibly efficient, committing just three unforced errors and converting all four of his break-point chances.
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It did not take long for the Montrealer to assert control. At 2-1, Bergs sent a forehand long to give Diallo an early break point, where some impressive defence from the 6’8 Canadian drew an error to convert. That kicked off a run of five games in a row for Diallo, who added a second break to go up 5-1 before serving out the set to love.
Set two followed a similar script. This time, Bergs managed to stay level until 2-2 as the returners combined to win just one point through the first four games. But from there, it was all Diallo. Bergs was struggling to get the ball past the Canadian and started over-pressing, playing an error-filled fifth game which opened the door for Diallo, who took advantage, setting up a break point with a clever drop shot and then ripping a forehand to take a 3-2 lead.
Like the first set, Diallo cruised once he had the lead. He again added a late break for good measure but he did not need it. The Canadian lost just two points on serve in the second set, sealing the victory with an ace.
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Diallo’s luck did not end with just getting into the main draw. Initially, a win would have set up a clash with second seed Carlos Alcaraz, but the two-time Madrid champion also withdrew on Thursday morning. Instead, the Canadian will meet lucky loser Kamil Majchrzak in round two.
Fernandez Edged Out
Leylah Annie Fernandez’s clay-court season did not get off the start the former Roland-Garros quarter-finalist would have wanted as she was beaten in three sets on Thursday by Ann Li. The Canadian managed to bounce back after a sluggish start but she never pulled away from the American, who hung on for a 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 win.
The serve was a problem for Fernandez in this one, as she only managed to put 54 per cent of her first serves in play. She won just 51 per cent of her second serve points and double-faulted five times. The Canadian only saved four of nine break points and converted just four of her 10 opportunities.
Contesting her first match in over a month and first on dirt in 2025, Fernandez got off to a sluggish start, being broken in the opening game. She had a golden opportunity to get right back in it, racing ahead love-40 in Li’s first service game but she was unable to convert any of her break points.
While she managed a hold to love in her second game, the serve was not clicking for Fernandez in the opening set as she struggled to even get first serves in play. She was broken again in the fifth game and had to save a set point on her serve at 1-5.
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That escape provided a bit of a spark for the Canadian as she recovered one of the breaks and got as close as 4-5. But the second time Li served for the set, she slammed the door shut.
Even though the comeback came up short, it gave Fernandez momentum heading into the second set. The Canadian came out firing, breaking to love at the first opportunity. Her ground game was clicking and Li was struggling to keep up from the baseline. Under the relentless pressure from Fernandez, the American played an error-filled game the next time she served and the Lavalloise made it a double break on her way to 5-0.
Set two ended up being a near-perfect reversal of the first. It seemed like Fernandez was going to cruise into a decider when she served for it at 5-1 and had a pair of set points, but she double-faulted both times and ended up being broken. But just like the Canadian could not quite complete the comeback in the first, Li only managed to reclaim one break. Fernandez served it out at the second time of asking.
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The Canadian made the first move in the decider, breaking for a 3-2 lead, but she was unable to build on it and Li broke right back to stay level. From there, Fernandez found herself battling to stay alive.
She managed to save a break point at 3-4, but Fernandez’s service struggles came back to haunt her when she served to stay in it at 4-5. Two double faults gave Li looks at match point and on the second, the Canadian mishit a forehand to surrender the break and the match.
Fernandez’s loss leaves Bianca Andreescu as the lone Canadian woman left in the singles draw. She faces Elena Rybakina on Friday.
Feature Photo : Martin Sidorjak
