Denis Shapovalov from Canada progresses to the quarterfinals of the Stockholm Open tennis tournament by defeating local favorite Leo Borg with a score of 6-2, 5-7, 6-1 on Wednesday. Shapovalov, the third seed in the tournament, showcased a strong performance with six aces and an impressive 83% first serve points won against Borg, who is the 22-year-old son of Swedish tennis legend Bjorn Borg. Despite Borg’s wild-card entry into the ATP 250 event in Stockholm, he struggled with his serve, facing 18 break points during the match and managing to save 11 of them.
In the second set, Borg seemed to gain momentum by securing two out of his three breaks in a four-game sequence to close the set. However, Shapovalov, ranked 23rd globally, swiftly turned the tables in the third set by winning five consecutive games after a hold from both players at the beginning. The 26-year-old Canadian, hailing from Richmond Hill, Ontario, is set to face either Jacob Fearnley of the UK or another Swedish wild card, Elias Ymer, in the upcoming match.
Meanwhile, Montreal’s Gabriel Diallo exits the Almaty Open tennis tournament following a challenging 7-6 (3), 6-7 (3), 6-4 defeat against Australian qualifier James Duckworth in the second round in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Despite Diallo’s impressive 22 aces and an 82% first-serve accuracy, Duckworth managed to stay resilient, not facing any break points throughout the match that lasted over two and a half hours.
Duckworth’s next adversary in the ATP 250 event’s quarterfinals will be the third seed Flavio Cobolli from Italy. This encounter marks their first ATP main-draw meeting, with Diallo having previously defeated Duckworth in the qualifying round at the 2022 National Bank Open in Montreal. Diallo, holding the 35th position in the world rankings, now holds a season record of 28 wins and 22 losses.
In another event, fourth seed Leylah Fernandez from Laval, Quebec, is scheduled to go head-to-head against Hungary’s Dalma Galfi in the second round of the Japan Women’s Open in Osaka on Thursday (Wednesday night ET).