Canada’s sturdy begin on the 2025 Miami Open continued on Thursday as each Leylah Annie Fernandez and Gabriel Diallo gained their opening matches in straight units. All three Canadians who’ve performed up to now gained 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 facility of Parks triggered Fernandez bother at occasions however the Canadian’s counterpunching abilities in the end gained the day. Fernandez was in a position to grind her technique to a 7-6(1), 6-3 victory.
Regardless of placing lower than 50 per cent of her first serves in play, Fernandez was sturdy when touchdown her supply, profitable 80 per cent of these factors. She did a superb job of making alternatives within the face of Parks’ mighty serve, breaking 4 occasions on 9 possibilities.
There was little between the 2 girls early on as each held serve with relative ease by means of the primary six video games. At 3-3, Parks was in a position to hit her means right into a Fernandez service sport and a giant backhand arrange the primary break level of the match. The Canadian double-faulted to fall behind.
Learn additionally: Mboko Claims First WTA Tour Win in Miami Debut
With the best way Parks was hitting the ball, it appeared like that one break would absolutely 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 he or she 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 online 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 assert an early benefit. It was short-lived, nonetheless. 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 in a position to save one break level, sending a backhand lengthy on the second to place the set again on serve.
Learn additionally: Draper, Andreeva Take Indian Wells
Fluctuations in degree from Parks continued to be an issue for the American and Fernandez was joyful to take benefit. At 3-3, a few brutal misses on the web from Parks, together with a smash into the online 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 gained 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 Likelihood
For the second Masters 1000 occasion in a row, Gabriel Diallo was in a position to make the most of entering into the primary 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 just 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 only 16 winners, however his winner depend 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 means as his shot dribbled over after clipping the online wire to create a break level and the Argentinian struck a forehand broad to offer Diallo a 4-2 lead.
Learn additionally: Victoria Mboko Stepping Into the Highlight After Unbelievable Begin to 2025
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 effectively broad 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 persistently highly effective hitting. Within the opening sport, the Argentine’s forehand vanished and back-to-back misses handed the instant break to the Canadian.
Diallo by no means let up from there. He misplaced simply eight complete 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 along 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 gained 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 Courtroom 1, adopted by the conflict between Victoria Mboko and eleventh seed Paula Badosa, whereas Shapovalov will likely be in motion on Saturday.
