MADRID — Montreal's Gabriel Diallo made the most of a last-minute spot in the Madrid Open, beating Belgium’s Zizou Bergs 6-1, 6-2 in the opening round.
Diallo entered the main draw as a replacement for Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka, who withdrew before the tournament.
Diallo didn’t face a break point and won 86 per cent of his first-serve points. He converted all four of his break chances and won 19 points on return.
It was a strong response after falling to Croatia’s Borna Coric 6-3, 7-6 (6) in the final round of qualifying on Wednesday.
Diallo will next face fellow lucky loser Kamil Majchrzak, who replaced two-time champion Carlos Alcaraz after the second-seeded Spaniard withdrew Thursday with a muscle injury.
Later Thursday, 25th-seeded Leylah Fernandez of Laval, Que., was scheduled to face Ann Li of the United States.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 24, 2025.
The Canadian Press
