Gabriel Diallo is through to the US Open second round after a 7-6(4), 4-6, 7-5, 7-5 win over Bosnian Damir Dzumhur in Flushing Meadows on Monday.
Despite committing 71 unforced errors, the Canadian was still the better player on offence, firing 60 winners which was nearly triple the amount of Dzumhur’s 22. Diallo also held double the number of break points over his opponent, holding ten and converting on four.
The big-serving Montrealer wasn’t under much pressure on serve through his opening four service games but had no answer for Dzumhur’s delivery who won all his 15 first-serve points over that same span.
Both players held for the remainder of the opener as the set headed to a tiebreak. Diallo struck first on return, managing an early break to eventually go up 5-2.
At 6-3, the Canadian No. 3 fired one of his 17 aces of the evening to take the opening set.
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In the early stages of the second, Diallo held the match’s first break point in the fourth game at 30-40, but the Bosnian won three-straight points to hold and level the set at 2-2.
The Canuck later faced his first bit of adversity on serve in the ninth game, in a love-40 hole at 4-4. Despite saving two break points, Diallo was broken on the third attempt. Dzumhur served out the set to level to match.
To begin the third, the world No. 61 earned his second-straight break then held to take an early 2-0 advantage. However, Diallo responded with a hold and a break himself to even the set.
In the eighth game, the Montrealer earned yet another break to lead 5-3 but, while serving for the set, was broken back before Dzumhur held to equalize and keep the set alive. Then at 5-6, Diallo held four break points and eventually capitalized on the fifth to restore his one-set advantage.
The Canadian No. 3 put the pressure on Dzumhur’s serve to begin the fourth, holding a break point in the second game that the Bosnian was able to fend off. As for Diallo, he was dominant on serve, winning 93 per cent of his first-serve points over his first four service games as the set remained level at 4-4.
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At 5-6, 30-all, Dzumhur’s 43rd unforced error handed Diallo a break and match point. The Canadian then capped off the match with an overhead to book his place into the second round.
Diallo’s next opponent will be world No. 44 Jaume Munar, who the Montrealer beat in the US Open first round last year for his first-ever Grand Slam main draw win.
Fellow Canadians Félix Auger-Aliassime and Denis Shapovalov both begin play on Tuesday.
Mboko Bows Out Early Against Krejcikova
Victoria Mboko’s first event as a WTA Tour champion did not go as planned. In her first tournament since lifting the trophy in Montreal, the 18-year-old Canadian was beaten in her US Open debut by two-time Grand Slam singles champion Barbora Krejcikova in straight sets.
Competing in her first match at a Grand Slam after receiving direct entry into the main and her first match on tour as a seed, Mboko struggled to find a rhythm early and appeared to be bothered by the wrist she injured at the National Bank Open later on. Krejcikova proved too consistent, knocking off the No. 22 seed 6-3, 6-2.
Krejcikova was rock solid, giving Mboko very little opportunity to take control of the match. The Czech won 81 per cent of her first serve points and saved the only two break points she faced. The veteran won the winner battle 18 to 11 and played cleaner with 24 unforced errors to Mboko’s 30.
A slow start put Mboko in an early hole. Back-to-back errors from deuce in her opening service game gifted an early break to Krejcikova. The Czech, sensing some tension from the teen, continued to apply pressure early and had three break point chances to go up a double break, but Mboko managed to hold to stay within a game.
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Mboko had two chances to get back on serve in the sixth game, but Krejcikova held her nerve and erased both break point chances to stay ahead. That was the Canadian’s only opportunity to get back in the set as she did not have another look at a break point.
Near the end of the first set, the wrist that Mboko injured in Montreal, which was heavily tapped in this match, looked like it was causing the Canadian problems. Serving to stay in the first set at 3-5, she opened the game with back-to-back double faults on her way to being broken. She was then broken again in her first service game of the second set to fall behind again.
This time, she never got a sniff of reclaiming the break. Mboko played from behind the entire set and had no answer to Krejcikova’s craftiness and solid play. The Czech did not face a break point in the set and broke again to wrap up the win in the eighth game.
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Gabriel Diallo will also play his first match at the 2025 US Open on Monday against Damir Dzumhur. Leylah Annie Fernandez is the only Canadian woman left in the singles draw.
CLICK HERE to read the full breakdown of the Canadians’ draws at the 2025 US Open.
Feature Photo : Peter Power
