Canada’s robust begin on the 2025 Miami Open continued on Thursday as each Leylah Annie Fernandez and Gabriel Diallo received their opening matches in straight units. All three Canadians who’ve performed thus far received their first match, with Victoria Mboko scoring her first WTA Tour win on Wednesday.
Fernandez took down American Alycia Parks in her first match of the tournaments after a first-round bye. She is into the third spherical of the WTA 1000 occasion for the second 12 months in a row.
The ability of Parks brought about Fernandez hassle at occasions however the Canadian’s counterpunching expertise finally received the day. Fernandez was capable of grind her solution to a 7-6(1), 6-3 victory.
Regardless of placing lower than 50 per cent of her first serves in play, Fernandez was robust when touchdown her supply, profitable 80 per cent of these factors. She did a very good job of making alternatives within the face of Parks’ mighty serve, breaking 4 occasions on 9 possibilities.
There was little between the 2 ladies early on as each held serve with relative ease by means of the primary six video games. At 3-3, Parks was capable of hit her method right into a Fernandez service sport and an enormous backhand arrange the primary break level of the match. The Canadian double-faulted to fall behind.
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With the best way Parks was hitting the ball, it appeared like that one break would certainly be sufficient. However serving for the set at 5-4, the American’s sport fell aside. Two missed backhands and a double fault gave Fernandez an opportunity to interrupt again and she or he took benefit, firing a forehand passing shot winner to get again on serve.
Parks’ inconsistency continued to trigger her issues within the tiebreak as she double-faulted on her first service level and adopted it up with a forehand into the web as Fernandez raced forward 4-0. A double fault from the Canadian was the one level Fernandez misplaced within the breaker as she accomplished her opening-set comeback.
The Lavalloise carried the momentum into the second set, instantly going up love-40 within the opening sport on Parks’ serve and changing the second break level to say an early benefit. It was short-lived, nevertheless. In her first service sport, Fernandez needed to save three break factors after which in her second, she fell behind love-40. She was solely capable of save one break level, sending a backhand lengthy on the second to place the set again on serve.
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Fluctuations in degree from Parks continued to be an issue for the American and Fernandez was completely satisfied to take benefit. At 3-3, a few brutal misses on the web from Parks, together with a smash into the web down break level, allowed Fernandez to reclaim the break lead. This time, she didn’t let it slip away. As Parks served to remain in it at 3-5, the Canadian introduced up a sequence of match factors and eventually on the fourth, the American despatched a forehand lengthy.
Fernandez will meet Ashlyn Krueger, who upset No. 7 seed Elena Rybakina on Thursday, within the third spherical. Krueger leads their head-to-head 2-1, having received the 2 most up-to-date conferences together with within the third spherical of Toronto final summer time and earlier this 12 months within the Abu Dhabi quarter-finals.
Diallo Once more Seizes Second Probability
For the second Masters 1000 occasion in a row, Gabriel Diallo was capable of reap the benefits of stepping into the principle draw as a fortunate loser and advance to the second spherical. Changing Tallon Griekspoor who pulled out on Wednesday, the Montrealer defeated Tomas Martin Etcheverry in straight units for his first win on the Miami Open.
The match began out tight however as soon as the Canadian received rolling, there was no stopping him. Diallo wanted slightly below 75 minutes, profitable the final eight video games in a row for a 6-3, 6-0 victory.
Diallo was the heavy aggressor within the match, hitting 27 errors to simply 16 winners, however his winner rely was 4 occasions his opponent’s, who solely managed to get 4 balls clear previous the Canadian. Diallo was additionally extremely efficient on break factors, changing 5 of eight alternatives whereas saving three of 4 on his personal serve.
It took a little bit of time for Diallo to discover a rhythm. He trailed 15-40 in his opening service sport however managed to seek out his vary rapidly sufficient to hit himself out of the jam. Up 3-2 on the Etcheverry serve, a little bit of luck went the Canadian’s method as his shot dribbled over after clipping the web twine to create a break level and the Argentinian struck a forehand extensive to offer Diallo a 4-2 lead.
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A poor sport from the Montrealer as he tried to consolidate allowed Etcheverry to interrupt proper again, however the Argentine was unable to create any momentum. Serving to degree the set within the eighth sport, Etcheverry netted a backhand to go down 15-40 and on the second break level, pulled his passing shot try properly extensive to arrange Diallo to serve for the set. The Canadian was not about to let a second break slip away, simply holding to wrap up the opening body.
The second set was all Diallo as Etcheverry struggled to maintain up with the Canadian’s constantly highly effective hitting. Within the opening sport, the Argentine’s forehand vanished and back-to-back misses handed the rapid break to the Canadian.
Diallo by no means let up from there. He misplaced simply eight whole factors within the second set, breaking each time Etcheverry stepped as much as the road. He solely wanted 28 minutes to race by means of the set, sealing the win with an ace.
Whereas historical past repeated for Diallo from Indian Wells together with his victory after getting in as a fortunate loser, he’ll hope that’s the place the parallels finish as he’ll face the identical second-round opponent in Miami as he did on the west coast, seventeenth seed Arthur Fils. The Frenchman received their Indian Wells conflict in straight units.
Félix Auger-Aliassime and Denis Shapovalov are the one two Canadians but to play their first matches in Miami, each having had first-round byes. Auger-Aliassime will kick off his marketing campaign on Friday at 11:00 am EST on Court docket 1, adopted by the conflict between Victoria Mboko and eleventh seed Paula Badosa, whereas Shapovalov will probably be in motion on Saturday.
