JUST five of a possible 15 seeds advanced through to the Round of 16 at the National Bank Open in Montreal, Canada, and only one of those seeds was outside the Top 10. It was a huge day of upsets, but also straight sets results, with one walkover, and two three-set contests in an otherwise one-sided day of ATP Tour action.

The biggest upset of the day was lucky loser Frances Tiafoe continuing his winning streak with a stunning 6-1 6-4 triumph over fifth seed Denis Shapovalov. Tiafoe not only had to battle a high ranked player, but also one on his home court, but showed no signs of letting up, posting the impressive win in one hour and 15 minutes, and winning 88 per cent of his first serve points, not facing a break point and creating 13 himself – though only capitalising on three.

“This is the sixth time we have played. It’s not too crazy,” Tiafoe said post-match. “I came with a much more relaxed approach the last couple times we played. You know, joking with him before the match. [I] was much more serious today. I really wanted to win. I definitely approached it in a different way… It was just my night tonight.”

It was not a memorable day for the home nation as fellow Canadian, ninth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime went down in straight sets to Dusan Lajovic, 7-5 6-4. He was joined in the losers column by a host of lower ranked seeds such as Australia’s Alex de Minaur, and 2021 ATP Tour title winners, Cristian Garin, Aslan Karatsev and Jannik Sinner.

“I’m happy with the way that I was able to play from the beginning until the end,” Lajovic said post-match. “The game at 4-3 in the second set when I was serving was a really tricky one. I’m happy that I had a little bit of luck in some moments but the most important thing was that was able to control the match and the way that I was able to make him uncomfortable.”

Georgian Nikoloz Basilashvili destroyed de Minaur in a one-sided win 6-1 6-1, with Australian James Duckworth giving the Aussie fans something to cheer about by upsetting Sinner 6-3 6-4. Duckworth openly admitted the fact there was conversation around Sinner’s next matchup in the third round motivated him to cause an upset.

“The commentators were getting ready for this really good Sinner-Medvedev match next round and I just wanted to prove a point,” Duckworth told ATPTour.com. “It pissed me off listening to them say that.”

He was the only Australian of the day to win through with John Millman eliminated in a hard-fought game against 11th seed Gael Monfils, 3-6 6-3 6-4. Meanwhile Garin suffered a three-set loss to American John Isner 4-6 6-3 6-4, with Karen Khachanov taking care of compatriot Karatsev in two tight sets, 7-6 6-4.

Fourth seed Russian Andrey Rublev joined Khachanov in the Round of 16 with a 7-6 6-3 triumph over Italian Fabio Fognini, while there were three other Top 10 seed victors on the day. Eighth seeded Argentinian Diego Schwartzman knocked off Frenchman Benoit Paire, 10th seed Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut took care of United States qualifier Tommy Paul 6-3 6-4, while seventh seed Pole Hubert Hurkacz was allowed safe passage into the third round with a walkover against Japan’s Kei Nishikori. In the other match, unseeded Lloyd Harris took down lucky loser Feliciano Lopez in straight sets, 6-2 6-3.

NATIONAL BANK OPEN ROUND OF 32 RESULTS:

[4] Andrey Rublev (RUS) defeated Fabio Fognini (ITA) 7-6 6-3
[LL] Frances Tiafoe (USA) defeated [5] Denis Shapovalov (CAN) 6-1 6-4
[7] Hubert Hurkacz (POL) defeated [PR] Kei Nishikori (JPN) W/O
[8] Diego Schwartzman (ARG) defeated Benoit Paire (FRA) 7-5 6-1
Dusan Lajovic (SRB) defeated [9] Felix Auger-Aliassime (CAN) 7-5 6-4
[10] Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP) defeated [Q] Tommy Paul (USA) 6-3 6-4
[11] Gael Monfils (FRA) defeated John Millman (AUS) 3-6 6-3 6-4
Nikoloz Basilashvili (GEO) defeated [12] Alex de Minaur (AUS) 6-1 6-1
John Isner (USA) defeated [13] Cristian Garin (CHI) 4-6 6-3 6-4
Karen Khachanov (RUS) defeated [15] Aslan Karatsev (RUS) 7-6 6-4
[Q] James Duckworth (AUS) defeated [16] Jannik Sinner (ITA) 6-3 6-4
Lloyd Harris (RSA) defeated [LL] Feliciano Lopez (ESP) 6-2 6-3

Picture credit: ATP Tour