Denis Shapovalov from Canada progressed to the quarterfinals of the Stockholm Open tennis tournament after defeating local favorite Leo Borg in a 6-2, 5-7, 6-1 match on Wednesday. Shapovalov, seeded third in Stockholm, showcased a strong performance with six aces and an impressive 83% first serve points won against Borg, the son of Swedish tennis legend Bjorn Borg. Despite Borg’s wild-card entry into the ATP 250 event, he struggled with his serve, facing 18 break points and managing to defend only 11 of them. In the second set, Borg briefly took the lead with three breaks, but Shapovalov swiftly regained control in the third set, winning five consecutive games. The 26-year-old Shapovalov, hailing from Richmond Hill, Ontario, is set to face the winner between Jacob Fearnley from Britain and Swedish wild card Elias Ymer in the next round.
Meanwhile, Montreal’s Gabriel Diallo exited the Almaty Open tennis tournament after a tough 7-6 (3), 6-7 (3), 6-4 defeat to Australian qualifier James Duckworth in Kazakhstan. Despite Diallo’s impressive 22 aces and 82% first serve accuracy, Duckworth remained solid throughout the match, not allowing any break points against him. Diallo faced eight break points, managed to save seven, but eventually lost a crucial break in the third set, giving Duckworth the advantage. The Australian will proceed to face third seed Flavio Cobolli of Italy in the quarterfinals. This match marked their first ATP main-draw encounter, with Diallo having previously defeated Duckworth in the 2022 National Bank Open qualifying round in Montreal. Diallo, ranked 35th globally, now holds a season record of 28-22.
In another event, fourth seed Leylah Fernandez from Laval, Quebec, is set to compete against Hungary’s Dalma Galfi in the second round of the Japan Women’s Open in Osaka on Thursday (Wednesday night ET).