At 23, Canada’s Gabriel Diallo pulled off one of the biggest upsets at the Madrid Open, defeating tournament favorite Grigor Dimitrov to reach his first ATP Masters quarterfinal.
After losing the first set 7-5, Diallo – a lucky loser for the third time in four Masters events – staged a stunning fightback. He matched his March heroics in Indian Wells, where he fended off two match points against Zhang Zhizhen of the Chinese mainland, then saved three match points in this clash and sealed the tiebreak 9-7 with a clutch ace.
He then claimed the decider 6-4 when Dimitrov’s final shot drifted wide, sealing one of the biggest shocks of the clay season.
This breakthrough run will boost Diallo from world No.78 to a career-high No.53, with the potential for an even bigger jump if he can topple Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti next. Musetti has already secured a top 10 debut, fueled by a bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics and a maiden Masters 1000 final appearance in Monte-Carlo just weeks ago.
Fans can look forward to a captivating quarterfinal clash as Diallo’s fearless underdog energy meets Musetti’s clay-court mastery. A win here would not only cement Diallo’s arrival at the elite level but also shake up the ATP rankings ahead of the European clay season.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
