National Bank Open Highlights
In a compelling display at the National Bank Open held in Toronto, Taylor Fritz, the second seed from the United States, secured his advancement to the fourth round by defeating Canadian player Gabriel Diallo. The match concluded with scores of 6-4, 6-2 on Friday night, illustrating Fritz’s ability to maintain composure despite facing a local favorite.
“I anticipated a more competitive atmosphere, but everyone was quite pleasant. I’ve encountered far tougher crowds before.”
Fritz’s next challenge will be against Jiri Lehecka, the 19th seed from Czechia, who triumphed over Arthur Fils from France in a hard-fought match that ended 3-6, 6-3, 6-4. At 27, Fritz holds the position of No. 4 in the global rankings and boasts an impressive tally of 10 ATP Tour titles, with recent victories on grass at Eastbourne and Stuttgart earlier this year.
Other Matches
In a separate match later that evening, fourth-seeded Ben Shelton battled through a nail-biting encounter to overcome fellow American, Brandon Nakashima, with a scoreline of 6-7 (8), 6-2, 7-6 (5). Shelton is set to compete against Italy’s 13th seed, Flavio Cobolli, in the upcoming rounds.
Earlier in the day, Andrey Rublev, the sixth seed from Russia, demonstrated resilience by rallying to defeat Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego, completing the match with scores of 5-7, 6-4, 6-3. Rublev remarked on his performance, saying:
“I managed to play more aggressively in the second and third sets, minimizing errors. I’m eager and motivated for what lies ahead.”
Seventh-seeded Frances Tiafoe also progressed, narrowly beating Australia’s Aleksandar Vukic with a score of 6-3, 4-6, 6-3. Tiafoe’s next opponent will be Alex de Minaur, the Australian who won the Washington Open and automatically advances after Christopher O’Connell withdrew.
Notable Absences
The tournament is notable for the absence of some top players, including world No. 1 Jannik Sinner, last year’s champion, and second-ranked Carlos Alcaraz, alongside fifth seed Jack Draper and sixth seed Novak Djokovic. The hard-court tournament wraps up on Thursday, making for an exciting few days ahead.
