Gabriel Diallo draws his first ATP Tour final in Almaty | ATP Tour

Almaty

Diallo draws his first ATP Tour final in Almaty

The Canadian will debut in the Top 100 of the PIF ATP Rankings this Monday

October 19, 2024

Motionless for a few seconds, leaning on his knees with his gaze fixed on the ground. This is how Gabriel Diallo celebrated his first ATP Tour final this Saturday, assuming an unforgettable moment in his career under the cover of the Almaty Open. The Canadian, just 23 years old, extended a dream week indoors in Kazakhstan, where he has defeated big names to get one step away from the trophy.

The North American overcame a match that acted as a test of faith, defeating Argentine Francisco Cerúndolo 6-4, 6-2 to confirm the height of his game. After beating the former world No. 12 Borna Coric and the No. 2 seed Alejandro Tabilo, Diallo returned to compete with total courage to break any odds in the draw.

“I feel very happy, I am very excited. The relief is enormous,” said Diallo, summing up his feelings after winning the semifinal. “I am playing a good level of tennis and I am happy to see how the results are falling on my side. It means a lot to me, especially here. I have family in town who I’ve never met before, so it’s lovely that they’re here and I’m having a great week. “I feel immensely happy.”

Diallo resisted in a match against nerves, taking advantage of the three breaking balls generated to finish cracking the logic in Almaty. The Canadian, who had not been to an ATP Tour quarterfinal until this week, will go for the title in Kazakhstan with a double motivation. Along with the possibility of debuting his showcase, he will have a guarantee: debuting in the Top 100 of the PIF ATP Rankings starting this coming Monday.

“It is something very special. The Top 100 is something to always try to reach, it is a spectacular frontier,” said Diallo. “It allows you to enter the biggest tournaments and Grand Slams, something much more fun and motivating. I feel very happy for myself and my team. “We have worked really hard to be where we are, hopefully it is the beginning of something very special.”

The Canadian will play the final of the tournament against the third seed Karen Khachanov, winner 6-7(3), 6-3, 6-4 over the Australian Aleksandar Vukic. The World No. 26 will go into the final with the psychological advantage on his side, dominating the Lexus ATP Head2Head record 1-0 after beating Diallo this year at the ATP Masters 1000 in Canada.

For his part, Cerúndolo was one step away from playing the first indoor final of his career. The Argentine, who can finish the season among the top 30 on the circuit, will continue the tour indoor competing next week in the ATP 500 in Basel.