On Wednesday, the ATP Montreal Masters witnessed a surprising turn of events as both of its top seeds, Alexander Zverev from Germany and Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime, were unexpectedly eliminated from the tournament within just a few hours.
Event Context
In a surprising second-round upset, top seed and world number three Alexander Zverev, the reigning French Open champion and Wimbledon runner-up, was defeated by Dutch player Tallon Griekspoor. Zverev lost the match with scores of 6-7, 6-2, 6-4.
Meanwhile, Montreal’s Felix Auger-Aliassime had to withdraw from his evening match due to a back injury sustained during practice on Monday. Tournament organizers were already frustrated by the absence of stars like world number one Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic prior to the tournament’s start.
Tournament director Valerie Tetreault expressed her disappointment, stating, “We were hoping Felix would win at least a few matches here in Montreal.”
Zverev was competing for the first time since his loss to Sinner in the Wimbledon final. He began to struggle in the second set against Griekspoor, who nearly held a 5-2 lead in the third set before the match leveled at 4-all after Zverev lost his serve. However, Griekspoor quickly broke back and secured the match in a pivotal game, marking one of the biggest victories of his career. “This is one of the most special wins I’ve ever had,” Griekspoor commented. “I’ve faced a challenging season and nearly considered giving up several times but have pushed myself harder in practice and reached a good level. It feels like the right moment for a significant win.”
Defending champion Ben Shelton, seeded fifth, overcame a 4-1 deficit in the second set to defeat US compatriot Jenson Brooksby with scores of 6-3, 7-5, clinching his 28th victory of the season by winning six of the last seven games.
Shelton, son of a former ATP player, has now claimed seven consecutive victories in Canada, moving to the third round in just 96 minutes. He holds a strong 15-3 record against fellow Americans in 2025. “Defending is tough; I had to overcome my pre-tournament nerves, but achieving my first straight-set win of the summer is a big positive,” Shelton stated.
In a notable match, Stefanos Tsitsipas secured his first career win in Montreal but was subsequently eliminated by Joao Fonseca, who won 7-6, 7-5 in the second round. The 19-year-old Brazilian was competing for the first time in a month following an early Wimbledon exit and delivered an impressive performance, landing nine aces among his 31 winners. Tsitsipas managed to break Fonseca’s serve while he was serving for the match to level at 5-5. However, a second break allowed Fonseca to regain control, and he struck an ace on match point shortly after. “I’ve played all of the top five, which has helped me build my mental strength,” Fonseca remarked.
Player Focus
He’s certainly the player everyone has been buzzing about, with fans eager to find out when he would take the court.
On a day when temperatures soared to 29 degrees Celsius and heat warnings were issued, 11th seed Lorenzo Musetti, who had been sidelined for two and a half months due to an injury sustained in Rome last May, secured a victory against Colombian qualifier Nicolas Mejia with a score of 7-6, 6-2.
British number two Cameron Norrie triumphed over Ignacio Buse from Paraguay with a 6-3, 6-3 win, while Washington champion Taylor Fritz faced defeat against Argentine Thiago Tirante, falling 7-5, 6-3.
Match Outlook
Fonseca is set to face off against ninth seed Casper Ruud. Ruud recently turned the tables on Juan Manuel Cerundolo, securing a decisive victory with a score of 6-1, 6-2, highlighted by an impressive 16 winners hit from his forehand.
