Denis Shapovalov needed to dig deep on Saturday on the Miami Open, however he was in a position to maintain his nerve and edge out qualifier Thiago Agustin Tirante of Argentina in three units of their second-round battle. It was the Canadian’s first match on the Masters 1000 occasion after a first-round bye.
Leylah Annie Fernandez and Gabriel Diallo weren’t so fortunate. Fernandez was bounced in her round-three conflict with house favorite Ashlyn Krueger in straight units, whereas Diallo suffered an ankle harm and retired in his match with Arthur Fils
What was shaping as much as be a routine win for the Canadian when he led 6-3, 5-3, 40-love devolved right into a nailbiter when Tirante saved three match factors within the second set, pressured a decider, after which rallied from a break all the way down to stretch the match to a final-set tiebreak. In the long run, Shapovalov’s big-match expertise made the distinction as he scraped out a 6-3, 6-7(1), 7-6(3) win to achieve the third spherical.
It was a considerably erratic efficiency from the Canadian, who gained 75 per cent of his first serve factors however double-faulted 11 occasions. He additionally had greater than twice as many unforced errors (42) as winners (20), though his opponent was additionally deep within the negatives in that ratio (28 winners to 40 errors). Shapovalov in the end gained simply two extra factors within the match.
After holding from love-40 down early in his second service recreation, the Canadian settled in because the set went alongside. Tirante was dominating on his personal serve early on, dropping simply two factors in his first three service video games, however he fell aside at an inopportune second. At 3-4, the Argentine netted a forehand to face a break level for the primary time within the match after which despatched one other lengthy to give up the break. Within the following recreation, Shapovalov served out the set to like.
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Tirante bounced again nicely, breaking for a 3-1 lead within the second set. However that appeared to get up Shapovalov because the Canadian proceeded to go on a four-game run to show the deficit right into a 5-3 lead, one recreation away from victory.
Serving for the match at 5-4, it appeared to be over when Shapovalov went up 40-love, triple match level. Nonetheless, a pair of spectacular winners from Tirante erased the primary two match factors after which the Canadian double-faulted to get again to deuce. The Argentine went on to interrupt and degree the set at 5-5.
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Seeing these match factors slip away appeared to unnerve Shapovalov a bit. He misplaced his first two service factors of the tiebreak as Tirante raced out to a 5-0 lead. The Argentine simply gained the breaker to power a deciding set.
Shapovalov put the frustration of not closing out the match behind him shortly within the third, breaking on his strategy to a fast 3-0 lead. However Tirante nonetheless was not going away and managed to claw his method again to 3-all.
All of it got here down to a different tiebreak and this time it was Shapovalov grabbing a fast lead when Tirante despatched a backhand lengthy to go down 2-0. The Canadian by no means let him again into it, main wire-to-wire and eventually closing out the match on his fourth match level.
He’s into the third spherical for the second Masters 1000 occasion in a row. He joins Félix Auger-Aliassime, who gained his second-round match on Friday and can play his subsequent one on Sunday.
Krueger Overpowers Fernandez Once more
Leylah Annie Fernandez’s struggles with Ashlyn Krueger continued on Saturday in Miami as she misplaced for the second time in 2025 and third time in a row to the American. Krueger gained their third-round conflict in straight units.
The Canadian managed to show the match right into a battle after a nightmare begin however she was by no means in a position to achieve an higher hand. Krueger didn’t drop serve in a 6-1, 7-5 win.
It was a really sturdy serving efficiency from Krueger, as she gained 77 per cent of her first serve factors. Fernandez solely had two appears to be like at a break within the match however couldn’t convert both. The Canadian was damaged 4 occasions on eight break factors.
Fernandez held to open the match however that was the one constructive for the Canadian within the opening set. The subsequent six video games in a row went to Krueger as she broke Fernandez 3 times.
The closest the Lavalloise got here to snapping her opponent’s momentum got here within the fourth recreation, proper after being damaged for the primary time, when she managed to push Krueger to deuce however she by no means reached break level. The American solely wanted 34 minutes to take the opening set.
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Krueger almost made it eight video games in a row when she held to open the second after which had a break level in Fernandez’s first service recreation, however the Canadian dug in to carry and snap the run.
From there, the 2 settled in, exchanging routine holds till the late phases of the set. Fernandez confronted a match level as she served to remain in it at 4-5 however saved it. She then had a 15-40 double break level probability within the following recreation to take a 6-5 lead, however Krueger’s serve remained impenetrable.
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That failure to interrupt by Fernandez proved expensive as she as soon as once more confronted a match level on her personal serve making an attempt to remain in it at 5-6. This time, Krueger was in a position to convert to seal the win.
Fernandez was additionally defeated in her first-round doubles match on Saturday with Nicole Melichar-Martinez, as had been Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe. Because of this, no Canadian ladies stay in Miami.
Diallo Retires Towards Fils
Gabriel Diallo discovered himself in an identical state of affairs as he did two weeks in the past in Indian Wells, going through off with Arthur Fils within the second spherical after dropping within the closing spherical of qualifying, stepping into the primary draw as a fortunate loser, and successful his first-round match to set a round-two assembly with the Frenchman.
Sadly, this one got here to an much more disappointing conclusion as Diallo was pressured to retire with an ankle harm halfway by the second set. Fils had gained the primary 6-4 and was serving at 2-3 when the Canadian appeared to take a clumsy step and fell to the court docket. After receiving a medical timeout, Diallo was unable to proceed.
Fils had jumped out to an early lead by making use of stress to the Diallo serve shortly within the opening set. He had his first take a look at a break within the third recreation however the Canadian wiped it away with a giant serve. In his subsequent service recreation, Diallo gave the Frenchman one other probability by sending a forehand into the online on the finish of a protracted rally to go down 30-40 and this time, he netted one other forehand to give up the break.
Whereas Fils was not blowing Diallo away the best way he had in Indian Wells two weeks in the past, he was nonetheless discovering methods to maintain his nostril in entrance. The Canadian had an opportunity to interrupt again when Fils netted a forehand for 30-40 at 3-4, however an important backhand from the Frenchman arrange a smash winner. He held in that recreation and managed to serve out the set in his subsequent service recreation.
On serve at 3-2 within the second set, Diallo pulled up with an obvious ankle harm returning a Fils serve. He fell to the bottom and was helped again to his chair the place he obtained a medical timeout. When he tried to face as much as return to play, the visibly offended Canadian was barely in a position to put any weight on his foot and was pressured to retire, throwing his wristbands to the court docket in frustration.
It was Diallo’s first look in Miami and he nonetheless walks away with a win over Tomas Martin Etcheverry.
