Three Canadians took to the court during Tuesday’s day session at the National Bank Open presented by Rogers in Montreal. The most experienced of them, Denis Shapovalov, hoped to end an NBO losing streak while the two others, Liam Draxl and Duncan Chan, looked for their first ATP wins.
All three went to a third set as the sunshine replaced the rain in Montreal, only to fall short.
Shapovalov retired trailing Zach Svajda 3-0 in the third with what seemed to be a right upper leg injury. He left Centre Court for a medical timeout after losing the second frame and struggled to move upon his return. Midway through the second set, on-court microphones caught Shapovalov saying to his box that he felt his right quadricep and right hamstring.
He had won the first set 6-4 but lost the second by the same score. The Richmond Hillian hinted that he wasn’t 100 percent when he spoke with reporters on Monday. He’d only just come back from rib and shoulder injuries last week in Los Cabos, Mexico, then played five matches on the way to a final in draining conditions.
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The 27-year-old — a semifinalist in Montreal as a teen in 2017 — has not won a match at the NBO since 2019. Svajda’s win — his first at the NBO — added to an uplifting season. The Californian reached the fourth round at the French Open and third round at Wimbledon, months after his father died of cancer.
Draxl, Merida keep fans entertained
Draxl also had a lead against Dani Merida before the Spaniard rallied for a 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 win on Rogers Court. The entertainment factor was off the charts, given their contrasting playing styles, Draxl’s fist pumps, and Merida chattering to his box.
Merida — a practice partner for Carlos Alcaraz on occasion — threw in underarm serves in the third set. Even veteran chair umpire Fergus Murphy got involved in the fun. When Merida told him that the time violation warning he received was the first of his career, Murphy dead panned, “There has to be a first time for everything.”
Draxl’s counterpunching sought to absorb Merida’s big baseline strikes. The 24-year-old also had success at the net.
Merida saved two break points at 4-4 in the second, then clinched the set with a rocketed forehand. In another blow to Draxl, Merida dug out of a 0-40 jam to start the third. They exchanged six breaks in the decider before Merida held for 5-4 when Draxl missed a return for what felt like the first time in an eternity. Draxl saved a first match point with a serve and volley but on the second one, serving and volleying again, his volley flew long.
That bruising final set lasted 70 minutes. Overall, Merida hit 50 winners and made 63 unforced errors.
Merida forms part of a young Spanish trio currently playing a supporting role to Alcaraz. The 21-year-old won his first title this year, just like Rafael Jodar. Martin Landaluce, meanwhile, has made two Masters 1000 quarterfinals in 2026.
Chan loses ATP debut but makes big impression at NBO
Early into Duncan Chan’s outing against Thiago Tirante at the National Bank Open presented by Rogers, the fans were loud.
They chanted, “Let’s go, Duncan, let’s go,” on a sunny Tuesday afternoon and kept it going throughout at Court 5 in Montreal. They witnessed a piece of history, as Chan competed in his first ever ATP match. He almost made more history — notching a first win — but fell just short against Tirante in a thriller, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 (3). He almost got the better of the former junior No. 1 after topping a former junior No. 2, Hugo Gaston, from a set down in qualifying.
Chan led 4-2 in the third set, turning the match around after Tirante controlled the first. Chan — who hails from Markham, Ontario, is ranked No. 606, largely explained by the fact that he still plays college tennis at TCU in Texas. The Argentine came in at No. 65, having the best season of his career but returning from an abdominal injury.
Still, he showed little rust in the first set. Armed with one of the fastest serves in tennis — not to mention a commanding forehand — Tirante didn’t give Chan much of an opportunity. On the few occasions he was in trouble on serve, Tirante brought out the power.
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But then one of those two-game swings often seen in tennis surfaced. Tirante erred on a short forehand that would have given him a break point at 1-1 in the second. Maybe feeling it was a chance missed, Tirante unravelled in the ensuing game, delivering three double faults to get broken. Chan soared to nine straight points and cruised to the second set.
He was now serving and volleying more, looking to dictate instead of allowing Tirante to. While the Argentine went off for a toilet break before the third, Chan chatted with Martin Laurendeau, the experienced head of men’s tennis at Tennis Canada.
A delicate drop shot at 2-2 in the third set contributed to a break in Chan’s favour as he kept the momentum going. With the finish line in sight, now it was a question of whether Chan would feel the nerves. That appeared to be the case at 4-3. Instead of measured approaches to the net, he moved forward with abandon. Barely missing any volleys before, they were now getting away from him. Tirante broke back as the pendulum swung.
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Chan benefited from the first mini-break in the third set tiebreaker, but Tirante immediately responded. A huge forehand mishit from Chan gave the Argentine a 4-2 lead. The Canadian couldn’t rally again, but made a lasting impression and don’t be surprised to see him in Toronto next year.
Montrealers Félix Auger-Aliassime and Gabriel Diallo — who plays during Tuesday’s night session — are the lone Canadians remaining in singles.
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Feature Photo: Mathieu Belanger/Tennis Canada
