Canadian tennis followers had lots to cheer for on Sunday as they have been assured a house champion on the ITF M25 occasion in Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures, Quebec. Liam Draxl was the one lifting the trophy on the finish, having overwhelmed Alexis Galarneau in an all-Canadian remaining in straight units.
It was a memorable week for Draxl, who entered the occasion because the event’s No. 1 seed. The present world No. 236 received all of his matches in straight units, none of them being significantly shut. His most tightly-contested match was a 6-3, 6-3 victory within the second spherical towards American Robust Kirchheimer.
With the win in Saint-Augustin, Draxl now has six titles on the season – two in singles and 4 in doubles. It additionally marks his fourth event win on dwelling soil for the reason that starting of his skilled profession. He was additionally victorious final month in Edmonton.
In Sunday’s remaining, Draxl bought the higher of fellow Canadian Galarneau, who accepted a wild card to participate within the occasion in his dwelling province. The Newmarket native bought off to a wonderful begin proper out of the gate, as he had executed all week, successful the primary set 6-1 in simply over half an hour. Draxl carried that momentum into the second set, breaking Galarneau early on earlier than clinching the win on his first match level within the ninth sport. This was the primary assembly on the skilled circuit between the 2 younger Canucks.
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Saint-Augustin’s all-Canadian remaining added to an enormous weekend for Canada’s execs as Draxl’s victory was certainly one of 5 throughout all ranges of the excursions this weekend, together with Gabriela Dabrowski’s historic victory on the WTA Finals, Denis Shapovalov’s win in Belgrade, a career-best consequence for Rebecca Marino in Michigan, and one other ITF title for Kayla Cross in Miami.
13 Canadians have been competing within the singles general. 4 reached the quarter-finals: Draxl, Galarneau, Jaden Weekes, and Juan Carlos Aguilar, who misplaced to the eventual champion Draxl.
Within the doubles draw, second seeds Filip Duda and David Poljak of Czechia narrowly beat the unseeded American duo of Alfredo Perez and Jamie Vance 6-4, 6-7(4), 11-9. This was their second title as a workforce.
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Draxl additionally reached the semifinals of the doubles, partnering with American Boris Kozlov. They misplaced to the eventual champions Duda and Poljak 10-8 within the match tiebreak. An all-Canadian pair, Benjamin George and Alvin Tudorica, additionally reached the semifinals, dropping in straight units to the Individuals.
Aguilar and Justin Boulais reached the quarter-finals, dropping to Draxl and Kozlov.
There may be one final skilled occasion on the 2024 calendar happening in Canada this week, the Challenger Banque Nationale de Drummondville in Quebec.
