![\"Fritz](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/ht-generic_sports3_1751287397748_1751287408612.jpg\" "\\"Fritz")
Fritz beats rain, Carballes Baena, to advance in Toronto <\/p>\nSecond-seeded Taylor Fritz struggled with three rain delays and a stubborn Spanish opponent on Wednesday, pulling out a tight 7-5, 7-6 win over Roberto Carballes Baena at the ATP Toronto Masters. <\/p>\n
Fritz beats rain, Carballes Baena, to advance in Toronto <\/p>\n
The second-round match was halted repeatedly by light rain, with the final 18-minute pause coming just as the second-set tiebreaker was about to start. <\/p>\n
But Fritz, winner of Stuttgart and Eastbourne titles this season, quickly sprinted to victory before heavier rains were expected to set in. <\/p>\n
The American was far from pleased with a win which was marred by 45 unforced errors and confessed that he has not yet felt on his game in Canada. <\/p>\n
“Even in practice I’m having a hard time putting the ball into the court,” he said. “But I’m happy to get through this one. <\/p>\n
“Everything is not feeling great, it’s tough to control the ball. <\/p>\n
“Since I’ve been here it’s been absolutely brutal. But I have another match to figure it out and hopefully I can play myself into the tournament.” <\/p>\n
Fritz’s fourth-seeded compatriot Ben Shelton had no complaints after earning his first career win over gritty Frenchman Adrian Mannarino 6-2, 6-3. <\/p>\n
Shelton had dropped two prior meetings with 37-year-old qualifier Mannarino but said he was able to vary his serve to get over the line this time. <\/p>\n
“This win was huge for me. He’s a shotmaker, he can take the racquet out of your hands,” Shelton said. “I’ve played well against him in the past and come up short, he can make things really difficult.”<\/p>\n
American Frances Tiafoe squeezed out a win after more than two and a quarter hours against Japan’s Yosuke Watanuki, hailing his opponent’s fighting spirit after a 1-6, 7-5, 7-6 triumph. <\/p>\n
“He can hit a winner on any shot,” Tiafoe said. “I needed some luck in those last two sets to win.” <\/p>\n
Tiafoe managed just 19 winners to the 45 of his 158th-ranked foe, but now lines up against Australian Alexsandar Vukic, who defeated Briton Cam Norrie 6-3, 6-7 , 6-3. <\/p>\n
Andrey Rublev, runner-up in Canada a year ago to Alexei Popyrin, won his 250th career match on hardcourt as he beat France’s Hugo Gaston 6-2, 6-3. <\/p>\n
The sixth seed needed four match points to advance after 86 minutes and now plays Italian Lorenzo Sonego, a 6-1, 6-4 winner over China’s Bu Yunchaokete. <\/p>\n
Wimbledon quarter-finalist Flavio Cobolli of Italy delivered four aces in the final game of a rain-interrupted match to clinch a 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 victory over Canadian Alexis Galarneau. <\/p>\n
But Canadian Gabriel Diallo came out on top against his Italian opponent, beating Matteo Gigante 6-3, 7-6 to next face Fritz. <\/p>\n
Montreal’s Felix Auger-Aliassime suffered another early disappointment, losing his opening match in his home Masters for a third straight year as he fell to Fabian Marozsan 6-4, 6-4. <\/p>\n
Former top 10 ranking regular Stefanos Tsitsipas, now 30th in the world, continued a downward slide with a 6-4. 4-6, 6-2 loss to Australian Christopher O’Connell. <\/p>\n
Alex de Minaur, winner in Washington on Sunday, defeated Francisco Comesana 6-4, 6-2. <\/p>\n
“It was not pretty by any means,” Australia’s de Minaur said. “The wind and rain made it quite tough. I’m happy I was engaged and focused from the first point to the last. <\/p>\n
“Backing up a good week is the toughest ask in tennis. You don’t have a lot of time to enjoy the moment after a week of emotional highs. <\/p>\n
“You have to find a way to re-set and do it all over again.” <\/p>\n
str\/bb <\/p>\n
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