Shapovalov, Diallo, Marino in action at Australian Open Monday on TSN
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Canadians have gotten off to a strong start through two days at the Australian Open.
Last week's Adelaide International winner Félix Auger-Aliassime continued his momentum with a first-round win over Jan-Lennard Struff 6-3, 6-0, 4-6, 6-1, early Monday morning. Fresh off the sixth ATP Tour title of his career, the 29th seeded Auger-Aliassime will face Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the second round.
Montreal's Leylah Annie Fernandez also won her first round matchup at Melbourne Park, defeating Yuliia Starodubtseva 7-5, 6-4. The No. 30 ranked Fernandez will take on Spain's Cristina Bucsa in second-round action Tuesday.
Three more Canadians will look to book their ticket to the second round on Monday.
Gabriel Diallo is making his first appearance in the main draw at the Australian Open and will battle Luca Nardi in the first round. It will be the first matchup between the two.
Diallo made a surprise run to the third round at the US Open last summer and looks to once again make a run at a Grand Slam.
After improving his rank from No. 139 to No. 86 last season, including reaching his first event final at the Almaty Open this past October, the Montreal native is primed to continue climbing the ladder.
The 23-year-old’s potential draw includes No. 19 Karen Khachanov, who beat him in the Almaty Open final, No. 11 Stefanos Tsitsipas, and No. 8 Alex de Minaur.
Denis Shapovalov makes his eighth appearance at the Australian Open and will take on veteran Roberto Bautista Agut in the first round. Shapovalov has won all three matches between the two, including both matches in 2024.
Shapovalov, ranked No. 58 in the world, is looking to bounce back in Melbourne after he was ousted in the first round by Jakub Mensik last year. After reaching a career-best rank of No. 10 in 2020, Shapovalov has struggled with injury over the past two seasons and said that his main motivation for this season is to once again reach elite status on tour.
“It's the only thing that's kept me in the game, to be honest, trying to get back to the top level of where I was, or trying to go even further,” Shapovalov told ATPTour.com last week. “When I stopped with my injury, I told my team, I told my family, that it's not interesting for me to be back and to be an average player. I've been at the top of the game. I've achieved a lot, I think, in my short career.
“So, for me, it's either trying to push those limits and go even further, or to stop. For me to be just a mediocre player, it's not for me. It's not interesting.”
If he were to get past Bautista Agut, Shapovalov faces potential matchups with No. 16 Lorenzo Musetti, hard-serving American Ben Shelton, and No. 4 Taylor Fritz.
Rebecca Marino is the final Canadian in the singles draw in Melbourne. She will take on No. 22 Katie Boulter in her opening match. The two have faced off twice in their careers, with Boulter winning both previous matches.
The 34-year-old Marino is making her ninth appearance in the Australian Open main draw and will attempt to move past the first round for the first time since 2021.