Gabriel Diallo, A 20-year-old from Montreal, won 1st title on ATP Challenger Tour.
Diallo had participated in the Granby National Bank Championship to gather experience for the future. However, his performance clears that he is a fast learner.
With a 7-5, 7-6(5) victory over Juncheng Shang in the tight final on Sunday in Granby, Quebec, the 6-foot-7 wild card winner won his first title on the ATP Challenger Tour.
Diallo achieves a new career high of No. 335 in the world after moving up 183 ranks in the ATP rankings as a result of his victory.
Even though he failed to serve out the match with the score of 6-5 in the second set, Diallo played exceptionally well behind his serve in the finals match. He also struck Shang’s second serve, winning 63% of those points.
As a result, Diallo would only lower one point on serve in the second-set tiebreaker and win the match with a mini-break on Shang’s last serve.
Wednesday marked the start of Diallo’s surprising run for the championship after he defeated fellow countryman Dan Martin 7-5, 6-1.
Before cruising over Hiroki Moriya in the semifinals 6-3, 6-4 and securing a spot to face Shang on Sunday, he first defeated German Cedrik-Marcel Stebe (6-4, 4-6, 7-6(2)) and Tunisian Aziz Dougaz (3-6, 6-3, 7-6(5)).
Likewise, Shang had a wonderful week in Granby. The 17-year-old player didn’t lose a set to make it to the final. He defeated Australian Jordan Thompson (7-5, 6-4), the No. 103 player in the world, as well as Canadian Marko Stakusic (6-4, 6-4), Americans Coline Markes (6-2, 6-2), and Aidan Mayo (6-3, 6-4).
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