Quebec’s Gabriel Diallo has yet to wait to be in the main draw of a Grand Slam tournament.
On Wednesday afternoon he was slowed down in a first-round qualifying duel of the US Open. The 20-year-old lost to Belgian Kimmer Coppejans in straight sets 6: 4, 5: 7, 7: 6 (9).
Anyone who made the leap to the professionals at the end of summer 2022 was unable to advance through the qualifying tournaments in the four Grand Slam tournaments this year. His best result came at Wimbledon when he took part in the second round of the preliminary tournament.
In today’s duel, Diallo showed resilience after losing the first set. However, Coppejans, ranked 148th in the world, got the last laugh in a lengthy tie-break of the final set. The Montrealer also saved a match point before eventually admitting defeat.
Pospisil advances
Earlier, Canada’s Vasek Pospisil secured a place in the second qualifying round of the prestigious tournament.
The 33-year-old veteran caused some surprise when he won in three sets with 7: 6 (7), 6: 7 (3) and 6: 4 against the Spaniard Pedro Martinez. The latter was the 26th seeded player in the qualifying table.
The confrontation lasted 3 hours 29 minutes. Pospisil was able to put an end to hostilities by beating his rival on the 10th point of the final set. It was his fifth break in the game.
The Vernon, BC native is now dating American Zachary Svajda. If Pospisil wins, he’ll reach the US Open main draw for the first time since 2021. His best result at this competition came in 2020 when he reached the round of 16.