Victoria Mboko and Gabriel Diallo had disappointing opening matches at the Mutua Madrid Open. Mboko was upset in her debut in the Spanish capital while Diallo was forced to retire in his Madrid return.
Mboko’s start to the clay season didn’t go as planned as the 19-year-old from Burlington lost 6-4, 6-1 to Caty McNally in round two on Friday.
McNally didn’t put much of a foot wrong in the match, winning many of the longer rallies and keeping her unforced errors to just 19. Mboko’s unforced errors count would be one to forget, finishing with 47. Service games weren’t easy for the world No. 10 as well, with Mboko losing serve four times on 12 break points faced.
Mboko had a slow start to her Madrid debut, dropping the first three rallies of the match while on serve, leading to triple break point for McNally. The Burlingtonian managed to save two but not a third as the American scored the early break.
McNally kept up the pressure, holding three break points over Mboko’s next two service games, but the Canadian began to find her rhythm, hitting a few winners and unreturned serves to avoid an even greater deficit and keep herself within reach at 2-3. The 19-year-old’s lift led to her first break point in the sixth game, but McNally saved and maintained her advantage.
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The world No. 76 conceded just a single service point the rest of the way as she took a shock one-set lead into the second.
McNally again went up an early break at 1-1 in the new set, a game where Mboko committed two of her six double faults. The American backed it up with a hold and took a 3-1 lead.
The Ohio-native was then relentless in her next return game, getting the better of the Canuck in the longer rallies which led to three break points, and McNally converted on the third to add to her lead, up 5-1 following a love hold.
Some brilliant defence from the American helped her gain match point in the seventh game, but McNally needed a second opportunity to complete the upset over Mboko.
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Three Canadians remain in singles with Félix Auger-Aliassime, Denis Shapovalov, and Leylah Annie Fernandez all in action on Saturday. Mboko still has doubles to play in Madrid, partnering with fellow teen Iva Jovic, Fernandez’s singles opponent in round three.
Diallo Forced to Retire in Madrid Return
Gabriel Diallo’s return to the Mutua Madrid Open ended in unfortunate fashion as the Canadian No. 3 was forced to retire against Danish qualifier Elmer Moller in the second round on Friday.
The 24-year-old from Montreal put Moller’s delivery to the test throughout the contest, holding nine break points, but the Dane fended off most of the pressure and saved six. Moller broke late in the opening set, one of his four in the match, to take an advantage into the second before Diallo retired at 7-5, 3-3.
The Canadian was a quarter-finalist at the event last year, reaching the last eight as a qualifier for his maiden ATP Masters 1000 quarter-final.
Diallo picked up where he was last year in Madrid and got the upper hand early. After firing three unreturned serves en route to the opening hold, the Canuck piled the pressure in Moller’s first service game, breaking the Dane on his fourth break point to go 2-0 in front.
Unfazed, Moller immediately broke back then forced the loss of serve again in the seventh game. However, on this occasion, the world No. 169 was broken right back to keep the opening set balanced at 4-4.
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The players’ stress on serve soon returned at 5-5, with Moller converting on break point in the over 12-minute game to gain the chance to serve for the set. Diallo nearly managed to extend the opener at 6-5, 30-40, but the Danish qualifier held his nerve to snatch the set.
Diallo was broken for the second-straight time to begin the second; however, trailing 1-2, the Montrealer took a medical timeout for some discomfort. The world No. 36 came out of the stoppage back to his best, breaking Moller then conceding just two of the next nine points to hold double break point at 2-3, 15-40. Unfortunately for the Canadian, the injury proved too much to deal with as Diallo was forced to retire after Moller managed to come out with the hold.
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Feature Photo: Martin Sidorjak
