TORONTO – US second seed Taylor Fritz defeated 6-foot-8 Canada’s Gabriel Diallo 6-4, 6-2 in the third round of the National Bank Open on Friday night.
“I thought the crowd playing the last player in a Canadian tournament was (very) good,” Fritz said. “I thought it would be a little more hostile. But I think everyone is really good. I’m dealing with something worse.”
Fritz set up his fourth match in a hard court event against Cechia’s 19th seed, Giri Lehecca. Lehecca beat France’s 15th seed Arthur Phils 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.
The 27-year-old Fritz ranks fourth in the world. He has 10 career ATP tour titles and won Grass this year at Eastbourne and Stuttgart.
After the match, fourth seed Ben Shelton outperformed America’s Brandon Nakashima 6-7 (8), 6-2, 7-6 (5). Shelton faces Italy’s 13th Flavio Koboli.
In the afternoon, Russia’s sixth seed Andreil Brev defeated Italian Lorenzo Sonego 5-7, 6-4, 6-3.
“In the second and third sets, we were able to play more offensive and fewer mistakes,” Rublev said. “Let’s see what’s going on next. I’m very excited and motivated.”
The seventh seed of the United States, Francistiáfo, edged Australia’s Alexander Vkic 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, setting up a match against Washington winner Australia’s Alex Deminaurus. De Minaur moved forward when his fellow countryman Christopher O’Connell retreated.
2023 winners, top-ranked Jannik Sinner and number two Carlos Alcaraz, skipped the hard court event that ends on Thursday. No. 5 Jack Draper and No. 6 Novak Jjokovic are also absent.
