Gabriel Diallo is again residence and tasked with main Canada as soon as once more.
With high Canadians Felix Auger-Aliassime and Denis Shapovalov absent, Diallo headlines this weekend’s squad for a Davis Cup tie towards Hungary.
The 23-year-old from Montreal triumphed in his hometown a yr in the past with two singles wins towards South Korea on the males’s workforce tennis event, establishing his finest season but in 2024.
Now ranked a career-high No. 85 — practically 50 spots larger than 12 months in the past — the six-foot-eight, 198-pound Diallo is approaching this weekend along with his common calm however assured angle.
“It feels the identical whether or not I am No. 1-ranked or quantity 50 (in Canada),” he stated after Friday’s draw. “I am prepared for every thing, and I am simply going to do my half the perfect I can.”
Alexis Galarneau of Laval, Que., will meet Hungary’s Fabian Marozsan on Saturday to open the best-of-five first-round qualifier.
Diallo drew Marton Fucsovics in Saturday’s second match. He hopes to choose up the place he left off on the indoor arduous court docket at IGA Stadium, which seats 2,000.
“Doing it right here in Montreal final yr was fairly particular, particularly right here for me,” he stated. “It is the membership the place I grew up taking part in. I do not dwell removed from right here, so seeing so many acquainted faces within the crowd was fairly particular.
“Provides you a great momentum, particularly for those who handle to get the win like final yr, and hopefully we will have an analogous end result this yr.”
Diallo received a Challenger occasion, reached an ATP 250 remaining and made it to the US Open’s third spherical in 2024.
“It has been an awesome transformation for him,” stated Canada workforce captain Frank Dancevic. “He is improved so many areas of his recreation over time, and he is grown right into a severe participant on tour proper now, so it is nice to see and he is nice to have on the workforce.”
Veteran participant Vasek Pospisil of Vernon, B.C., Liam Draxl of Newmarket, Ont., and Calgary’s Cleeve Harper spherical out Canada’s lineup.
Pospisil and Draxl are scheduled to tackle Marozsan and Mate Valkusz in Sunday’s doubles match. If crucial, Diallo would meet Marozsan in a fourth matchup and Galarneau would battle Fucsovics in a fifth.
Canada is ranked third within the Davis Cup standings, whereas Hungary is twenty second. However No. 22 Auger-Aliassime is busy taking part in in a event in France and the 53rd-ranked Shapovalov withdrew from the competitors final week, citing a again damage.
“With out Auger-Aliassime and Shapovalov, they’re a bit of bit weaker,” stated Hungary workforce captain Kornel Bardocz. “However I feel they nonetheless have a really, very robust workforce, so we aren’t underestimating the Canadian workforce, so the gamers ready arduous in the course of the week, and they’re prepared for a struggle.”
Hungary, in the meantime, travelled abroad with its finest.
Marozsan is ranked 58th on the planet and reached as excessive as No. 36 final yr. Fucsovics is simply 96th however has flirted with the highest 30 previously.
“Hungary is actually severe by bringing their high two gamers right here,” Dancevic stated. “Fucsovics is a participant with quite a lot of expertise, he is been (No. 31) on the planet, so he performs a very excessive degree. Marozsan is youthful, large recreation, had good outcomes on the Australian Open, is available in with confidence.
“We’re actually even, in my view. We each have good groups and it will not be a weekend that ends after the third match, it will go 4 or 5.”
The 25-year-old Galarneau, regardless of his No. 176 rating, upset Fucsovics 6-3, 6-4 at a Challenger occasion in Portugal final week. Draxl, 23, is Canada’s top-ranked doubles participant on the roster at No. 113.
“It is a younger workforce, apart from Vasek,” Dancevic stated, as laughs went across the press convention room.
Pospisil will play in his thirty fifth Davis Cup tie — and is aware of it could possibly be his final with retirement on the horizon.
“I simply wish to soak it in, get pleasure from it. I have not determined,” he stated. “I will be making some form of resolution this yr, however there’s a excessive likelihood this will probably be my final time, so I am gonna attempt to get pleasure from it as finest I can.
“On the identical time, I am right here to do a job, and I am gonna wish to contribute to the workforce and get the win in doubles.”
Canada and Hungary are assembly for the primary time in Davis Cup motion.
The winner of the two-day tie will advance to the second spherical of qualifiers in September. The dropping workforce will probably be relegated to the World Group 1 degree.
Canada has misplaced within the quarterfinals the final two years and received 9 of its final 10 residence ties.
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