Denis Shapovalov from Canada progresses to the quarterfinals of the Stockholm Open tennis tournament after defeating hometown favorite Leo Borg with a score of 6-2, 5-7, 6-1 on Wednesday. Shapovalov, seeded third in the competition, displayed a strong performance with six aces and an 83% first serve points win rate against Borg, the 22-year-old son of the legendary Swedish tennis player Bjorn Borg.
Despite earning a wildcard entry into the ATP 250 tournament in Stockholm, Borg faced difficulties in holding his serve against Shapovalov. He encountered 18 break points throughout the match, managing to defend 11 of them. While Borg showed promise in the second set by securing three breaks in a four-game winning streak, Shapovalov swiftly took control in the deciding third set, claiming victory with five consecutive game wins after an initial hold by both players.
Shapovalov, aged 26 and hailing from Richmond Hill, Ontario, will face either Jacob Fearnley of Britain or Swedish wildcard Elias Ymer in the upcoming round.
In a separate match at the Almaty Open in Kazakhstan, Montreal’s Gabriel Diallo exited the tournament following a close 7-6 (3), 6-7 (3), 6-4 defeat against Australian qualifier James Duckworth. Despite Diallo’s impressive 22 aces and an 82% first serve accuracy rate, Duckworth managed to stay strong throughout the match, not allowing any break points against him.
Duckworth’s victory sets up a quarterfinal clash against third seed Flavio Cobolli of Italy. This encounter marks the first main-draw meeting between the two players, with Diallo having previously defeated Duckworth during the qualifying rounds of the 2022 National Bank Open in Montreal.
Following this loss, Diallo, ranked 35th globally, saw his season record drop to 28-22. Meanwhile, fourth seed Leylah Fernandez of Laval, Quebec, is set to compete against Hungary’s Dalma Galfi in the second round of the Japan Women’s Open in Osaka.
