Latest news with #Masters-level
Hamilton Spectator
21-07-2025
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
Alcaraz joins Sinner, Djokovic as high-profile players dropping out of men's NBO
TORONTO - Carlos Alcaraz has withdrawn from the National Bank Open, depriving the men's tennis tournament in Toronto of yet another star player. Alcaraz said in a statement issued by tournament organizers Monday that the tournament comes too soon after his appearance in the Wimbledon final on July 13. The world No. 2 announced his withdrawal the day after top-ranked Jannik Sinner, 24-time Grand Slam champion and world No. 5 Jack Draper pulled out of the ATP Masters-level hardcourt event. Sinner, who defeated Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final, said he injured his elbow in a fall at the All England Club. He won his first Masters title in Toronto in 2023. Djokovic blamed a groin injury for his withdrawal from an event he has won four times, while Draper is recovering from a forearm injury. The women's NBO tournament in Montreal has also had high-profile players withdraw, including world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka. The NBO tournaments start Saturday with one-day qualifying events. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 21, 2025.
Winnipeg Free Press
21-07-2025
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Alcaraz joins Sinner, Djokovic as high-profile players dropping out of men's NBO
TORONTO – Carlos Alcaraz has withdrawn from the National Bank Open, depriving the men's tennis tournament in Toronto of yet another star player. Alcaraz said in a statement issued by tournament organizers Monday that the tournament comes too soon after his appearance in the Wimbledon final on July 13. The world No. 2 announced his withdrawal the day after top-ranked Jannik Sinner, 24-time Grand Slam champion and world No. 5 Jack Draper pulled out of the ATP Masters-level hardcourt event. Sinner, who defeated Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final, said he injured his elbow in a fall at the All England Club. He won his first Masters title in Toronto in 2023. Djokovic blamed a groin injury for his withdrawal from an event he has won four times, while Draper is recovering from a forearm injury. The women's NBO tournament in Montreal has also had high-profile players withdraw, including world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka. Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. The NBO tournaments start Saturday with one-day qualifying events. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 21, 2025.
France 24
06-06-2025
- Sport
- France 24
'Too much risk': Musetti forced to abandon French Open semi-final
Musetti had won the opening set against the second-seeded Spaniard but was obliged to call it quits when trailing 4-6, 7-6 (7/3), 6-0, 2-0 after suffering a thigh injury. "I felt at the beginning of the third (set) when I was serving, I start to, start losing a little bit of strength on the left leg behind, and definitely was going worse and worse, so I decided to stop," Musetti told his post-match press conference. "I think was, you know, the right decision to make, even if it was not what I wanted. "(I'm) really honestly sad and disappointed on how it ended, but still a great match so far." The abrupt ending was an unfortunate denouement to an intriguing battle between the rivals. Alcaraz had got the better of Musetti in their previous two meetings on clay this season -- in the final at Monte Carlo and the last four in Rome. But on Court Philippe Chatrier, only the finest of margins separated the pair through the opening two sets. "I think today that this probably the best match of these three matches that we played. I think today I was playing in the right way, and he was struggling sometimes," Musetti said. "At the end if I have to analyse those two sets, they were really, really great sets. Of course the third one and let's say the last two games, there was of course no chance to play at his level with this problem. "It was an unlucky situation." The Spaniard raced through the third set, with Musetti receiving treatment on his left thigh during a change of ends at 0-5 before being forced to quit three games later. "I start to feel like the beginning of the fourth that I couldn't go for the rallies, and I could not move like I was doing before," explained Musetti. "There was too much risk, you know, to take to go forward and to, you know, to be able to of course show something even for the crowd." The untimely injury brought a disappointing close to an otherwise excellent clay-court season for the world number seven as he reached at least the semi-finals of the three Masters-level tournaments, as well as Roland Garros. Looking forward to the upcoming grass-court season, the 2024 Wimbledon semi-finalist said: "It's too early to say... We are going to evaluate tomorrow what the exam will say, and we're gonna of course update you guys and take a decision for what's next." Musetti is due to play in the warm-up event at Queen's, which starts on June 16, before moving on to SW19 at the end of the month where he will be hoping to go one better than last year, if fit.
Winnipeg Free Press
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Canadian Gabriel Diallo suffers loss at Italian Open tennis tournament
ROME – Canadian Gabriel Diallo lost his opening men's singles match Thursday at the Italian Open tennis tournament. Diallo, of Montreal, dropped a 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 decision to American Marcos Giron. Diallo had more aces (four to two) and a better first-serve percentage (70 per cent to 58 per cent) than his opponent. But Giron converted on two-of-three break attempts while Diallo was one-for-two. Denis Shapovalov of Richmond Hill, Ont., the 27th seed, is slated to face Lithuania's Vilius Gaubas in singles action Friday at the clay-court Masters-level event. Montreal's Felix Auger Aliassime, seeded 26th, is also in the tournament. On the women's side, Toronto's Victoria Mboko, Bianca Andreescu of Mississauga, Ont., and Leylah Fernandez of Laval, Que., were scheduled to play second-round matches on Friday. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. Diallo earned a spot in the main draw in Rome without having to go through qualifying after advancing to the quarterfinals of the Masters-level Madrid Open last week. That run improved his world ranking to a career-high No. 53. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 8, 2025.
National Post
01-05-2025
- Sport
- National Post
Canada's Diallo into quarters at Madrid Open with upset win over Dimitrov
MADRID — Montreal's Gabriel Diallo advanced to his first Masters-level quarterfinal with a comeback 5-7, 7-6 (7), 6-4 fourth-round win over 15th-seed Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria on Wednesday. Article content Article content Diallo won the second set in a hard-fought tiebreaker to tie the match 1-1, then made a break in the opening game of the third set stand up. Article content The 23-year-old Canadian won his first match point after forcing his veteran opponent into an error. Article content 'Tennis is up and down, so you just try and manage,' Diallo said. 'Luckily today I managed to flip and win the match.' Article content Dimitrov used his big serve to his advantage in the hotly contested second set, firing seven aces over his last three service games and another in the tiebreaker. Article content But Diallo fought off three match points and won two points on return to go up 8-7 before taking the second set with an ace. Article content 'I honestly thought I was going home,' Diallo said. 'I thought the margins were so thin. Article content 'It might be the best serving performance I've ever displayed in my whole life. I was lucky I got the point at 4-6 with (his) loose error, and then I was really confident at 5-6 behind my serve. Then I saved another match point.' Article content The pivotal moment of the first set came in Game 11, when Diallo alternated two double-faults with two aces before Dimitrov prevailed to score the only break of the set at a crucial time. Article content Article content Both players were strong on serve, with just two breaks in the entire match. Diallo faced just one break point while Dimitrov faced four. Article content Dimitrov had 14 total aces to Diallo's eight — an impressive total between the players on the ball-deadening clay surface. Article content Diallo will next face 10th seed Lorenzo Musetti of Italy in Thursday's quarterfinals. Musetti advanced with a 6-4, 6-2 win over sixth seed Alex de Minaur. Article content Musetti defeated Diallo in the round of 16 at the Hong Kong Open in January. Diallo won the only other meeting between the players in the qualifying round of the 2023 Davis Cup. Article content Diallo's best-ever run at an ATP 1000 tournament has come with a couple of big breaks. He advanced to the main draw as a lucky loser after coming up short in qualifying and avoided a huge hurdle when Spanish star Carlos Alcaraz withdrew from their second-round match with an injury. Article content But he has been full value on the court, beating Belgium's Zizou Bergs, Poland's Kamil Majchrzak, former world No. 8 Cameron Norrie of Britain and now Dimitrov. Article content
