In an exciting tennis match in Toronto, American Taylor Fritz, seeded number two, defeated Canadian Gabriel Diallo in the third round of the National Bank Open. Fritz, currently ranked number 4 in the world, showcased his prowess on the court by defeating Diallo with a score of 6-4 and 6-2.
“I thought the crowd was very nice to me, playing against the last player in the Canadian tournament,” Fritz commented. “I was expecting a slightly more hostile environment. But I guess everyone is very nice. I’ve dealt with much worse.”
Taylor FritzWith this victory, Fritz secures a place in the fourth round, where he will face Czech Jiri Lehecka, seeded number 19. Lehecka secured his pass after defeating Arthur Fils of France with a score of 3-6, 6-3, and 6-4. Fritz, at 27 years old, has 10 ATP Tour titles in his career, including grass court victories this year in Eastbourne and Stuttgart. In another notable match of the day, Ben Shelton, seeded number four, defeated his compatriot Brandon Nakashima with scores of 6-7 (8), 6-2, and 7-6 (5). Shelton will now face Italian Flavio Cobolli, seeded number 13. Also, Andrey Rublev, seeded number six, defeated Lorenzo Sonego with a score of 5-7, 6-4, and 6-3.“In the second and third sets, I was able to play more aggressively, making fewer mistakes,” Rublev stated. “Let’s see what happens next, I’m super excited and motivated.”
Andrey RublevFrances Tiafoe, seeded number seven, also managed to advance after defeating Aleksandar Vukic with a score of 6-3, 4-6, and 6-3. Tiafoe will face Alex De Minaur of Australia in his next match. De Minaur advanced after his compatriot Christopher O’Connell withdrew from the tournament. It should be noted that Jannik Sinner, the 2023 winner, and Carlos Alcaraz, number two in the world, did not participate in this hard court event that ends on Thursday. Jack Draper and Novak Djokovic were also absent.
