MADRID — Montreal’s Gabriel Diallo came up short in his bid to claim a main-draw spot in the Masters-level Madrid Open tennis tournament after a 6-3, 7-6 (6) loss to Croatian veteran Borna Coric in Tuesday’s final round of qualifying.
Coric saved all nine break points he faced while breaking Diallo twice on three chances.
Diallo was up 6-5 in the second-set tiebreak before surrendering three straight points, including a double-fault on match point.
As the third seed in the qualifying draw, Diallo stood a good chance of advancing to the main draw as a “lucky loser.” If a player already in the main draw withdraws from the tournament, the highest-ranked loser from the final round of qualifying takes that available spot.
Britain’s Jacob Fearnley, the second seed in qualifying, won his match Tuesday with top-seed Daniel Altmaier of Germany yet to play.
Diallo, ranked 78th in the world, made it into two straight Masters-level main draws last month at Indian Wells, Calif., and Miami, losing to France’s Arthur Fils in the second round both times.
Felix Auger-Aliassime of Montreal (18) and Denis Shapovalov of Richmond Hill, Ont., (29) both have byes in the first round of the main draw in Madrid as seeded players.
In the women’s draw, 25th-seed Leylah Fernandez of Laval, Que., has a first-round bye while 2019 U.S. Open champion Bianca Andreescu of Mississauga, Ont., continues her comeback from injury when she faces American McCartney Kessler in a first-round match on Wednesday,
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 22, 2025.
The Canadian Press
