Photo : Martin Sidorjak
No Canadian men remain in singles at the 2025 Australian Open after Denis Shapovalov and Gabriel Diallo were both beaten in the second round of the year’s first major on Thursday. Shapovalov lost in straight sets to No. 16 seed Lorenzo Musetti of Italy, while Diallo was ousted by No. 19 seed Karen Khachanov in four sets.
The losses came less than 24 hours after Félix Auger-Aliassime was also knocked out in the second round.
Shapovalov struggled with consistency throughout his clash with Musetti, particularly on serve. Despite fighting hard to overcome his difficulties, Shapovalov could not get it together on the big points as he bowed out in Melbourne with a 7-6(3), 7-6(6), 6-2 loss.
The serve was not where it needed to be for Shapovalov on Thursday, as he double faulted 15 times and won just 43 per cent of his second serve points. While he did have more winners, 37 to 26, he committed 62 unforced errors in just three sets of tennis.
It took time for both men to find their rhythm on serve. In each man’s opening service game, they double-faulted at 30-all to give their opponent a break point. Shapovalov saved his while Musetti missed a backhand, allowing the Canadian to race out to a 3-0 lead. However, Shapovalov had to save a break point to consolidate and then in his third service game, a framed smash attempt put him in a love-40 hole where Musetti picked off a drop shot for a backhand winner to put the set back on serve.
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As the set went along, Musetti began to settle in while Shapovalov struggled with consistency. Three double faults when serving at 5-5 nearly cost the Canadian as he had save a pair of break points in that game but survived. His struggles continued though and a slew of errors in the tiebreak put him in a 0-5 hole that he was unable to climb out of.
In consecutive games early in the second set, each man had a double break point on the other’s serve but neither was able to convert. That was all the returners were able to muster and another tiebreak was needed.
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After exchanging minibreaks on the first two points, the two matched each other shot for shot with the servers hanging on. At 5-all, Shapovalov sent a midcourt forehand long to hand the Italian a set point on his own serve, but Musetti double-faulted. He ripped a forehand winner on the next point to get a second look and the Canadian gifted him the set with a double fault.
Between sets, Shapovalov had a medical timeout and struggled to start the third set. In the opening game, he double-faulted to go down love-40 and netted a forehand on the second break point to immediately fall behind.
The third set was one-way traffic for Musetti, who added a second break on his way to a quick 4-0 lead. Despite a couple of chances to reclaim one of the breaks in the sixth game, Shapovalov never came close to reeling the Italian back in.
Diallo Still Can’t Solve Khachanov
Gabriel Diallo found himself facing off against a familiar foe in the form of Karen Khachanov and, despite a strong performance by Montrealer, the result was unfortunately also familiar, as the Canadian was beaten by the No. 19 seed for the third time in the last six months, this time in four sets.
The second-round clash featured two men with similar styles. Both possess big serves, can wail on the ball from the baseline, and showed little hesitation to come in and finish at the net. The margins between the pair were razor thin but Khachanov’s veteran experience won out in the end as he advanced with a 7-6(4), 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 win.
Diallo’s firepower was on full display as he ripped 15 aces and 62 total winners past his opponent. But the match was decided on the big points and those mostly when Khachanov’s way. The veteran converted three of his 10 break points chances, while saving four of five on his own serve.
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The first couple of games were tricky for Diallo on serve, as he let a 40-love lead slip away in the opening game and then had to save a pair of break points with some big hitting at 2-2. He managed to settle down and had a chance to break Khachanov at 4-3 after a big return set up a break point, but the veteran rifled a backhand down the line to keep the set on serve.
Diallo won the opening point of the tiebreak but that was the only time he led in the breaker. A passing shot winner gave Khachanov a 3-1 lead and while the Canadian managed to catch up, he never pulled ahead. A missed backhand at 4-all set up Khachanov to serve out the set, which he promptly did.
Both men had a look at 15-40 in their first return game of the second set but neither was able to convert. At 3-all, Diallo upped his intensity on the Khachanov serve, blasting back-to-back winners to get another look at 15-40 and this time, his big-hitting drew an error to score the first break of the match.
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That was enough for the Canadian, as he rode his serve the rest of the way, winning eight of nine points on his own delivery to level the match at a set apiece.
Midway through the third set, having not yet dropped serve all match, Diallo finally blinked. Serving at 3-3, the Canadian double-faulted to go down 30-40 and netted a volley to surrender the break.
He had a chance to draw back level when Khachanov, after missing two set points at 40-15, netted a volley to go down 40-AD, but luck was on the veteran’s side as his shot clipped the net cord and dribbled over, barely catching the line. Khachanov thanked the net with a kiss and went on to close out the set.
History repeated in the fourth set. Serving at 3-all, after missing three game points, Diallo missed consecutive backhands to hand the break to his opponent. This time, there was no drama as Khachanov was able to close out the match on Diallo’s serve in the ninth game, with the Canadian double faulting on match point.
Both Shapovalov and Diallo are expected to now make the trip to Montreal for Canada’s Davis Cup qualifier tie with Hungary at the beginning of February.
Tickets for the Davis Cup Qualifiers 1st Round tie between Canada and Hungary are now on sale. Join us February 1 and 2 at IGA Stadium in Montreal, as the Canadian team begins their quest for the 2025 Davis Cup Final 8. To access tickets at early-bird pricing, click here.
