Archive of posts tagged Gabriel Diallo

VAR Corrects Call on Ball Through the Net

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By Richard Pagliaro | Thursday, July 31, 2025
Photo credit: Tennis TV

The Toronto net gave way to a squeeze play.

A rare shot through the net escaped the chair umpire’s attention, but not the sharp eyes of Video Assistant Review.

During Gabriel Diallo’s 6-3, 7-6(5) win over Matteo Gigante at the National Bank Open on Wednesday, one of the Canadian’s drives went through the net and undetected by the chair umpire.

Watch Gigante successfully challenge the no-call and win the point when VAR showed the ball had indeed passed through the net right below the tape. Gigante won the call but ultimately lost the match.

Washington: Ben Shelton aces his way through. Frances Tiafoe is next

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ATP Tour

Ben Shelton produced a statement victory in the third round of the ATP 500 event in Washington. World no. 8 faced Gabriel Diallo in the third round and notched a dominant 6-3, 6-2 victory in 61 minutes.

The 4th seed dominated from start to finish, making the difference with his booming initial shot and outplaying the Canadian in every department. Shelton took 22 points more than his rival.

Ben blasted 16 aces and as many service winners, dropping six points in nine service games and facing no break points. Diallo felt the pressure and cracked under it. 

The lower-ranked player struggled behind the second serve and got broken three times from four chances offered to his rival. The American landed 22 winners and seven unforced errors. 

They split the 14 most extended points, and a left-hander dominated those up to four strokes, building a 47-25 advantage. The home favorite provided five comfortable holds in the first set. 

He made a push on the return in the second game and caused the rival's mistake with a sharp return for an early advantage. Ben fired an ace in the third game and forged a 3-0 advantage after only eight minutes. 

The 4th seed held at love for 4-1 and landed a service winner two games later to maintain the advantage. Diallo served well after that early setback. He held in game eight to reduce the deficit to 5-3 and prolong the battle.

Ben Shelton, Washington 2025

Ben Shelton, Washington 2025© Stream screenshot

 

However, Shelton painted an ace in game nine for a hold at love and 6-3 in half an hour. The Canadian hit a double fault in the third game of the second set, losing serve and moving closer to the exit door.

The American closed the next game at love, you guess, with an ace, and made another push on the return at 3-1. He cracked a forehand down the line winner for a break point and converted it with another forehand winner that sent him 4-1 in front. 

Shelton held with an unreturned serve in the sixth game, moving 5-1 up and serving for the win at 5-2. A left-hander sealed the deal with an ace, racing over the top and arranging a thrilling clash against Frances Tiafoe.

Sinner, Alcaraz, Djokovic, Draper Out of Toronto

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World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz will be Toronto top seed.arm injury

By Richard Pagliaro | @TennisNow | Sunday, July 20, 2025
Photo credit: Clive Brunskill/Getty

A quartet of talented contenders have stepped out of Toronto.

World No. 1 Jannik Sinner, world No.2 Carlos Alcaraz, Grand Slam king Novak Djokovic and Indian Wells champion Jack Draper have all withdrawn from this month's National Bank Open in Toronto.

Tennis Express

Sinner dethroned two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz to win his maiden Wimbledon crown earlier this month.

News of Alcaraz's withdrawal, reported by the Spanish outlet Marca, came after the tournament announced that Sinner, Djokovic and Draper had pulled out.

Draper, who picked up an arm injury after Wimbledon, will also miss Cincinnati. 

There has been talk that the ATP's committment to making Masters 1000 two-week events has dampened the enthusiasm of some of the tour's top players to play both. What formerly required a two-week commitment now requires over three weeks. 

Home players should enjoy strong support in Toronto, however. 

Three Canadians are ranked inside the ATP's Top 40 and earned direct entry into the main draw.

Montreal’s Félix Auger-Aliassime, currently representing Canada in Hopman Cup, will be making his eighth appearance at the NBO. The 28th-ranked Auger-Aliassime reached the 2022 quarterfinals.

No. 30 Denis Shapovalov, who won his second title of 2025 in Los Cabos last night, will also make his eighth appearance at the event. Shapovalov famously upset Rafael Nadal en route to the 2017 semifinals.

Big serving Montreal native Gabriel Diallo will play the Canadian Masters for the fourth time.

“Canada, I can't wait to be back at home and playing in front of all of you at this year's National Bank Open presented by Rogers,” said Félix Auger-Aliassime. "The atmosphere and fans in Toronto are always amazing, and it's not something I take for granted.

"I'm going to give it everything I've got, and I hope that we can go on a deep run together!”

Shelton's Top-10 Debut Makes Three Americans in the ATP's Top-10 for the First Time Since 2006

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The Americans could have four in the coming months. Andre Agassi

By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Monday June 16, 2025

American men’s tennis continues to grow its momentum. After landing two men in the quarterfinals at Roland-Garros for the first time since 1996, the American men now have three players ranked inside the Top 10 for the first time since 2006.

Tennis Express

Enter Ben Shelton, who reached the semifinals last week in Stuttgart, and enters the Top-10 for the first time in Monday’s ATP rankings.

Shelton, 22, is the first American man born in the 2000s to achieve the feat.

Shelton is joined by Taylor Fritz, who returns to No.4 after winning the Stuttgart title, and Tommy Paul, who is at No.8, thanks to his quarterfinal run at Roland-Garros.

The last time three American men held Top 10 rankings at the same time was April 17th, 2006, when Andy Roddick was No. 4, James Blake was No. 7 and Andre Agassi was No. 10.


Shelton is the fourth ATP player – and second American, along with Paul – to make his Top-10 debut in 2024. The other two players are Jack Draper and Lorenzo Musetti.

Diallo Cracks Top-50

Canada’s Gabriel Diallo, 23, cracks the Top-50 at No.44 thanks to his title at ‘S-Hertogenbosch. Diallo became just the second Canadian to win a grass court title on Sunday, and the first since Greg Rusedski in 1993.

Italy’s Flavio Cobolli also cracks a career-high at No.24.

Zizou Bergs (+14 to No.49) and Reilly Opelka (+12 to No.75) were also among the big risers in this week’s ATP rankings. Opelka has risen over 200 spots since January. He played Brisbane at No.293 this year.

Bergs, who lost to Diallo in the ‘S-Hertogenbosh final, is back at his career-high.