Gabriel Diallo, the towering 6-foot-8 right-hander from Montreal, secured his place in the third round of the National Bank Open in Toronto by defeating Italy’s Matteo Gigante 6-3, 7-6 (7-5) on Wednesday. The match, which lasted 1 hour and 46 minutes and was interrupted by rain, saw Diallo display resilience, saving two set points at 2-5 in the second set before battling back to force a tiebreak. Despite Gigante taking a 5-3 lead in the breaker, he faltered at the crucial moment, losing the last four points and double-faulting on match point.

Reflecting on the match’s ups and downs, Diallo commented, “Tennis is sometimes pretty crazy with the momentum switches that you see throughout a match.”

Diallo, seeded 27th at his home event, is in the midst of a breakthrough season highlighted by his first ATP Tour title last month in the Netherlands. His next challenge will come against the winner of a later match between second-seeded American Taylor Fritz and Spain’s Roberto Carballes Baena.

Daniil Medvedev and Alexei Popyrin meet in a significant second-round encounter at the 2025 Toronto Masters, both seeking to build momentum in their US Open preparations. Medvedev, a former world No. 1 and the 2021 Toronto champion, faces Popyrin, the defending champion from Canada, who secured the title here last summer.

Their head-to-head history includes memorable moments. In 2021, Medvedev battled through severe cramps to edge out Popyrin 6-4 in the third set on indoor hard courts. More recently, Medvedev claimed a straightforward 6-4, 6-1 victory over Popyrin in Rome this year, lacking the intensity of their earlier clash.

Both players have had challenging starts in 2025. Medvedev has yet to claim a title and holds a 1-3 record in Grand Slams this year, having slipped out of the Top 10 rankings for the first time since 2018. Popyrin, despite last year’s breakthrough, has struggled to maintain consistency, carrying a 12-16 match record overall and 3-2 at majors.

They both eased through their opening matches at Toronto, though against lower-ranked opponents, showing flashes of their top-level potential. Popyrin’s powerful serve and forehand remain formidable weapons, while Medvedev retains the caliber of a former world leader who has not sounded defeated by recent setbacks.

The National Bank Open in Toronto will showcase an intriguing clash between two American players from different generations: Learner Tien and Reilly Opelka. Though Opelka is only eight years older than 19-year-old Tien, their careers have taken very different paths thus far.

Opelka peaked four years ago when he reached the final in Toronto and entered the Top 20 rankings. At that time, he was considered among the future pillars of U.S. men’s tennis alongside contemporaries Taylor Fritz, Tommy Paul, and Frances Tiafoe. However, injuries have since impeded his progress, and he is now ranked 74th, aiming to regain his form and status.

Tien’s season, while marked by expected fluctuations, has been promising. The Californian teenager made an impactful run to the second week of the Australian Open early in the year but currently holds a 15-16 record with a ranking of 61. Recently, he achieved one of his best wins against 22nd seed Denis Shapovalov at the tournament.

The match features a clear physical contrast: Opelka stands a full foot taller than Tien, which promises a battle of styles—Opelka’s powerful serve against Tien’s speed and consistency. Much will depend on Tien’s ability to engage in rallies and neutralize Opelka’s serve.

Their sole prior meeting occurred at the Rome clay court event, where Tien secured a narrow two-set victory. This upcoming encounter in Toronto offers both players a chance to assert themselves and move forward in the tournament.