Monday Digest: Canada Strikes Gold at Masters Championships

It was an enormous weekend for Canada as they claimed gold on the ITF Masters World Staff Championships. 

A decade had handed since any Canadians walked away with the most-desired {hardware} on the group occasion, however that drought ended final week because the Canadian males grabbed some gold, and a little bit of silver in addition. 

Right here’s what it is advisable know. 

Beneath the Radar: Two Medals for Staff Canada 

Canadian squads have been competing throughout the globe final week in ITF group occasions and some walked away with some {hardware}. 

On the ITF Masters World Staff Championships in Turkey, Canada’s males struck gold within the M75 competitors, defeating Italy 3-0 within the remaining.  

The Canadian group of Tim Griffin, Chris Burr, and Joe Forrayi received all three of their ties within the group stage, claiming eight of 9 matches, to complete atop Group D. They then defeated america 2-1 within the semis earlier than ending on high of the rostrum by sweeping Italy. 

Within the M70s, the Canadian males swept Group F after which defeated Nice Britain and Australia every 2-1 within the quarter and semifinals earlier than falling within the gold-medal tie in opposition to France 2-1. 

“I’m so happy that Canada picked up two medals on the ITF World Masters Staff Championships. What an achievement to take part in two finals and to come back away with a Gold and Silver medal,” commented Irwin Tobias, Advisor to Masters Tennis and Occasions for Tennis Canada.  

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“That is unprecedented on the Canadian Masters panorama. Canada has by no means been in two finals on the similar yr on the World Championships. The Gold medal that our Over 75 Bitsy Grant Cup group received is the primary gold medal in 10 years.”  

Qualifying for the Wheelchair World Staff Cup occurred final week in Peru and in Thailand. 

Chile was Canada’s nemesis on the two occasions, knocking out each the boys’s group in Peru and the quads group in Thailand within the semifinals.  

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The quad group completed second in Group 2, beating the Republic of Korea and dropping to Australia, earlier than falling in opposition to the Chileans 2-0 within the semis. 

Again within the Americas, Canada’s males beat the hosts Peru and Guatemala however misplaced to Colombia to complete second in Group 2. They too misplaced 2-0 to Chile within the remaining 4. 

Within the girls’s occasion in Peru, which was only a spherical robin, Canada went 2-2 with wins over Ecuador and Peru however losses to Colombia and Chile, ending third of their group. 

For the second week in a row, there was ITF motion in Quebec with a W15 occasion at IGA Stadium in Montreal. Jessica Failla walked away with the winners trophy, whereas a trio of Canadians reached the quarter-finals. 

Learn all the small print from Montreal right here.

On the ITF junior circuit, Lola Emilie Bean had a detailed name on the J30 occasion in Monterrey, Mexico, the place she misplaced in an epic doubles remaining 7-6(1), 6-7(3), 10-4. Down in El Salvador, the all-Canadian pair of Volodymyr Gurenko and Loic Petrecca additionally misplaced within the remaining of a J60 occasion. 

Liam Draxl reached his first ATP Challenger semifinal final week, attending to the ultimate 4 of the Challenger de Santiago the place he misplaced to the eventual champion Juan Pablo Varillas. 

In Case You Missed It: Disappointment for Dabrowski 

Just one Canadian made it to week two of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, that being Gabriela Dabrowski.  

However her keep in Tennis Paradise was quick. Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe have been upset within the second spherical of the doubles by Asia Muhammad and Ena Shibahara 12-10 within the match tiebreak.  

Click on right here for extra information from the excursions.

What to Watch: Shifting to Miami 

Half two of the Sunshine Double kicks off this week on the Miami Open. 4 Canadians are anticipated to take part this week in Florida.

Leylah Annie Fernandez is seeded thirty first and has a first-round bye. She’s going to both face Tatjana Maria or a qualifier/fortunate loser in her opening match.  

She may face No. 5 seed Jessica Pegula in spherical three, Dubai champion Jasmine Paolini in spherical 4, and world No. 1 Iga Swiatek within the quarter-finals. 

Félix Auger-Aliassime, and Denis Shapovalov will probably be competing within the males’s singles. The draw gods weren’t sort to both man as they each have blockbusters lined up in spherical two.

Within the first spherical, Auger-Aliassime will meet a qualifier however then should tussle with world No. 5 Alexander Zverev, seeded fourth, within the second spherical. The German leads their head-to-head 5-2 however they haven’t confronted since Could 2022. They’re within the second quarter of the draw with No. 6 seed Holger Rune.

Shapovalov will face Luciano Darderi of Italy in spherical one. A win would arrange a conflict with tenth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas. The Canadian leads their head-to-head 3-2, having received all of their arduous court docket conferences. Andrey Rublev can be in that part of the draw, with No. 2 Jannik Sinner looming within the quarters.

Gabriela Dabrowski is anticipated to play within the girls’s doubles alongside Erin Routliffe. 

Gabriel Diallo was the lone Canadian competing in qualifying however misplaced his first match to Sumit Nagal, who had been crushed by Milos Raonic in Indian Wells. 

You may observe the Canadians in motion each week right here.