Canadian lucky loser Gabriel Diallo saved three match points to beat Grigor Dimitrov 5-7 7-6 (9-7) 6-4 reaching a Masters 1000 quarter final for the first time in his career.
Both players went on serve without facing any break points in the first 10 games. They each had to rally from 0-30 down once but the returner never managed more than two points in a game until 5-5. Dimitrov pushed Diallo to deuce for the first time in the match and hit a passing shot to earn the first break point. Dimitrov broke serve with a volley winner to close out the first set 7-5.
Diallo earned two break points in the fourth game of the second set when Dimitrov double faulted to go down 15-40. Diallo missed his return on the first break point. Dimitrov saved the second break point with a forehand winner. Dimitrov did not drop another point on serve until the tie-break. Diallo never trailed in his service games. Dimitrov earned two match points at 6-4 in the tie-break. The Bulgarian player missed a forehand on his first match point on his serve. Diallo saved the second match point with a forehand winner. Dimitrov earned a third match point on his serve at 7-6, but he sent his forehand long. Diallo earned a chance to close out the second set at 8-7 and fired an ace to force the match to the decider.
Dimitrov made a double fault to face two break points in the first game of the third set at 15-40. Diallo earned an early break, when Dimitrov sent a forehand long on the second break point. The Canadian player backed up the break with a hold to love in the second game to open up a 2-0 lead. Diallo trailed just once on his serve in the third set, when he went down 0-15 in the fourth game. He sealed the win on his first match point with a big serve.
Diallo moved up 25 spots to a career-high of world number 25. He is playing as a lucky loser for the third time in his four main draw appearances at Masters 1000 level.
“I honestly thought I was going home. I thought the margins were so thin. It might be the best serving performance I 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… Tennis is up and down, so you just try and manage. Luckily today I managed to flip and win the match”, said Diallo.
Diallo set up a quarter final clash against Lorenzo Musetti, who beat Alex De Minaur 6-4 6-2 in 1 hours and 23 minutes on Manolo Santana Court.
