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A five-time Canada Open champion Rafael Nadal withdrew from this year's event in Montreal due to an abdominal injury. Nadal, who leads the ATP Race, offered his rivals a chance to move closer to him and make things more attractive ahead of Cincinnati and the US Open.
Instead, his main opponents failed to capitalize on that following early losses on Wednesday. Daniil Medvedev, Carlos Alcaraz and Stefanos Tsitsipas suffered second-round defeats. Nadal will try to increase his advantage over them next week in Cincinnati and shape his form ahead of the US Open.
World no. 1 Daniil Medvedev failed to pass the most challenging possible obstacle in the second round, falling to Nick Kyrgios 6-7, 6-4, 6-2 in an hour and 59 minutes. The Wimbledon finalist and the Washington champion dropped the opener and stayed focused to overpower the Russian and score his second triumph over world no.
1.
Rafael Nadal's rivals failed to make a name for themselves in Montreal.
Thus, Medvedev dropped 1000 points and left the door wide open for Alexander Zverev or Rafael Nadal to take the ATP throne away from him in the upcoming weeks.
Nick won ten points more than Daniil and played better behind the first serve. Kyrgios defended both break points and delivered three breaks of serve to control the pace in sets two and three and emerge at the top. After this loss, Medvedev could already lose the no.
1 spot to Rafael Nadal after Cincinnati. Carlos Alcaraz stands second in the ATP Race, but he also had a short Montreal campaign. Carlos suffered a 7-6, 6-7, 6-3 loss to Tommy Paul in three hours and 20 minutes after squandering a match point at 7-6 in the second set tie break.
Paul fought like a lion and came from 4-1 down in the second part of the match to return to the positive side and reach a tie break. The American saved a match point and claimed the breaker 9-7 to force a decider and gain a massive boost.
Paul broke Alcaraz in the final set's fourth game and sealed the deal on his fifth match point in game nine for a place in the last 16. A qualifier Jack Draper stunned Stefanos Tsitsipas 7-5, 7-6 in two hours for a career-best victory.
The Briton claimed three straight games from 5-4 down in the opener to take the opener 7-5. Tsitsipas led 3-1 in the second set before losing the advantage and falling 7-4 in the tie break to push the youngster through.
