Tabilo, Sinner’s threat in Montreal round of 16 | ATP Tour

Montreal

Tabilo, Sinner’s threat in Montreal’s round of 16

The Chilean has won all four sets he has played in the tournament

August 08, 2024

Alejandro Tabilo’s pace at the Omnium Banque National presented by Rogers only grows and grows with each passing round. The Chilean has made it through his first time in a main draw at this ATP Masters 1000 in Canada with honours, and not only because he is already in the round of 16. Also because he has won all four sets he has played this week.

The honor of being the first Chilean since Marcelo Ríos in 1996 to be seeded in his debut at the Canadian Masters 1000 has come with results. After defeating American Frances Tiafoe in straight sets, the No. 21 in the PIF ATP Rankings was in charge of beating Italian Lorenzo Sonego on Thursday with scores of 6-4, 6-2 and in 80 minutes of play.

The only moment of crisis in the match for the No. 15 seed came in the second game when he failed to confirm the break he had managed at the start of the match. But he corrected this with a new break at 1-1 that increased his superiority against an opponent against whom he entered the Lexus ATP HeadToHead between the two 0-1 down.

From then on, he never suffered any more breaks. He saved the break point he faced at 4-3 and lost his last point on serve at 5-4 when he missed his first set point. He converted the second and then came a perfect performance with his serve in the second set, winning all 16 points he played on serve.

That effectiveness combined with his reliability on return (he broke at 0-0 and 4-2) led him to his 28th victory of the season (28-15 record), and the 20th of his ATP Tour career on hard courts. Now he will try to cause an upset of the tournament when he faces Italian Jannik Sinner, the tournament’s top seed.

But the Chilean already has experience beating number ones at Masters 1000 during 2024. He did it in Rome by beating Novak Djokovic in straight sets. If he does, he would rise to No. 20 in the live rankings, and would become the first Chilean in the quarterfinals of the ATP Masters 1000 in Canada since 2006 when Fernando González was a semifinalist.

In other results, Andrey Rublev defeated Argentine Tomas Etcheverry 7-6(3), 6-2. The fifth seed will now face American Brandon Nakashima, who came from the qualifying round and who surprised his compatriot Tommy Paul by beating him 6-2, 6-7(5), 6-1.

Also, Denmark’s Holger Rune defeated Spain’s Pablo Carreno Busta 6-1, 6-3. The No. 13 seed will next face second-seeded Alexander Zverev. The German leads the Lexus ATP HeadToHead between the two 2-1.